Elderberry Wine — Home Brew Recipe
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Style: Elderberry Wine | ABV: ~12% | Volume: 4.5 litres (6 bottles) | Difficulty: Beginner
About This Recipe
Elderberries ripen in late August and September across the UK and make one of the finest country wines you can brew. Deep purple-red in colour, elderberry wine has a rich, full-bodied character with earthy, berry notes that develop beautifully over time. This is a wine that genuinely improves with age.
Ingredients
- 1kg fresh or frozen elderberries
- 1.2kg winemaking sugar
- 4 litres water
- 1.5 tsp citric acid
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- 1 packet Young's Dried Active Yeast
Method
- Strip elderberries from stalks (green stalks are mildly toxic — remove all of them). Wash thoroughly.
- Crush berries in sterilised vessel. Pour over 1L of boiling water to partially extract juice.
- Dissolve sugar in remaining water and combine with fruit. Add citric acid and yeast nutrient.
- Take OG with hydrometer (target 1.085–1.090).
- Pitch yeast, cover loosely. Stir daily for 5 days.
- Strain through muslin bag into clean vessel. Press pulp gently to extract all juice. Fit airlock.
- Ferment 6–8 weeks. Rack twice using syphon as sediment builds.
- Bottle when clear and stable. Age minimum 6 months — 12+ months is ideal.
Brewer's Notes
Always remove all stalks and leaves — only the ripe berries should go into your wine. Adding a small amount of black grape concentrate enhances the body and gives the wine a more vinous quality.