~The Book Of Wonder Encyclopaedia~

Equipment

• Fermentation bin
• Large pan
• Large wooden spoon
• Muslin
• 2 demijohns
• Airlock and bung

1. 3½ lb blackberries
2. 3 lb sugar
3. Juice of 1 lemon, strained
4. 1 heaped tsp dried all-purpose wine yeast and nutrient
5. 7 pts water
6. Campden tablets

Method

Rinse fruit under cold running water and put into bin.
Crush fruit down and pour on 4 pints cooled, boiled water.
Crush a campden tablet, dissolve in a little warm water and add to the bin. Mix well and cover.
Put half the sugar in a pan with 2 pts water, heat gently until dissolved.
Bring to the boil and remove from heat. Leave to cool then mix into the pulp.
Add lemon juice. Add yeast and nutrient.
Cover tightly and put in a warm place to ferment for 7 days, stirring daily.
Strain through muslin into another bin or plastic pail then return wine to first, cleaned, bin straining again.
Boil remaining sugar with 1 pt water and add to wine when cool.
Leave, covered, for 3 or 4 days.
Rack off into gallon demijohn and fit fermentation lock.
Leave until fermentation ceases then rack again into another demijohn adding 1 campden tablet.
Leave to mature for 6 months, then bottle, label, and store for a further 6 months.

Equipment

• Fermentation bin
• Large heavy bottomed pan
• 2 demijohns
• Large wooden spoon
• Muslin square
• Fermentation lock and bung
• Solid bung

1. 1 gal boiling water
2. 1 gal young, fresh dandelion flowers with no green matter
3. ½tspn sliced ginger root
4. Rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon, sliced
5. 3½lbs loaf sugar
6. 1 heaped tspn dried sherry wine yeast
7. Campden tablets
8. Citric acid

Sterilize equipment.
Pour a gallon of boiling water over the gallon of flowers.
Stir well, cover, leave to stand for three days, stirring at intervals.
Strain into pan and boil the liquor for 30 minutes, slowly adding the loaf sugar, ginger, orange and lemon rind.
When cold add the yeast.
Cover and allow to stand two days, then strain into demijohn, fit airlock, and leave to ferment.
Strain into fresh demijohn and add 2 crushed campden tablets.
Fit solid bung and leave to stand for 2 months before bottling.

Equipment

• Gallon bucket/bin
• wooden spoon
• 2 demijohns
• airlock
• bung

1. 2lb elderberries
2. 2lb sugar
3. 1tsp citric acid
4. 7 campden tablets
5. 1 tsp general purpose wine yeast
6. ½ cup strong tea

Sterilize container and equipment
De-stalk the berries leaving no green matter. When cleaned put them in the bucket.
Make a solution from the citric acid, 5 campden tablets and ½ pt warm water.
Pour 2 pts boiling water over the berries, then add 4 pts cold water and stir well.
Add the sterilizing solution, leave to stand for 24 hrs.
Add the tea and leave for a further 24 hrs.
Remove the berries and strain the liquor into a demijohn. Add the yeast and the sugar, fit the airlock and leave to stand for 7 days.
Top up the demijohn to the shoulders with cold water. Leave to ferment for 3 weeks, or until no bubbles rise in the airlock.
Siphon into the second demijohn, add 2 crushed campden tablets and replace airlock with a bung.
If the liquor is still active and blows the bung add ½ tsp potassium sorbate, shake well to mix then re-bung.
Leave for 6 months, bottle, cork, label, then leave for 3 months.

For a sweeter wine replace 1 pt of the cold water with 1 pt of red grape juice.

Tip: A spaghetti fork/server is ideal for stripping the berries off.

At the time of writing the elder flowers are in profusion. Here is a nice easy recipe for you to try if you don't want to wait for the berries. Although if you're lucky enough to have tons of flowers then you can do both Elder Flower 'Champagne' and Elderberry Wine!

• Nice and easy - a 1½ - 2 gallon container

1. 2 handfuls flowers - de-stalked
2. juice and rind of 1 lemon
3. 2 tablespns white wine vinegar
4. 1½ lbs sugar
5. 1 gallon water

Sterilize the container.
Put all ingredients into container and stir them together.
Cover and leave to stand for 24 hours.
Strain and bottle.
This should be ready for drinking in about 4-7 days.

Update:

July 4th - Made mine today. Discovered that the flowers went further than I thought so made double the amount with 1pt flowers, 3lb sugar, 2gals boiling water and 4tblspns white wine vinegar. Dissolved the sugar in boiling water before adding it to the bucket. Took the zest from half the lemon then sliced the whole lot and added it, along with an equal, liquid-wise, amount of lemon juice concentrate as I only had 1 lemon! This is supposed to go into screw top bottles; a frenzied search uncovered some buried under boxes in the garage, so after a good scrub and sterilise they are now standing waiting to be filled.

July 6th - Strained the liquid and bottled today. Smells divine, tastes a bit syrupy, we'll see how long I can wait till tasting the end product! - The must has been put to good use in the compost bin.

July 14th - First proper taste today, quite refreshing, lemonade with a tang! The longer it stands the more 'fizz' it's getting.

If you still have flowers and want something stronger than the above 'refresher' here is an easy wine to use them up:

• Fermentation bin
• 2 x 1gal demijohns
• 2 Airlocks
• Large square of muslin
• Seive

1. ¾ pt ( 450ml ) elderflowers
2. 1gal water.
3. 2½lb ( 1.2kg ) sugar
4. 1 level tsp yeast nutrient
5. ½ level tsp grape tannin
6. dried all-purpose wine yeast
7. ½oz citric acid

Sterilise all your equipment
Put the flowers in a bin and pour on 1gal boiling water. Leave to stand for 24 hours, then strain.
Add the sugar, yeast nutrient, grape tannin and citric acid.
Add the yeast and stir briskly to aerate.
Divide between the two demijohns and fit the airlocks.
When the first fermentation dies down fill one demijohn carefully with the contents of the other, re-fit the airlock and leave to ferment on.
When ready rack and store in a cool place.

For a sweeter wine use 1pt flowers and 3lb sugar

Not a wine but this is a traditional recipe that, once started, can be kept going to give a continuous supply of ginger beer.

• 1pt bottle, preferably glass
• Muslin square
• Large measuring jug
• 1gal bucket
• 8 x 1pt screw-topped bottles

To start 'plant'

1. ½ oz fresh yeast
2. 2 tspns ground ginger
3. 2 tspns sugar
4. ¾ pt water

1. 2 lemons
2. 1 ½ lb sugar
3. 5 pts cold water
4. 2 pts hot water

Mix all the starter ingredients together. Leave for 24 hours, then feed every day with one teaspoon of ground ginger and one teaspoon of sugar. After seven days strain the liquid through muslin into the gallon bucket. Keep the solids in the cloth as this is the 'plant'.
Add the cold water to the liquid in the bucket along with the juice of the lemons and the sugar dissolved in the hot water. Mix well, pour into screw-topped bottles and leave for a week before using.
Halve the 'plant' that is in the muslin and mix it with ¾ pt water. Add another ½ oz fresh yeast, 2 teaspoons ground ginger and 2 teaspoons sugar. Leave for 24 hours then feed daily as before. Repeat the whole process every two weeks to keep the supply going.

You must realise by now that all your equipment must be sterilised before using it, so I won't insult your intelligence by telling you to do so. Rhubarb can be very acidic and there are several ways to combat this so that it doesn't turn out like vinegar. Citric acid is a good place to start and adding mashed banana is a tried and tested method. If you prefer a very clear wine then add ¼oz isinglass dissolved in a little warm water after fermentation ceases.

Now I present for your delectation the basic Rhubarb straighforward 'no-frills' recipe that should produce a very palatable wine if you're patient.

• Fermentation bin
• Muslin square/or seive (plastic)
• Large measuring jug
• 1gal bucket
• Large pan
• 1 demijohn with fermentation lock

1. 3lbs rhubarb
2. 3lbs sugar
3. 1 ripe banana - mashed
4. 1 level tspn yeast nutrient
5. 1gal water
6. 3 Campden tablets - crushed
7. ½oz citric acid
8. All-purpose wine yeast

Wash the rhubarb, don't peel it. Chop into small pieces. Put into bin and scald with about 2pts boiling water, then add 2pts cold water, cover and leave to stand until lukewarm.
Mix campden tabs with 1pt water, add to bin along with a further 3pts cold water and the banana.
Cover and leave for 24 hours.
Stir in yeast nutrient and citric acid.
Cover and leave for 48 hours.
Strain liquid into bucket, clean bin and return liquid to it measuring with the jug.
Put sugar in pan, dissolve over low heat with the difference in water needed to make the liquid in the bin up to a gallon.
Add to bin with another campden tablet and the wine yeast. Stir well.
Cover and leave to ferment for about 4 days or until fermentation dies down.
Siphon into demijohn, top up with water to shoulder if needed, fit airlock.
When fermentation ceases rack off, cork lightly, leave to stand until any further fermentation stops then cork down.
Stand for at least 8-10 months, the longer the better.

This wine is made in the usual manner for all country wines, and well worth the time-consuming task in stripping the dandelions. It doesn't really matter about the condition of the rhubarb - whatever is available from the garden as long as it has no disease. A good way of using up stalks that would only go to waste.

• Plastic container - eg: 2kilo marge tub
• Seive
• Large measuring jug
• Large square of muslin
• Fermentation bin
• Medium sized pan
• 2 demijohns
• Large wooden spoon
• Fermentation lock and bung
• Solid bung

1. 2lbs rhubarb
2. 2 pints dandelion flowers (only the yellow flowers no green matter at all).
3. ½ pint cold tea, strong and strained
4. 2lbs sugar
5. 1 Ripe banana
6. 2 heaped teaspoon dried all-purpose wine yeast
7. Campden tablets
8. Citric acid
9. 7 pints water - approx

Follow all previous sterilising instructions for the equipment you are using.
De-flower dandelions into a large container, pour on cold water to float off any wildlife and stray bits of green matter. When clean pour through a seive and gently press to remove excess water.
Wash the rhubarb then chop into small pieces approx 1"- 2", no need to peel, put into bin and pour on 2pts boiling water. Add 2pts cold water and leave to cool for a couple of hours.
Add the dandelion flowers with a further 3pts cold water and 1pt sterilizing solution (= 5 campden tabs and 1tsp citric acid,) to kill any wild yeast and bacteria. Add a cup of cold strong tea - without milk and sugar!! Mash banana with 1tspn sugar and add to the must. Cover the bin and leave for 24hrs.
Stir in 1 tsp wine yeast, leave for 48 hrs.
Strain through muslin bag [or seive] and put the liquid into demijohn.
Make a syrup by putting 1lb of sugar into a pan with 1pt boiled water, bring back to the boil then reduce heat, stirring all the time until the sugar is dissolved. Slowly funnel into demijohn not letting any of the boiling liquid touch any part of the glass. The liquid should reach below shoulder of demijohn, leaving room to add another 1lb sugar - about ½ pint displacement. Fit air lock and leave to stand for 4 days.
Stir in ½ lb sugar leave 3 days, then add final ½ lb sugar.
When fermentation slows down add enough boiled, cooled water to bring the level to just below the bung. Leave until fermented, i.e. when bubbles stop coming through the airlock, or at a rate of less than 1 per minute. Siphon off into a clean demijohn, add crushed campden tablet and top up with boiled, cooled water. Refit airlock and leave to stand until clear.
When clear siphon off again, add another campden tablet, insert solid bung and leave for 3 months.
Siphon into prepared bottles, cork and label. Keep for 1 month before drinking.

This wine can be bottled without the second racking but needs to be kept 6 months instead of 3, as it takes longer to mature.

Cast your mind back to my mention of what became of my roses! The blooms should be inspected and when about to drop put a paper bag underneath and give the rose a shake, letting the petals fall into the bag. Do this daily until there enough petals to make your wine. Use only the petals of scented roses.

• Large square of muslin
• Fermentation bin
• Large pan
• 2 demijohns
• Fermentation lock

1. 3 quarts of rose petals, scented
2. 3lb sugar
3. ½ pint fresh tea, strong and strained
4. juice of 2 lemons
5. 1 heaped teaspoon dried all-purpose wine yeast
6. wine yeast nutrient
7. 7 pints water

Follow all previous sterilising instructions for the equipment you are using.
Empty your bag of petals onto a piece of muslin then gather it up to form a bag, don't squeeze the petals. Tie the top of the bag securely and put it into the fermentation bin. Pour 4 pints of boiling water over the bag.
Put the sugar with 3 pints of water into the pan and put over a gentle heat, stirring till dissolved, then bring quickly to the boil and pour it over the bag of petals in the bin.
Pour the tea into the bin, stir gently to mix in, then leave to cool.
When the mixture has cooled add the lemon juice, yeast and nutrient.
Put the lid on the bin and leave the mixture to ferment for 10 days. Stir daily.
At the end of 10 days take out the bag of petals and, between the hands, press as much liquid as possible out of it. The bag can then be discarded.
Leave to ferment for a further 2 days then strain the wine through muslin in a funnel into the gallon demijohn, leaving the deposit in the bin.
Fit the fermentation lock and leave until the bubbles stop.
Siphon (rack) into another demijohn, add 2 campden tablets and ¼ teaspoon potassium sorbate to stop further fermentation. Shake demijohn and leave to settle for a fortnight then siphon off into bottles. Cork and leave for at least 6 months, (preferably 9-12months) the longer it's left the better it will be!