Ygerna Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 my ears are still ringing. When a bottle of Elderflower Champagne explodes it REALLY explodes! It blew the cupboard door open and knocked everything on the shelf over and onto the floor. I've let the pressure out of the other two bottles but they are gassing up again really swiftly. When is it ready to drink? I made it around the 20th of June. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 Ooooops!!! I think Kate knows exactly how you feel - she had this happen last year and was finding sticky splatters for ages. Don't know when it's ready to drink.......I stick to cordial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aga n Chickens Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 I've not made Elderflower Champagne yet but it is on the plan to do next year. When I had a go at making ginger beer many years ago I had a similar experience to you as I decanted the 'beer' in to 2 ltr lemonade bottles and put them in a dark place in the spare bedroom until we were ready to drink them. One hot evening we could hear a lot of creeks and clicks emitting from the spare room We left it until the morning before we had a look and there were 6 bottles blown up like balloons Gingerly (excuse the pun ) we took the bloated bottles downstairs and out onto the yard. One twist of the screw cap and we had a fountain of sticky ginger beer shooting 2 foot in the air What was left of the bottles looked like plastic bags. Goodness knows what would have happened if we'd been away on holiday and the bottles had exploded all over the wallpaper and carpet.......shudder. When I have a go with the Elderflowers I'll make sure I have a stock of glass bottles and not take the cheap option of re using plastic pop bottles. Christine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhotchick Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 Christine I think glass bottles can explode too anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ygerna Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 The recipe I used stated clearly to use plastic bottles. The only problem was me. I didnt let the pressure out every so often Still got two bottles left, looking forward to those Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aga n Chickens Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Oh dear I'm thinking that cordial might be safer than Champagne for my Elderflower project next year After reading the comments about exploding glass bottles OH doesn't want me to try anything fizzy, he's suggested that we pay the extra and buy it from the local farm shop. I'm sure that if we manage to move to a house with the garden big enough for more chickens, there will be space at the bottom of the garden to erect a shed that can contain ginger beer and elderflower champagne experiments well our of harms way Christine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Having read this, I went & checked mine....one batch rose up the bottle to meet me when I turned the lid......I think I was lucky don't you ?! I may just have to open a bottle properly later...in the interests of quality control of course! Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
