The Dogmother Posted June 18, 2010 Share Posted June 18, 2010 Mine comes with free thunderbugs - despite using double muslin to strain it think of it as extra protein Lesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madchook Posted June 20, 2010 Share Posted June 20, 2010 I made my champagne yesterday but I am going to pick some more flowers in a minute and stick them in for the last 24hrs as I rinsed mine (because of Lesley's tales of buggy cordial!) Hoping to make cordial this week, just been on ebay and ordered a (vintage!)preserving pan as I haven't anything big enough, oh an citric acid and a strainer. Might go look for bottles now - oops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madchook Posted June 20, 2010 Share Posted June 20, 2010 oh, I bought a couple of bottles of fizzy water for the bottles -if I empty them and put the champagne straight in, would they be sterile enough? I don't know how I would sterilise then otherwise unless I used milton, but I am sure that would leave a taste??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted June 20, 2010 Share Posted June 20, 2010 We use the proper sterilising tablets you get for wine/beer making but if I was making jam/pickles I'd wash jars thoroughly in the dishwasher and then put in a low oven for 10 mins; so maybe that would be enough? I'm sure others have suggestions.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted June 20, 2010 Author Share Posted June 20, 2010 I used a Milton type solution and then rinsed through with boiled water. I ues the swing top glass bottles for Champagne as it is really easy to release excess pressure. BUT - I do also take heed of this warning **Elderflower Champagne Warning** I've been making Elderflower Champagne for years and have always bottled it in either small 500ml or large 2 litre plastic water bottles as I know how dangerous exploding glass bottles are. I have just had a disaster! I'd forgotten to unscrew the top of the 2 litre bottle regularly which was on the top shelf of the larder while I waited for it to fizz up enough for drinking after making it. We were sat drinking coffee this morning when there was an almighty bang followed by a series of smashing sounds and dripping water. I ran into the kitchen to investigate and found that the plastic bottle had exploded, pushed the side out of the larder which in turn knocked a lovely old teapot off a shelf. This fell into and smashed a china bowl on the worktop while inside the larder, a tall glass pasta jar flew off the top shelf and smashed on the floor below! The larder is swimming in elderflower champagne and the surrounding floor and shelves are now sticky and covered in shards of glass and bits of antique tea pot . Make sure you release the tops of your elderflower champagne every now and then and make certain your bottles are strong enough!!! I opened 2 bottles of last year's champagne today and wasn't sure it would be oK to drink. There was a bit of sediment at the bottom of both bottles. Well.....it was fantastic Does anyone know what the approximate alcohol content of elderflower champagne is??...hic!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted June 20, 2010 Share Posted June 20, 2010 I think I've read somewhere that the alcohol content is pretty low, akin to weak, cheap lager Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 I made my champagne yesterday but I am going to pick some more flowers in a minute and stick them in for the last 24hrs as I rinsed mine (because of Lesley's tales of buggy cordial!)Hoping to make cordial this week, just been on ebay and ordered a (vintage!)preserving pan as I haven't anything big enough, oh an citric acid and a strainer. Might go look for bottles now - oops! If you rinse the flowers you lose some of the pollen and the flavour - that's why I put up with a few tiny thunderbugs. I have been using a very fine tea-strainer as well now and that captures most of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 The bugs were lovely, Lesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted June 21, 2010 Author Share Posted June 21, 2010 I strain mine though a jcloth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 I use a very old thick piece of net curtain, folded so there are 4 layers. The bugs never get through, it seems to catch on their little legs better than anything else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
