Making the Elderberry Wine....

I started the elderberry wine project a couple of days ago.  I ended up with about 3 pounds after I removed all of the berries from their stems. I just used a glove and pulled them from their stems by hand.  I'm not gonna lie, it took a while..... Whew!

 Then I crushed them using the bottom of a liquor bottle.

Next step was to cover with water in a pan and heat, simmer for about 15 minutes. Then I added about 2 pounds of sugar and stirred.

 Using a recipe I found on one site, and directions I found on another, and waiting for the elderberries to cool down, I added concentrated grape juice (was supposed to be red grape juice, but I couldn't find it.  I'm winging it!) and some concentrated orange juice, and lemon juice.  Then when it was down to about 90 degrees, I added the yeast and the yeast nutrient.

 It all got mixed up in a brand new red bucket and covered with a breathable cloth.  I'm supposed to stir it once a day for 3 to 4 days, so I'll move on to the next step on August 3rd.

This is a grand experiment, so we'll see how it goes.  It smells wonderful.
More to come.....