Dried elderberry vodka extract for late additions

[bassin75]

Hi,
Can I make a elderberry extract for late additions to wine or mead ? I had to blend a grape mead with a elderberry wine I made that finished dry and harsh. Unfortunately it lightened the elderberry wine . After I blended the two I stabilized the mixture with k meta and k sorbate. Can I add a vodka based dried elderberry extract to darken and add elderberry notes to a finished wine/mead?

[tim_vandergrift]

You can, but I strongly advise doing bench trials to see how it's going to affect the outcome before you dose the whole batch. Get a measuring cup based in millilitres and a syringe, which will be in cc's, but that's the same as ml.

Make up 5 or 6 100 ml cups, and then dose each one with your extract: 1 ml in one, 2 ml in the next, 4 ml in the next, and so on. Taste 'em all, and when you think you've hit the right amount, do the math and dose the whole batch.

[bassin75]

Hi Tim,

Thank you for the reply. I felt the extract would be possible being sanitized by the vodka but getting it to work was my concern. Your suggestion of bench trials is a great idea. Once I put the extract in I cannot take it out. As a first time beer brewer, that turned into a family get together....has expanded to mead/wine. Thanks again!

Cheers!
Hank