I would, racking after 3 days to me (which I may be wrong) is to keep it from becoming to bitter since it is on the peels of the lemons an oranges as well as the petals. That's how I take it but I've never went past 3 days to know.
Dandelion Wine
- Thread starter Yooper
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CliffMongoloid
Well-Known Member
I wound up boiling the petals for 1 hour then cooling and then straining it into my fermentor
It's not on the petals or peels... Should i still rack?
Goofynewfie
Well-Known Member
Once you get a buildup of less go ahead and rack it
CliffMongoloid
Well-Known Member
Thanks
OP
OP
I picked a few dandelions yesterday, and de-petaled them to get started. They are in the freezer (only 50 grams so far!) but today it's raining so I have to wait until it clears up to start picking them again.
It's a labor-intensive wine, but it turns out so nicely that I won't be deterred!
It's a labor-intensive wine, but it turns out so nicely that I won't be deterred!
I also used a Belgian Saison beer yeast since that's all I had on hand. I have a food dehydrator so I made my own raisins but I added them directly to the bottles. My OG was1.084 and at the time of bottling it was 0.92. It's going to be more of a dandelion port than a wine but the samples I took at bottling weren't bad. I am hoping the raisins and time mellow it out some though. I filled a few .33ml bottles to allow me to sample at three month intervals to see how it's coming along. I've read it's drinkable as early as three months? Anyone tapped into it this early before? Also, does anyone have any insight as to why my ABV is so high? I didn't think the bear yeast would let it get that high, in fact I thought it would limit it but something made it skyrocket.
OP
OP
I started a three gallon batch of this today, finally! I had the dandelion petals in the freezer since May, so it was about time. I'll update once it's in secondary.
OP
OP
Yes, top it up. If it's not much, use some water. If it's quite a bit, a white wine (commercial) would be fine. Something like pinot grigio, or sauvignon blanc would be perfect.
OP
OP
Well, ideally you'd top up with dandelion wine, but often people don't have that on hand so commercial wine is cheap and easy.
LoneTreeFarms
Well-Known Member
have you tried cold crashing?
I am in the picking and plucking phase (awful). There is really no good way to measure the volume of dandelion petals. Obviously unless you compress the petals the volume can be very variable with how much open space is in the pile. Also weighing it can be variable because of how wet or dry the petals are. For example Yooper said 4 qts. = 90 grams. I am at 290 grams and don't have a gallon of volume yet. So obviously very variable. I am shooting for 400 grams or until I can't pluck anymore
Not bashing whatsoever just putting in my two cents.
Making 5 - 6 gallons this weekend. Ingredients:
400 grams of dandelion petals
4 gallons of water
12 lbs of sugar
8 lemons
4 oranges
4 lbs of raisins
yeast
Thanks for the recipe Yooper
Not bashing whatsoever just putting in my two cents.
Making 5 - 6 gallons this weekend. Ingredients:
400 grams of dandelion petals
4 gallons of water
12 lbs of sugar
8 lemons
4 oranges
4 lbs of raisins
yeast
Thanks for the recipe Yooper
funkadelicturkey
Well-Known Member
couple of picture from my dandelion attempt:
The steep:
In the bucket after 3 days:
Closeup of the mush:
Straining to secondary:
Filtered in secondary, d'oh, forgot the raisins:
The steep:
In the bucket after 3 days:
Closeup of the mush:
Straining to secondary:
Filtered in secondary, d'oh, forgot the raisins:
This may have been covered but I am having trouble finding the info. Is it really an hour long boil? I plan on doing this recipe but subbing the sugar for orange blossom honey. However I can't see why it would be an hour long boil for wine, but I am not a wine maker.
CanadianBacon
Well-Known Member
wouldn't straining the wine and pouring it after 3 days cause it to oxidize?
OP
OP
OP
OP
Yes, it's to extract the maximum flavor from the petals (which are rather subtle).
Thanks yooper. I will definitely do the long boil then as directed. Very excited to get this going.
OP
OP
Generally, yes, that should be ok.
Someone needs to engineer a device for removing the petals from dandelion flowers. I'd love to brew this up, but I sure as hell ain't picking petals! I can't get my kids to do it either!
I actually have an idea, but I haven't built it yet.
I actually have an idea, but I haven't built it yet.
Perhaps. You have gone more than twice the timeframe recommended in the first post. Did you at least stir it twice daily for the five day soak?
I would make a 2 gallon batch.
Hello fellow brewers!
We just started our 2nd annual dandelion wine batch. Woohoo! We are very excited, because our first batch came out so good that we just couldn't miss making it again this year! I think the last sip from last years batch was drank about 2 weeks ago.
Anyways, we are having a possible issue with fermentation this time. I doubled the recipe from last year. Here's what we did:
11 guarts dandelion pedals
4 gallons water
6 lbs sugar
8 lemmons (peels and and juice)
4 oranges (peels and joice)
5g ec-1118 yeast
Here's the process I used:
1. steeped the pedal for 2days
2. boiled the pedals/water/6lbs sugar lemon/orange peels for 1 hour
4. cooled the mixture down to 75 degrees
5. added 5g ec-1118 yeast
6. left covered on kitchen floor for 8hours at around 65-70 degrees
So when I cam home from work of coarse I looked at the batch first thing as I was excited to see it bubbling away. However, there was absolutely no bubbles or action of any kind. I have brewed beer a lot and as I mentioned this is my second batch of dany wine.
So my question is why isnt there any action at all? Could it be bad yeast? Or is the ambient temperature too low? I did move it to a warmer part of the house which is quite warm (80-85 degrees). Maybe this will kick start the yeast? I don't know. I'm hoping it hurries up, because we have to put it in the carboy and airlock it on Friday night (2 days) because we are leaving for a week. Guess its never good to allow percisely enough time for these kinds of things.
Any ideas will help.
Thanks!
We just started our 2nd annual dandelion wine batch. Woohoo! We are very excited, because our first batch came out so good that we just couldn't miss making it again this year! I think the last sip from last years batch was drank about 2 weeks ago.
Anyways, we are having a possible issue with fermentation this time. I doubled the recipe from last year. Here's what we did:
11 guarts dandelion pedals
4 gallons water
6 lbs sugar
8 lemmons (peels and and juice)
4 oranges (peels and joice)
5g ec-1118 yeast
Here's the process I used:
1. steeped the pedal for 2days
2. boiled the pedals/water/6lbs sugar lemon/orange peels for 1 hour
4. cooled the mixture down to 75 degrees
5. added 5g ec-1118 yeast
6. left covered on kitchen floor for 8hours at around 65-70 degrees
So when I cam home from work of coarse I looked at the batch first thing as I was excited to see it bubbling away. However, there was absolutely no bubbles or action of any kind. I have brewed beer a lot and as I mentioned this is my second batch of dany wine.
So my question is why isnt there any action at all? Could it be bad yeast? Or is the ambient temperature too low? I did move it to a warmer part of the house which is quite warm (80-85 degrees). Maybe this will kick start the yeast? I don't know. I'm hoping it hurries up, because we have to put it in the carboy and airlock it on Friday night (2 days) because we are leaving for a week. Guess its never good to allow percisely enough time for these kinds of things.
Any ideas will help.
Thanks!
Mowed the yard this weekend, but before we did, I asked the kid if she wanted to pick a bunch of dandelions and strip the petals off for wine. She looked at me like I was crazy.
So I guess neither of us were that curious to make dandelion wine.
So I guess neither of us were that curious to make dandelion wine.
I've only ever done 1-2 gallon recipes which don't require a second boil. I do have a preserving pan but that will only hold a UK gallon (just over). I have enough petals for 4-5 gallons
I'm thinking if I use a straining bag during the primary, I could then use some of the original water and all the petals for the second boild? I'm assuming that boil is to extract the remaining flavours from the petals/fruits and also to dissolve the sugar. I could then add that back into the original volume of liquid?
Hope that makes sense?
I'm thinking if I use a straining bag during the primary, I could then use some of the original water and all the petals for the second boild? I'm assuming that boil is to extract the remaining flavours from the petals/fruits and also to dissolve the sugar. I could then add that back into the original volume of liquid?
Hope that makes sense?
BisonHeadBrewery
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This is a timely, and perennial, thread. I have been making dandelion wine for many years and this will be the first year I won't be making any - I have to leave town for a couple of weeks and the flowers are ready to be picked NOW.
I prefer to pick the petals early in the morning while the flower is closed. There are also fewer ants and bugs lurking in the closed flowers. I can hold the flower at the base (pedicle) and simply pull the yellow petals without green (sepal) contamination. This way you are only collecting the desired yellow petals and there is no need for subsequent cleaning.
Happy picking and happy wine making (and drinking).
I prefer to pick the petals early in the morning while the flower is closed. There are also fewer ants and bugs lurking in the closed flowers. I can hold the flower at the base (pedicle) and simply pull the yellow petals without green (sepal) contamination. This way you are only collecting the desired yellow petals and there is no need for subsequent cleaning.
Happy picking and happy wine making (and drinking).
Stormbringer
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I found this thread after I read Jack Kellers original recipe. I just threw in the whole flower and didn't pick off any petals. Will this turn out really bitter?
OP
OP
Maybe not. It depends on how bitter the green parts are in the plants.
Any thoughts on this approach Yooper?
OP
OP
I have no idea!
Stormbringer
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Ok. Guess time will tell. I'll come back and give a report when it is all done in about a year. lol
So you always boil all the liquid? I thought id seen somewhere in th thread that you only boil a portion when doing a large batch? What does the second boil actually achieve?
