# Dandelion Wine



## fivebk (Jun 18, 2009)

If anyone has a recipe for a good dandelion wine and would be willing to share that recipe I would sure like to take a look. My granddaughter and I picked many a dandelion this spring. They have been prepped, packaged, and frozen. They are awaiting a good recipe. I never thought about making a dandelion wine before reading some threads on this forum, but after reading what others have said I am ready to start a batch.

BOB


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## Scott (Jun 19, 2009)

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Dandelion Wine




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Makes one gallon.


Ingredients:
<TABLE =table cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width="100%">
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<TD>7 cups Dandelion petals</TD>
<TD>1 chopped light Raisins or 1/2 pt. white grape concentrate</TD></TR>
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<TD>1 gal. Hot Water</TD>
<TD>2 lb. Sugar</TD></TR>
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<TD>1/4 tsp. Tannin</TD>
<TD>3 tsp Acid blend</TD></TR>
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<TD>1 pkg.Wine Yeast</TD>
<TD>1 tsp Yeast Nutrient </TD></TR></T></TABLE>


Keep your acid tester and hydrometer handy. As with all wild fruit the sugar and acid content varies greatly from year to year and even from one location to another. The recipe above is a general recipe to use which you may have to adjust.


Directions:


<LI>Cut off yellow petals only when flowers are fully opened. Avoid any sprayed plants and discard all leaves. 
<LI>Wash and drain petals. Put petal and raisins, if used, into straining bag and tie. Place in primary fermenter. 
<LI>Mix sugar in hot water until dissolved and pour over petals and raisins. 
<LI>Stir in all other ingredients, except yeast. 
<LI>After 24 hours, add yeast. Cover primary fermenter. 
<LI>Stir daily , check S.G. and press pulp to aid in extraction. 
<LI>When ferment reaches S.G. 1.040 (usually 3-5 days), strain juice from bag and syphon wine off sediment into glass jug secondary. Attach airlock. 
<LI>When S.G. reaches 1.000 (usually about 3 weeks), fermentation is complete. Syphon off sediment into clean glass container. Re-attach airlock. 
<LI>Syphon again in two months and again, if necessary, before bottling. </LI>
</TD></TR></T></TABLE>This is from FVW I just added 4 lemons and 4 oranges with 4 qts. of dandelions to make a 6 gallon batch. As always watch the sugar to get to 1.085 or so. Has a nice citrus kick!


Good Luck


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## fivebk (Jun 19, 2009)

Thanks Scott


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## JWMINNESOTA (Jun 20, 2009)

Bob, that recipe makes a pretty decent wine. This is my second year making it, and I might suggest if you have rhubarb, and plenty of dandelionto try a blend. I did that, using pinapple juice in place of lemons and oranges to cut theoxalic acid and was very pleasantly surprised by the result. Good Luck on yours!


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## fivebk (Jun 21, 2009)

JW

Do you have a recipe you would share , or could you tell me how much rhubarb and pineapple juice to use. I like the idea of using the pineapple juice. Can you describe the taste of this wine and is it dry or did you backsweeten it? Sorry for all the questions!!!!!!

BOB


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## JWMINNESOTA (Jun 21, 2009)

Bob, I followed this recipe derived from NW,
http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3309&amp;KW=rhubarb&amp;PN=2


Added dandelion for five gal batch. Of course you can adjust ingredients for whatever size batch you make. As to taste,it has changed with time,nowit has aged to the point where to me it doesnt taste like any fruit wine truly, but very much like a Chablis. I left it dry.


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## fivebk (Jul 14, 2009)

Well, for good or bad I started a batch of dandelion wine.My recipe is as follows.

1 - gallon bag of frozen dandelion tops ( yellow part only and packed tightly )
2 - gallon bags of small chunked frozen rhubarb
3 - oranges zested and juiced
2 - cans frozen orange juice concentrate
4 - cans frozen pineapple juice concentrate
10LBSsugar or to SG of 1.085
water to 5 1/2 to 5 3/4 gallons
2 cups extra light DME ( dry malt extract )
2 tsp wine tannin
6 tsp acid blend or to .55
8 tsp yeast nutrient ( my water seems to require more )
3 tsp yeast energizer
1/4 tsp K-Meta
5 tsp pectic enzyme
1 pkg wine yeast ( D-47)
Here are a some of pics. I will wait 12hrs then add pectic enzyme wait 12hrs more and pitch yeast.


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## u01dtj6 (Jul 14, 2009)

Looking good. Are you sure that's not curry?


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## fivebk (Jul 16, 2009)

Could this dandelion wine have fermented from 1.085 to 1.015 in 2 days????? That's what the hydrometer said when I tested the must just a few minutes ago. It still seems to be pretty active and I tasted it and it's pretty dry, so unless anyone thinks I should leave it in the primary for awhile I am going to rack it in the morning. I did stir the must twice a day and punch the strainer bag too.

BOB


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## fivebk (Jul 17, 2009)

I racked from primary to secondary this morning. The SG was a little lower than I normally transfer at ( SG 1.000 ). Here are some pics.

























BOB


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## vcasey (Jul 17, 2009)

Sometimes fermentation can go rather fast, so its possible the yeast blew through the sugars. The wine sure looks good! One of the days I'll have to try some.
VC


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## u01dtj6 (Jul 17, 2009)

I agree with VC. You must have some very good yeast!
Keep us updated with pics as it starts to clear - would love to see them!


Dan


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## fivebk (Jul 27, 2009)

I racked and de-gassed my dandelion wine today

Here are a couple pics


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## gaudet (Jul 27, 2009)

That looks pretty good there Bob. Let us know how it tastes.


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## fivebk (Aug 2, 2009)

My dandelion wine is clearing rather slowly, but I decided to sample it today. I think I so far that the flavors I added to this wine are blending quite nicely. You can taste the rhubarb , the orange and the pineapple. the dandelion is more of an aroma and it is more pronounced when the glass is empty, but SO FAR SO GOOD !!!

BOB


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## Wade E (Aug 2, 2009)

Mine was not clearing at all so it was SuperKleer to the rescue and it cleared up nicely finally. I havent even tasted mine yet.


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## JWMINNESOTA (Aug 2, 2009)

Bob you give that blend time and it will turn into a very nice wine!


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## fivebk (Aug 27, 2009)

My dandelion wine did not want to clear on it's own so I added superkleer and here are the results











BOB


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## Wade E (Aug 27, 2009)

I had the same problem and used the SuperKleer also with brilliant results. Its the 3 gallon all the way on the right.


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## fivebk (Aug 27, 2009)

Looks great

BOB


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## Scott (Aug 28, 2009)

They both look very good, I have only had to add superkleer to 1 of the 3 batches?


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## fivebk (Nov 3, 2009)

I finally broke down and bought a filter plate and some filters. I decided that I would try it out on my dandelion wine. I've wondered for awhile whether the filters made that much difference, well I proved it to myself. This wine cleared and sparkled after I was done. I decided to go ahead and bottle it too ( because I really need the carboy ). 

Here are some pics






































BOB


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## Wade E (Nov 3, 2009)

It is amazing how good they work isnt t!


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## fivebk (Nov 3, 2009)

I was a sceptic, but now I'm a believer

BOB


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## xanxer82 (Nov 3, 2009)

Looked great. Very interesting.


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## pelican (Nov 4, 2009)

I still can't see pictures - do I need to change some setting??( update, I can see them now! NICE!!!)


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