# Dandelion Wine Questions...........



## wildhair (Apr 25, 2017)

As my "lawn" begins it's annual yellow bloom, I would like to put some of those flowers to use. I have several recipes to work from, but having read them, I still have a couple Q's.
1. Can you freeze the flowers like you do fruit? I was hoping to collect enough for a batch and freeze some for later. Does this apply to ALL flower wines?
2. Does ALL of the green sepal around the base of the flower need to be removed?
3. If #1 & 2 are YES - is it best to remove the sepal BEFORE freezing?
4. Is there a simple way to do this? Scissors, maybe - black magic or some secret vintner technique?

Thanks


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## mikewatkins727 (Apr 25, 2017)

you can freeze the flowers for later use. The recipe I used you removed the vast majority of the green. Scissors okay to use.


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## GreginND (Apr 26, 2017)

The best dandelion wine is made from just the yellow petals. It is a lot of effort but the wine will be better if you pluck off all the petals from around the center of the flower.


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## wildhair (Apr 26, 2017)

I actually ate a couple flowers to see if I could "taste test" where the nasty bits were. The yellow petals taste good w/ a mild sweetness. The green leaves that grow UP with the flower have no flavor at all - kinda like like iceberg lettuce. But the *very bottom*, where the sepals *hang down *and where the flower petals all join - THAT'S bitter.......very astringent. 
Now I know! Thanks


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## Rodnboro (Apr 26, 2017)

I found it easier to pinch the green part and twist rather than use scissors. It's also lot easier to pinch the green part off while the bloom is still opened. They will close up after a little while even after they are picked. I found it better to pick a bag full then immediately remove the petals. I only made one batch of one gallon. It is a lot of work. Good Luck.


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## wildhair (Apr 26, 2017)

> It is a lot of work. Good Luck.


Yep - it's looking like that. But you can't start making wine and NOT make at least 1 batch of Dandelion Wine, right? 

“The first thing you learn in life is you're a fool. The last thing you learn in life is you're the same fool.” 
― Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine


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## cmason1957 (Apr 26, 2017)

wildhair said:


> Yep - it's looking like that. But you can't start making wine and NOT make at least 1 batch of Dandelion Wine, right?



Oh, you certainly can. I have tasted about 5 or 6 Dandelion Wines, none of them made me want to make it.


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## wildhair (Apr 26, 2017)

cmason1957 said:


> Oh, you certainly can. I have treated about 5 or 6 Dandelion Wines, none of them made me want to make it.



 I reckon I'll find out. I gotta try......at least once. Bad thing is - I hear it's supposed to age at least 2 years before you know if it's any good or not.


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## xune (Apr 29, 2017)

I made some last year, like Rodnboro said, I found it easiest to pick the top, grab at the bottom, squeeze, and twist. Way easier than using scissors on all those dandelions. Definitely want to do it right away. As soon as you pick them, I figure you have about 5 hours before it's super hard to remove the flower part.

After you've removed the flower head from the greens, it's cool to freeze them. I still have about a half a gallon of them in the freezer myself. Have made 2 batches from the ones I picked last year. A gallon and another. Most recipies that I found for it use a quart of flower heads, but I found a quart and a half of flower heads compacted pretty densely is great per gallon.

It is a lot of work, as mentioned, but it's worth it if you do it right. I added a little bit of honey, and some lemon slices as suggested in a few recipes, and like it pretty well. My first batch I had a little trouble with, it was my first wine, but my second one tastes pretty good right now, even at 8 months. This year I intend to do a 5 gallon batch and maybe freeze some more flower heads for times to come.


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## wildhair (Apr 29, 2017)

Thanks - that info was just what I was looking for. Looks like the rain will subside today - I believe I'll pick me a bunch or 2!


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## wildhair (Jun 11, 2017)

I made 2 gallons - 1 dandelion and 1 dandelion-lemongrass. Both wines are racked a couple times and cleared, but the SG never made it to 1.000 for either one. One gallon is 1.005 and one stopped at 1.010 - shy of dry. The sweetness is about right, actually - so I wouldn't have to backsweeten at all. And I did start these with pretty high sugar content - SG 1.110 for one and 1.130 for the other. I've always fermented to dry, then backsweetened - but the SG hasn't budged since I racked a month ago. There was very little sediment when I racked them last night. Fed them some Sparkaloid and they both are crystal clear this morning. And a beautiful sunshine yellow! 

Any potential issues with stabilizing as they are, then aging and bottling?


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## wildhair (Mar 17, 2018)

Just thought I'd put a final write-up on this, having bottled it and sampled it. The wine bulk aged until late Dec. - so about 6 months. As I stated above - the batches started with an SG of 1.110 (#1) and 1.130 (#2) and ended at 1.010 and 1.005 respectively or with an ABV of #1 - 14% and #2 -17% ............if I did the math correctly.  Number 1 is Dandelion & #2 is Dandelion~Lemongrass. I did backsweeten #2 a bit to bring the flavor out. Both have a wonderful floral aroma, a beautiful yellow color and smooth, light, clean taste. It is an excellent dessert wine & #2 is fairly strong - it also has a nice light lemon note thanks tot he lemongrass. I might add golden raisins or Welches Wht Grape conc. next time, but even w/o it - it has good body and feel.

It is not all that time consuming to remove the petals. Set up a couple buckets & put the pail of blossoms in front of you. Grab the flower with the left hand, pinch the sepal & green part between your thumbnail and R index finger and twist. Drop the petals to your left,drop the sepal to your right - repeat. In under an hour I had 2 qt. of packed petals - it goes pretty production-like. No worse than pitting cherries or cleaning strawberries.

I also steeped it longer than any of the other recipes called for. And since it is a stronger, sweeter dessert wine - I put most of it in 375 ml bottles. By starting with 1 gall + 3 cups - after all the racking -I ended up with almost exactly 1 gallon each for bulk aging.

Anyway - here's my recipe in case anyone is interested. Let me know if anything is unclear - this is the first recipe I'm sharing, so I may not have explained everything quite right. I may try a Dandelion~Chamomile wine this year, too.


* Dandelion Wine – *

*8 cups dandelion petals - packed*


*1 ½ cups dried lemongrass (optional)*


*1 gal water*


*2 cups fresh dandelion petals*


*3 cups water treated w/ Campden tablet. ( I treat a gallon w/ 1 tablet and keep it in the fridge.)*


*2 ½ lbs granulated sugar (or enough to get a starting SG – 1.100 - add less to get a lighter wine)*


*2 lemons (juice and zest) *


*3 oranges (juice and zest) *


*Test ph – 3.1 - 3.5 or add Acid Blend to achieve (1 t tsp +/-)*


*1 tsp yeast nutrient *


*½ tsp pectic enzyme *


*¼ tsp tannin *


*1tsp Bentonite *


*Vintner’s harvest SN9 yeast*
*Prepare flower petals beforehand. Put 1 gal water on to boil., then pour water over 8 cups of the petals and the lemongrass. Cover & steep for 24 hrs. Pour 3 cups of treated water over remaining 2 cups of petals, mix well and add to original “tea”. Steep for an additional 24 hrs. *

*Prepare zest from citrus and add to dandelion water, bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Strain tea into nylon fruit bag, drain and squeeze bag to extract all liquid. Stir in sugar until completely dissolved. Test SG - 1.090 - 1.100 

Pour “tea” into primary then add juice of citrus fruit, tannin, yeast nutrient & Bentonite. Cover and allow to cool to room temperature. Add pectic enzyme, cover and set aside at least 12 hours. Add activated yeast and cover. Stir twice daily for 5 days, check SG daily. When SG stabilizes - mine stopped at 1.010 for one and 1.005 for the other - rack into secondary & fit airlock and set aside in a dark place or wrap the secondary in brown paper to help prevent the color from fading. Rack after 2 weeks, then 30 days and again every 2 months for 6 months, adding another crushed Campden tablet during middle racking and stabilizing at last racking. Backsweeten if needed - Wait another month and rack into bottles. Cellar 6 months and enjoy a bottle. Cellar another 6 months and enjoy it all................maybe not all at once, tho.

Altered from a Jack Keller Recipe Dandelion Wine #2 . There are several others on his website, too.








*


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## wildhair (Mar 17, 2018)

I realized I should probably have posted the recipe in the Recipe forum - so I did.


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## ikcdab (Mar 27, 2018)

There's a good reason not many people make dandelion wine.....


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## wildhair (Mar 27, 2018)

Not a lot of people make a lot of the wines I make - like mint and lemongrass~ginger and beet and goji berry. What's the good reason to avoid making Dandelion Wine?


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## Stressbaby (Mar 28, 2018)

wildhair said:


> Not a lot of people make a lot of the wines I make - like mint and lemongrass~ginger and beet and goji berry. What's the good reason to avoid making Dandelion Wine?



I've made several lemongrass wines because I have it coming out of my ears. It's not bad, and far easier than dandelion. 

The best reason to avoid dandelion IMHO is the backache from picking them.


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## wildhair (Mar 28, 2018)

True - picking them IS a bit of a pain....literally. I've been thinking about an easier way to harvest them. 
You might want to see a doctor about that lemongrass in your ears.........


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## Dandy (May 6, 2018)

Hello @wildhair, maybe you can help! I posted my question in the beginners thread. I am trying to make dandelion wine. I used a recipe similar to the one you posted though with raisins + acid blend instead of citrus. Otherwise almost the same. It called for primary fermenting 3 days. I had it in the basement and after three days there was no sign of bubbles in airlock. I brought the container upstairs anvisid decided to wait a day but got distracted and it's now been 6 days. There is now visible and audible bubbling through the airlock. I saw that your recipe said 5 days for the 1st ferment. What should I do? Rack now for second ferment? Throw it all away? How could I be sure it's safe to drink? Thanks for any advice!


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## wildhair (May 6, 2018)

Initial fermentation is typically done with a just a towel over the fermenter. The yeast need oxygen to feed and reproduce and the airlock inhibited their ability to do that. Thus your "slow to get going" ferment. I made that mistake a couple times starting out, too. The airlock prevent new oxygen from getting to the yeast, except thru vigorous DAILY stirring. 

NOTE - since you've had the flowers in the water for 6 days - you can remove them no matter what the sg is. As long as you used only the petals - it will be fine. If you had them in a bag -give it a good squeeze. If they were loose, then scoop them out. Put the towel back over the fermenter and let it keep going.

I suggest you use your hydrometer & test the SG and see where you are. The # of days matters less than the specific gravity. A slow ferment on a delicate flower based wine is probably preferred. It will go quicker if you remove the airlock and just cover it with a towel. You should also be stirring it at least once per day. Once the hydrometer reads 1.020 - get your secondary fermenter ready. Somewhere between 1.020 an 1.000 - that's when I rack it into the secondary. * THEN *put in the airlock.

At that point - I don't check the sg every day, but watch the airlock. When it stops bubbling - or REALLY slows in maybe 2 weeks +/- ~ you should see significant sediment and it should begin to clear. I usually rack it off the lees, then let it sit another month. 

You're fine - it's certainly *NOT* time to toss it. If it smells like yeast, alcohol and maybe a light flower scent - you're on your way. It'll be safe to drink, no worries.


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## wildhair (May 6, 2018)

Stressbaby - 


Stressbaby said:


> The best reason to avoid dandelion IMHO is the backache from picking them.



I may have developed a cure for that - I think I have a Dandelion Harvester prototype ready for the picking season. If it works - I'll post a pic.


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## Jal5 (May 6, 2018)

I’d like to try this but how would you describe the taste? Is it more of a perfume scent or like a white wine?
Joe


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## Dandy (May 6, 2018)

Uh oh! I wish I'd waited a bit longer- sounds like good reasoning and advice. I strained the mixture through a sanitzed colander and cheesecloth into a glass gallon container. The hygrometer measured 1.060. It was cloudy. There was no mold or anything strange. Smelled like wine. In fact the whole kitchen now smells like wine! Anyway, I put the airlock top back on and wrapped it in brown paper and it's in the basement stairwell, I guess for the recipe's suggested 3 weeks. Color was nice - I used red raisins. If I do it again I'll use white, but I couldn't fine organic white ones. Crossing my fingers


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## wildhair (May 6, 2018)

I made it as a dessert wine last year, so it's a bit stronger & sweeter than most. The Dandelion-Lemongrass is 17%, the Dandelion is about 15% I think. It has a light flower bouquet, but the taste is difficult to describe. Fresh, clean............... 

You know what - I'm having fish tonight, so I'll open a bottle and report back. They say it's supposed to age at least 18 months, but I could be dead by then and someone else would get to drink it. It may be a bit young, but we'll see how it's coming. 

Stay tuned, Joe.


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## wildhair (May 6, 2018)

Dandy - sounds fine. Personally - I would leave the airlock out, and cover the top with a towel until the sg gets to 1.010. If you leave the airlock in - I would suggest stirring it a couple times a day if possible. The yeast are still feeding and growing until it hits that 1.000 mark.


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## wildhair (May 7, 2018)

Well, Joe - I had a couple small glasses of the Dandelion~Lemongrass wine last night and the taste is very difficult to describe. It tastes a bit like the flowers smell...... if that makes any sense. It was clean and light ~ sweet, but not too sweet, it had a drier finish with no negative after taste of any kind. There was a hint of the lemongrass. I honestly don't know how to describe it, but it was very nice.


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## Jal5 (May 7, 2018)

Thanks for that taste test for me WildHair!
Just picked a lot of dandelions...this is like work instead of hobby'fun!


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## HillPeople (May 7, 2018)

After making Dandelion Wine for 4 years, I would never consider not making it.
Nothing quite like it. We do not separate the sepals from the blossoms- but no stems.
We use orange and lemon peels and one cinnamon stick. Boil for an hour, steep overnight Squeeze the lemons and oranges into the batch. Strain everything second day when cooled, add sugar to 1.096 SG and ferment on D-47. Just had a glass of 2016. Yum!


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## wildhair (May 7, 2018)

Jal5 said:


> Thanks for that taste test for me WildHair!
> Just picked a lot of dandelions...this is like work instead of hobby'fun!


Glad to be of service. 
I should probably let a few people with more discerning and sophisticated palates taste it and give their opinions. But I didn't make that much so............

I think I may have developed a dandelion harvester that should take the back-breaking work out of picking them at least. I'll try and post a pic later once I see if it works.

I actually ate the different parts of the dandelion to see where the bitter parts were. The green parts at the base of the blossom are OK, but anything below that is bitter. They are easy enough to separate when freshly picked. Grab a blossom in the left hand, thumbnail and 1st finger of the right hand where the stem joins the flower - twist, repeat.....over and over.  You can fill a bucket with petals pretty quick.


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## Jal5 (May 7, 2018)

HillPeople said:


> After making Dandelion Wine for 4 years, I would never consider not making it.
> Nothing quite like it. We do not separate the sepals from the blossoms- but no stems.
> We use orange and lemon peels and one cinnamon stick. Boil for an hour, steep overnight Squeeze the lemons and oranges into the batch. Strain everything second day when cooled, add sugar to 1.096 SG and ferment on D-47. Just had a glass of 2016. Yum!


That is a lot less tedious than picking the flower petals off or cutting them off. Spent most of today picking and cutting. Got about a quart and half quart zip lock bags of only flower petals.


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## wildhair (May 7, 2018)

You can leave the green petals (sepals) that grow UP with the blossom, but remove the ones that hang down. A twist of the wrist separate them pretty quickly. Flower in the Left hand, stem end in the right - bring your thumbnails together under the blossom - twist. Ba da bing, ba da boom.


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## Jal5 (May 7, 2018)

Thx that picture helps a lot!


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## HillPeople (May 7, 2018)

Tips- harvest at high noon on a bright sunny day. Only the fully opened blossoms. Pick till you're tired (with volunteer friends) then look at your bucket. The blossoms will have shrunken to almost nothing. Keep picking till all your friends call it quits. Then pick more. We start a batch with 2- 5 gallon buckets of shriveled blossoms. The peels from dozen oranges and a dozen lemons and a couple cinnamon sticks. Add water and boil in kettles for an hour, steep overnight. Add the juice from the lemons and oranges. Strain through cheesecloth. Add your sugar to 1.096 or so. Cool to 75 and pitch your yeast. Ferment with an airlock to SG .996. Forget about it for a couple months, rack, and then forget about it for a year.


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## wildhair (May 7, 2018)

HillPeople - That's a big batch! How many gallons?
I agree with the blossom picking - fully open, mid-day are best. I don't add the cinnamon or quite that much citrus - IMO - it overpowers the delicate floral bouquet and flower flavor of the noble weed. Personal preference, I reckon. I like the Vintner's Harvest SN9 yeast for floral wines.


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## xune (May 7, 2018)

I want to know more about this harvester you designed. The dandelions are just starting to bloom here.


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## wildhair (May 8, 2018)

OK - I have not had a chance to give it a thorough field test as our dandelions have just started to emerge. Nor have I had a chance to apply for a patent or submit an audition to Shark Tank. That said - I would be willing to share the profits with someone if they can improve on the prototype. The idea is based on the "pooper scooper" concept.

I took a 1 gallon metal can, trimmed the "spout end" and cut V wedges into the bottom. I attached an old broom handle to the back. I cut a slot about 4 inches up into the handle, then using my Dremel to make a groove at the top of the slot, cut a 1/2 round hole thru the can and inserted the handle. Drill a couple holes and run some #6 3/4" screws thru it to secure it.
I tried it like this, the dandelion naturally goes into the V, then "pops" it's head when it gets to the back. Results were so-so - some of the dandelions didn't loose their heads, but just tipped over.

So I took a piece of metal (I used ducting), and folded it over, then slipped single edge razor blades into the fold. I used 2 1/2" sheet metal screws to secure it - so the blades can be changed. That works much better, but I need a lot more dandelions to really test it. I think cutting the V's narrower would be better - maybe 1/2" wide at the opening. 

It's light, you don't have to bend over and the dandelion flowers collect in the can. Kind of swing it under the flower head and the POP goes the dandelion.


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## HillPeople (May 8, 2018)

I admire your inventiveness Wildhair. I tried a blueberry rake and a cranberry rake, but I missed just parking myself in a sunny field and having at it.


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## wildhair (May 8, 2018)

Hey! What are you doing in my YARD??!! LOL


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## Jal5 (May 8, 2018)

HillPeople said:


> I admire your inventiveness Wildhair. I tried a blueberry rake and a cranberry rake, but I missed just parking myself in a sunny field and having at it.View attachment 48483


Wow what a crop!!!


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## Jal5 (May 8, 2018)

Got more today in a short time using your instructions wildhair. Worked well. Now I have two very full qt. Ziplocks. 

Joe


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## Jal5 (May 14, 2018)

Started the “tea” made by steeping the flowers today. Looking forward to this process


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## wildhair (May 14, 2018)

I'm still waiting for the big bloom.


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## sour_grapes (May 14, 2018)

wildhair said:


> I'm still waiting for the big bloom.



Come to my house!!


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## Arne (May 15, 2018)

sour_grapes said:


> Come to my house!!


===LOL, somebody has to keep the neighborhood in seeds. Sounds like my place. Arne.


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## wildhair (May 15, 2018)

HA! I always prefer my dandelions locally grown - but thanks for the offer. Feel free to pick them and send them to me, tho. LOL


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## Pmac332010 (May 15, 2018)

I cant find a place where dandelions grow around here in sufficient quantity to make a good batch of wine. 
I normally don't bother going through it all if I cant fill up my 8gal primary. When I do I always end up disappointed when that batch of wine runs out too quickly.


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## wildhair (May 15, 2018)

I like to start small with a wine I've never made before and see if I like it. I can always scale up next time. And I like to make other stuff from my fruit besides just wine - jam, dried fruit, pie filling, etc. I don't want to get that "drunken old wino" label hung on me.

You're correct, tho - now that it's in the bottles, and it IS quite tasty - I wish I had made more than 2 gallons.


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## Pmac332010 (May 16, 2018)

wildhair said:


> I like to make other stuff from my fruit besides just wine - jam, dried fruit, pie filling, etc. I don't want to get that "drunken old wino" label hung on me.


I dont care what people label me as. If they know me well enough for me to care what they think then they know the truth. If they dont know me then I couldnt care less what they think lol.


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## Pmac332010 (May 16, 2018)

wildhair said:


> now that it's in the bottles, and it IS quite tasty - I wish I had made more than 2 gallons.


I've had that happen to me so many times I try to never make less than 6 gallons. Always ends up in me being disappointed in a really good wine. Beside the worst wine I've ever made wasnt undrinkable. I've got a friend or two that doesnt care what they taste like so it never goes to waste.


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## Jal5 (May 17, 2018)

My dandelion wine is in the primary and I left about half the lb. of white raisins in there. good idea or bad? Fermenting away in the gallon bottle now. I had about 1 qt. of juice leftover and stored that in the refrigerator will use that to top off the gallon when I rack the first time. Joe


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## wildhair (May 17, 2018)

Seems like a good idea to me. Should help it have a little more body. We just now are getting enough flowers to go out and pick - my neighbors are probably ticked that I haven't mowed them down or sprayed them away yet! LOL


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## HillPeople (May 17, 2018)

Just thought I'd post our recipe if anyone is making a big (18-20 gal.) batch.
We just finished picking today.

17 3/4 lbs.Dandelion blossoms
Peels from a dozen lemons and a dozen oranges. Juice and save for later
A cinnamon stick
Divide into 3 or 4 5 gal. Stainless kettles and cover with water.
Boil for 1 hr. Let steep overnight.

The next day strain the tea through cheesecloth and pour into a large enough fermenter to hold 18-20 gallons.
Add the previous orange and lemon juice and pectic enzyme.
Bring the SG up to about 1.096 by adding sugar dissolved in spring water. Around 40 lbs. for 20 gallons.Check the TA and adjust with acid blend to about 3.5.

When the liquid is a round 72 degrees, make a yeast starter with Go_Ferm and D47 and pitch.
Ferment until dry, around .992, and rack.
Add oak if you wish. Rack again after a month or two and sit on it for a year.
Rack again and bottle.

Cheers!


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## wildhair (May 17, 2018)

Yep, that's a BIG batch!


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## Jal5 (May 18, 2018)

you guys must LOVE dandelion wine!


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## wildhair (May 18, 2018)

Jal5 said:


> you guys must LOVE dandelion wine!


LOL Even if I loved it, I wouldn't have room to store it! Let alone make anything else. That's a commercial winery size batch.
Finally got some blossoms picked last night. Picked a gallon bag, deflowered (de-blossomed ?) them in about 1/2 hr. Measured them & frozen them & picked more today. I'll have to check and see how many I need. I did find that if you pick them and put them in the fridge right away, they don't close up.


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## HillPeople (May 19, 2018)

HillPeople said:


> Just thought I'd post our recipe if anyone is making a big (18-20 gal.) batch.
> We just finished picking today.
> 
> Sorry - that should have been pH of 3.5, TA of 7 or so


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## HillPeople (May 19, 2018)

Jal5 said:


> you guys must LOVE dandelion wine!


Yes we do, but we are not alone.


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## Jal5 (Jun 8, 2018)

Update. My gallon is clearing nicely in the basement. It was so cloudy we thought it would never clear on it’s own. 
Joe


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## HillPeople (Jun 8, 2018)

We never had a clearing problem until the 2017 batch. Had to treat it with additional pectic enzyme. Those pesky orange and lemon peels no doubt. Let us know how you like it in a few months. Did you ferment it down to .992 or so? I say the drier the better, but that's my personal taste. 2018 batch is almost at the end of its ferment on D47. 1.010 last time I checked.


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## Jal5 (Jun 9, 2018)

It went pretty dry 0.994 if I remember. 
Willneed some backsweetening later. We visited a winery out of town and tried their dandelion. Sure was good...brought a bottle home!


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## wildhair (Jun 10, 2018)

I haven't been able to start mine yet. I just cleaned up the flowers and froze them.


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## Lori O'Dowd (May 21, 2019)

Oy! So i started removing petals, placed them in a ziploc (left on the table overnight instead of popping them in the freezer) and was going to continue the next morning, but now they smell sour.  Let me guess, I have to throw those away and start picking fresh today?


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## HillPeople (May 21, 2019)

Just a few observations on Dandelion Wine:
We've made about 75 gallons since 2013 and it remains one of the most requested.
We do not remove the green directly below the blossom.
We do start the batch immediately after picking, within 4 hours.
We boil with lemon and orange peels for 1 hour, steep overnight, then strain.
Target starting SG- 1.096, ending dry at .992. Never backsweetened.
At least 3 rackings over the next 6 months.


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## Jal5 (May 21, 2019)

We like ours from 2018 but sweetened a little too much. Haven’t started one yet this year been a bit busy.


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## Lori O'Dowd (May 22, 2019)

I started my first small batch (only 1 gal) last night (after losing my blossoms the night before and starting over). This really seems like a much easier process than making beer (except for the pulling of petals, of course). It took at total of almost 2 hours of my fiancee picking and over 4 hours of me separating. Should I use a wine yeast or will an active dry yeast work just as well?


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## Jal5 (May 22, 2019)

Use a wine yeast. Several to choose from.


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## Rice_Guy (May 22, 2019)

Lori O'Dowd said:


> Oy! So i started removing petals, placed them in a ziploc (left on the table overnight instead of popping them in the freezer) and was going to continue the next morning, but now they smell sour.  Let me guess, I have to throw those away and start picking fresh today?


I would toss anything which is sour, the flavor is delicate.
My dandelion (200gm/ 5ml water) is sitting in a plastic carton after being heat “blanched” in the microwave for about 3 minutes total (as I added to the batch), I will probably add more this morning. My experience is it doesn’t stop metabolizing in the fridge or freezer, , , it has to be heat treated at which point you can freeze it indefinitely.


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## Rice_Guy (May 22, 2019)

Lori O'Dowd said:


> (except for the pulling of petals, of course). It took at total of almost 2 hours of my fiancee picking and over 4 hours of me separating. ?


The lazy way is to roll the yellow petal away from the green bract and rotate/ roll the yellow out. I have minimal green bract which is pulled out as I go. I would sooner spend 4 hours picking more petals to do a bigger batch.
The finished flavor is delicate, consider using tannin (an antioxidant) in your batch (ex FT Blanc at maximum) or the local wine shop tannin (flavorful) at low level.


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## HillPeople (May 22, 2019)

Wine yeast if you want it to finish at 12.5-14% ABV.
We use D47.
I really don't believe it's necessary to remove the green below the blossom.
Our finished wine at 13.8-14% definitely is not bitter- tastes like drinking in a sunny field.
We do add white raisins for a little tannin- but never tannin powder.


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## wildhair (May 24, 2019)

I posted this pic on pg 2 of this thread - I agree with HillPeople - the green leaves IMMEDIATELY below the flower are actually just green flower petals and do not taste bad. here - from post #30


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## wildhair (May 24, 2019)

I made wine this spring from petals I pick & cleaned, vacuum sealed and froze last year. It was the ugliest looking olive green mud I had ever seen. But - it fermented fine, all the disgusting looking green mud settled out by the 3rd rack and it tastes & smells great. btw - I poured a bit of the boiling water into each bag to clean out the yellow pollen when I started. I have picked and vacuum sealed enough for 2 gallons so far. 
Additional notes - 1 full gallon bucket of blossoms will yield about 8 cups of petals loosely packed and weighs about 320 g. That's enough for 1 gallon of wine.

I have picked blossoms and put them in the 'fridge over night and there was no "sour" smell. But if they smell funky, I wouldn't use them. I found I can pick a gallon bucket of blossoms in about 1/2 hour and it takes about an hour to remove the petals.

Here's my "beheading" technique - I put 3 buckets in front of me - blossom bucket in the center, petals go to the bucket on my left, bottom of flower head to my right. Flower in the Left hand, stem end in the right - bring your thumbnails together under the blossom and ABOVE the leaves that curl down - twist and roll the petals off the flower. Once you get a rhythm going, it moves pretty quick.


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## HillPeople (May 24, 2019)

Forget about the tedious separation of green that comes with plucking the blossoms. 
No stem pieces however.
Our typical yearly batch uses 18 lbs of fresh, totally open blossoms picked on a sunny day to make 18 gallons wine.
So- about a pound per gallon.
The lemon and orange zest is enough to get the pH to 3.2 or so.
White raisins optional.
SG of 1.096 seems to be the sweet spot. Finish at .992- dry
D47 works well for a yeast- Fermaid K at 1.050 or so.
Pectic enzyme is a must add.
Good luck!


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## Lori O'Dowd (Jun 11, 2019)

HillPeople said:


> Wine yeast if you want it to finish at 12.5-14% ABV.
> We use D47.
> I really don't believe it's necessary to remove the green below the blossom.
> Our finished wine at 13.8-14% definitely is not bitter- tastes like drinking in a sunny field.
> We do add white raisins for a little tannin- but never tannin powder.


I did use golden raisins to my batch with lemon and orange! Since it was my first attempt, I decided to try it in a small batch, to fill a 1 gal carboy. I ended up using dry active yeast. I jope that won't affect the flavor.


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## Lori O'Dowd (Jun 11, 2019)

wildhair said:


> I made wine this spring from petals I pick & cleaned, vacuum sealed and froze last year. It was the ugliest looking olive green mud I had ever seen. But - it fermented fine, all the disgusting looking green mud settled out by the 3rd rack and it tastes & smells great. btw - I poured a bit of the boiling water into each bag to clean out the yellow pollen when I started. I have picked and vacuum sealed enough for 2 gallons so far.
> Additional notes - 1 full gallon bucket of blossoms will yield about 8 cups of petals loosely packed and weighs about 320 g. That's enough for 1 gallon of wine.
> 
> I have picked blossoms and put them in the 'fridge over night and there was no "sour" smell. But if they smell funky, I wouldn't use them. I found I can pick a gallon bucket of blossoms in about 1/2 hour and it takes about an hour to remove the petals.
> ...


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## Lori O'Dowd (Jun 11, 2019)

I used that technique as well. It seemed to go faster the more I pulled. I had a 5 gal bucket of blossoms and 16 cups of petals for my batch. I'm in the fermenting stage now, almost 3 weeks of daily stirring!


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## Lori O'Dowd (Jun 11, 2019)

Also, is it necessary to add K-meta when (after the first 3 week ferment cycle)pouring into the first carboy?


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## wildhair (Jun 11, 2019)

I typically don't add the K-meta when I go from the primary fermentation into the carboy for it to finish fermenting. 3 weeks seems a bit long for the initial fermentation, but if it was in a cool area, it could take that long. I'm usually racking it out of the primary after a week. Main thing is for your sg to be around 1.020 - 1.010 when you put in the carboy.


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## Lori O'Dowd (Jun 11, 2019)

I have a hydrometer ordered and on the way. When I first started this project, I was told to wait until it stops bubbling which typically takes 2-3 weeks before it's first racking into the carboy. It is in a relatively cool, dark space (avg 65 F). I hope I haven't ruined anything. I got the recipe as it was made without modern devices. Do you add K-meta at all?


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## wildhair (Jun 11, 2019)

Yes. Potassium meta-bisulphite is critical to preventing spoilage. "Modern devices" make for better, more consistent wine, I think. You probably haven't ruined anything, and I assume you have it under airlock now?? Curious - was it fermenting in a container with an airlock? That could also account for the long ferment time. Primary fermentation is generally done in an open bucket with only a cloth covering. The yeast needs O during the initial stages. 

I have an old neighbors wine book from 1935 with his Dandelion Wine recipe - they were drinking that stuff before it even cleared. LOL


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## Lori O'Dowd (Jun 14, 2019)

Initial ferment was an open container with a cloth. 
Its now in my 1 gal carboy. The stopper at the top allows for slow air release.
My recipe calls for 2-3 months to sit before another racking. It's sitting in my basement now which maintains a temp of around 70 degrees in the summer, but colder in fall & winter. 
So I guess I will add the k-meta now with the initial sit?


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## sour_grapes (Jun 14, 2019)

I would!


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## Rice_Guy (Jun 15, 2019)

Lori O'Dowd said:


> So I guess I will add the k-meta now with the initial sit?


The CO2 released early in the fermentation acts as a preservative (creates a non oxidizing environment) Once active CO2 release has stopped/slowed the preservative effect goes away. 
We find that It is convenient to have meta (which chemically maintains a non oxidizing environment) in place once you transfer to the secondary fermenter with air lock and not watch every day or wonder if CO2 is done.


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## wildhair (Jun 15, 2019)

Whoa - that's a lotta head space! I'd strongly recommend you get it in a smaller jug. You have about 3/4 of a gal. so if you choose to add k-meta, it's got to be a very small amount. I'd recommend using a Campden tablet or slightly less than 1/16 t of k-meta.


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## flowerlab (May 6, 2020)

I had never thought of freezing dandelions, wow.


flower-lab.square.site


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## Rice_Guy (May 7, 2020)

when I first did dandelion I pulled petals till bed time and put in the fridge. They appear to be metabolically active since that batch turned into whispy seeds over night, with a somewhat cardboardy taste,,, that batch got tossed. Next day after work, same but went in freezer, again whispy seeds. 
Since then have heat treated (pasteurized) every batch before stopping for the day. Fridge or freeze holds it till everything is ready.


flowerlab said:


> I had never thought of freezing dandelions,


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## Medic8106 (May 7, 2020)

I started a 3 gallon batch of dandelion wine a few days ago following the #20 recipe by Jack Keller which worked well for me before. I was pretty excited that I had that much picked and ready to go. Anyway, I placed the flowers in the bag and poured boiling water over them to steep for 3 days. Well, I wasn't going to have time on the 3rd day to start the rest of the recipe so i decided to only allow it to steep 2 days. When I removed the loose lid off the primary after 24 hours, the smell was awful, nothing I have ever smelled in winemaking. Like vomit. I decided to forge ahead with the rest of the recipe and it's fermenting good, smell is still slightly there but not as bad. I didn't add K-meta to the primary in the beginning. So is all lost? Is it possible for the must to spoil or bacteria in the must? Never had this happen before.


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## BernardSmith (May 7, 2020)

A smell like vomit suggests the presence of butyric acid and that is caused by a bacterium that likes low acidity and an anaerobic environment. I am not sure but I would have to suppose that the bacteria may have been on the petals and that you provided them a good environment for them to thrive. Wine makers who make wine from grapes occasionally experience their presence


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## Medic8106 (May 7, 2020)

BernardSmith said:


> A smell like vomit suggests the presence of butyric acid and that is caused by a bacterium that likes low acidity and an anaerobic environment. I am not sure but I would have to suppose that the bacteria may have been on the petals and that you provided them a good environment for them to thrive. Wine makers who make wine from grapes occasionally experience their presence


Am I still good or toss it? Certainly doesn't have that strong smell anymore.


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## DizzyIzzy (May 8, 2020)

Rice_Guy said:


> The CO2 released early in the fermentation acts as a preservative (creates a non oxidizing environment) Once active CO2 release has stopped/slowed the preservative effect goes away.
> We find that It is convenient to have meta (which chemically maintains a non oxidizing environment) in place once you transfer to the secondary fermenter with air lock and not watch every day or wonder if CO2 is done.


I just racked a blueberry wine into a secondary, and the recipe did not call for any kmeta. What ratio should one use? * HELP !*


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## Rice_Guy (May 8, 2020)

My standard has been to add 25 ppm at racking and usually 50ppm at bottle (sweet needs more). 25 ppm equals 0.1 gram meta per gallon or 0.25 gram meta per liter. My bottle of K meta says 1/8 teaspoon is 100 ppm per gallon.


DizzyIzzy said:


> I just racked a blueberry wine into a secondary, and the recipe did not call for any kmeta. What ratio should one use? * HELP !*


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## Rice_Guy (May 8, 2020)

#20 is my grandfather’s recipe with raisins


Medic8106 said:


> I started a 3 gallon batch of dandelion wine a few days ago following the #20 recipe by Jack Keller which worked well for me before. I was pretty excited that I had that much picked and ready to go. Anyway, I placed the flowers in the bag and poured boiling water over them to steep for 3 days. Well, I wasn't going to have time on the 3rd day to start the rest of the recipe so i decided to only allow it to steep 2 days. When I removed the loose lid off the primary after 24 hours, the smell was awful, nothing I have ever smelled in winemaking. Like vomit. I decided to forge ahead with the rest of the recipe and it's fermenting good, smell is still slightly there but not as bad. I didn't add K-meta to the primary in the beginning. So is all lost? Is it possible for the must to spoil or bacteria in the must? Never had this happen before.


* do you have the ability to test pH, if so check to see if it is less than 3.5. If it is above, I would add acid blend, mix and recheck. Active fermentation has CO2 which will drop the pH about 0.1 below the starting must.
I am not always happy with lemon’s ability to decrease pH.
* if you can’t test pH does it taste more or less acidic than a white wine? If it is less acidic I would add 1 teaspoon in 3 gallons mix and taste (or pull a little out with a turkey baster and dissolve in that then add back) I close to white wine’s acid let good enough alone.

good luck


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## Medic8106 (May 8, 2020)

Ph


Rice_Guy said:


> #20 is my grandfather’s recipe with raisins
> 
> * do you have the ability to test pH, if so check to see if it is less than 3.5. If it is above, I would add acid blend, mix and recheck. Active fermentation has CO2 which will drop the pH about 0.1 below the starting must.
> I am not always happy with lemon’s ability to decrease pH.
> ...



pH 3.6. I added some acid blend. Still not sure it's going to be salvageable.


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