Dandelion Time !!!!

[Luc]

Spring is here and the dandelions are out there !!!!

Yesterday and today I picked a total of 825 gram !!!

Sorry I am into the metric again.
I use 75 gram per liter. So I picked enough already for 11 liter (about 3 gallon). And the season is just starting !!!!

I still have some 2007 and some 2008 dandelion wine.
It gets better each year as it ages...........

Anyone interested in my recipes:
http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2008/02/paardenbloemenwijn-dandelion-wine.html

and my dandelion-strawberry I made last year:
http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2009/04/paardenloem-aardbeien-wijn-dandelion.html

I thought about posting this thread in the recipes section, but then again it is not about the recipes it is about the harvesting and the spring arriving

Luc

 

[Wade E]

I will have to try it this year. I gathered up enough 2 years ago to make a 3 gallon batch, picked all the yellow off very carefully which Im not sure it needed to be done but did it anyway. I then put it in the freezer and 3 months later threw it all out! What an idiot!

 

[WildSeedGrrrl]

Luc,

Is it possible to freeze the flowers in case you can't find enough the first day or should you just try to pick it all at once and plan on starting the dandelion wine that day or the next?

WSG

**oops saw that Wade had froze his flowers.

 

[Luc]

I will have to try it this year. I gathered up enough 2 years ago to make a 3 gallon batch, picked all the yellow off very carefully which Im not sure it needed to be done but did it anyway. I then put it in the freezer and 3 months later threw it all out! What an idiot!

Wade you could add the greens, but they cause bitterness.
That is no problem if you are willing to age the wine longer as 3 years, then the bitterness will mellow out.

I myself only pick the yellow leaves.
The wine made by those is drinkable after a year.

My dandelion-strawberry mix was even drinkable after 6 months.

Luc

 

[Luc]

Luc,

Is it possible to freeze the flowers in case you can't find enough the first day

WSG

That's the way I do it !!!

I pick each day and weigh them in portions of 150 gram.
I put those portions in zip-lock bags in the freezer.

150 gram is enough to make 2 liter.
So when I want to make 10 liter I take 5 bags from the freezer.

It is to late (1 o'clock in the evening) to do the conversions but I suggest you weigh and pack them in portions needed for 1 gallon or half a gallon. That is the easiest way to get the right amount out of the freezer when you start making the wine.

You can put them in the freezer for months.
I did

Luc

 

[Paco]

Most recipes do not refer to boiling or sterilizing the must before fermentation... what about this aspect?

There's two sides to this question:

-Sterilizing the must to avoid contamination.

-To not sterilize the must to avoid changing it's taste and fermentability.

I did boil my must (to sterilize, I guess, and to extract ingredients flavors. I've "blindly" followed someone else recipe) for last year batch. Apart of the biterness from too much green material, the wine is just fine.

 

[Wade E]

I kill off anything with sulfites instead of boiling water but do pour some hot water over all the petals to help extarct color and flavor and to help keep the sugar dissolved.

 

[Luc]

Wade is right on the nose.

I pour boiling water over my dandelions to extract flavor and color and then do some cold soaking for a few days.
No DO ADD sulphites just like Wade says.

Last year I had the luminous idea not to add sulphite.
It cost me a batch of 20 liters:

http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2008/04/een-ongenode-gast-uninvited-guest.html

Luc

 

[Paco]

Hmmm... Okay but what dosage?

Any cons about boiling for 10-15 minutes (or maybe pasturizing ~75°C?) the must prior fermentation?

 

[Luc]

Boiling prevents the must from spoiling from all the nasties that are IN the must. So that is OK. But sulphite prevents spoiling from all air-born nasties and nasties on your equipment etc. That why you need to add sulphite all the time.

I would follow the recommendations from the packaging.
I use normally 1 gram powdered sulphite per 10 liter.

Luc

 

[Paco]

I intend to boil prior to fermentation to kill everything but I want to soak the flower for more than a single day like I did last year. Still, I want to avoid spoiling the flower I worked so hard to harvest and remove the green material.

Would 1/4 teaspoon potassium metabisulfite per 6 gallon impair fermentation for soaking the dandelion flowers for 2 to 3 days? Here is my reference.

 

[Luc]

Just use the normal dose you would for a batch of 6 gallon and you will be fine.

6 gallon = about 24 liter so about 2.5 gram sulphite would do the trick.

Luc

 

[Paco]

So here's my recipe. I have everything I need but I'd like some reviews and critics on the recipe.

Paco's Dandelion wine
---------------------

Ingredients (for 25 liters batch):
-----------
-25L of loose dandelion flower (green material removed)
-25L water
-5.75Kg white table sugar
-Juice of 8 lemons
-Juice of 8 oranges
-4 cups of chopped raisins (sultans bio if possible)
-1.25 tsp of pectic enzyme (1/4 tsp/gal)
-120 grams of acid blend (three acids)
-2.5 tsp yeast nutrients
-2 grams of wine tannin (tannic acid)
-Metabisulfite
-5 Stabilizing tablet (sodium benzoate)
-2 packets of wine yeast (EC-1118 - 1 packet for backup)


1-
In a large bucket (at least 25 liters) poor 20 Liters of boiling water 
on the dandelion flowers with 2.5g of metabilsulfite.  Let soak for 
2-3 days with cover.  Mix regularly.

2-
Drain and filter the dandelion flower infusion in a large pot (at least 
20 liters).  Add the lemons and oranges juice, the chopped raisins and heat.  
When warm enough, add the 5.75 Kg of sugar stir until disolve.  Also add 
the 120 grams of acid blend.  Bring to boil for 20 minutes.  
Let cool to ~20°C.

3-
With a sanitized sieve, filter and transfer (splash around to disolve 
oxygen) to fermenter and add the 1.25 tsp pectic enzyme with 5 to 6 liters 
of sterilized water.  Expect gravity should be around 1.090-1.100.  Let sit 
for 24 hours then add the yeast starter.  Let ferment for 2 weeks (or until 
gravity stabilize).

4-
Rack to secondary for clearing.  Add 2 grams of wine tannin (rack over it 
to help disolve).

5-
Rack off lee a few times (2-3) over the course of 9-10 months for clearing.  
Add 5 grams of metabisulfite and 5 crushed stabilizing tablet on last 
racking (rack over it to help disolve).

6-
Bottle wine and let age for a few more months (2-3).

----
Paco - June 2009

I have no mean of testing for acidity nor PH; is that a problem?

Is that amount of acid blend seem correct?


Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Madriver Wines]

Luc you are the man. Every time I read one of your blogs I am amazed at the depth of your knowledge. The bucket sieve is a great idea but how was it that you got an endless supply of those? I am not so good at searching your site. Thanks from all of us for all the help you have provided here and all over the web.
Your friend, Steve
I agree with the 5 star rating!!

 

[arcticsid]

I'd like to jump in and agree with Steve. Your knowledge is a value to all of us LUC. We sure appreciate you sharing with us.
Troy

 

[Luc]

Luc you are the man. Every time I read one of your blogs I am amazed at the depth of your knowledge. The bucket sieve is a great idea but how was it that you got an endless supply of those? I am not so good at searching your site. Thanks from all of us for all the help you have provided here and all over the web.
Your friend, Steve
I agree with the 5 star rating!!

Thanks Steve and Troy, I appreciate this.

To get to the question about buckets:
I just went to the local snack bar. They use food grade buckets for all kinds of sauces. They just toss them away when they where empty. So I asked them to save them for me in exchange for some bottles of wine.
Well they actually cleaned them for me, when I collected them !! Each week about 10 buckets !!!

I use them as a sieve, a coarse filter, for collecting and harvesting, for soaking to get the labels off and I even made a simple press from them......

By the way, another recipe on my web-log: Parsley wine.
http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2009/06/uit-je-oren-in-de-wijn-parsley-wine.html

How do you like the ISSUU magazine look for my log (at the end of the article).

Luc