My Dandelion Wine

[smokegrub]

Today, I started my dandelion wine from this recipe from Jack Keller:

Dandelion Wine (Do This)
Adapted from Jack Keller
9 c (22 1/2 c) dandelion petals
2 (5) lemons (juice; zest)
3 (7 1/2) oranges (juice; zest)
7 pt (2 gal + 1 pt + 1 c) water (boiling)
2 lb (5 lb) sugar
1 lb (2 1/2 lb) white or golden raisins (finely chopped or minced)
¼ t (1/2 t + 1/8 t) tannin
1 t (2 1/2 t) yeast nutrient
½ t (1 1/4 t) pectic enzyme
Cotes de Blanc yeast (activated)
3 (7 1/2) Campden Tablets (crushed; divided)
Sorbate (2 1/2 x amt. req’d for 1 gal)

Combine petals and zest in straining bag; tie closed. Place bag in primary; pour boiling water over it. Cover primary; squeeze bag several times a day for 3 days. Drain; squeeze bag to extract all liquid. Pour liquid into pot; bring to a boil. Stir in sugar until completely dissolved. Stir in raisins; cover and remove from heat, letting sit for 45-60 minutes. In primary, combine citrus juice, tannin, yeast nutrient and heated liquid. Cover; allow to cool. Add pectic enzyme; cover and set aside for 10-12 hours. Add yeast; cover. Stir twice daily for 5 days. Strain through straining bag into secondary; discard raisins. Fit airlock; set aside until wine clears. Add 1 Campden tablet, top up and reattach airlock. Rack again every 2 months for 6 months. Add 1 Campden tablet during middle racking. Stabilize with 1 Campden tablet, and the sorbate at last racking. Wait another month; bottle. Cellar for 12 months and enjoy a bottle. Makes 1 gallon (2 1/2 gal).

It looks like dirty dishwater and smells like stale lawn clippings with citrus. Talk about needing to undergo change! I will let you know how this proceeds.

Edited by: Smokegrub

 

[PeterZ]

Smoke, you are bringing back some really old memories. The first wine I ever made was when I was in high school in 1970 (I was a senior). My girlfriend and her mom (for some reason, all through HS I really got along well with GF's partents - didn't they know I wanted to get into their daughter's ... - well you know) and I made dandelion wine. Smelled horrible, was never properly clarified, and tasted like - well you know.

I wound up breaking up with the girl, but had 5 bottles of the wine. It got much better over the next few months, and by the following September, when I left for college, it wasn't bad. I still had a couple of bottles in my closet when I left, but when I came home for Christmas my sister had moved into my room and it was gone. I never did find out if she drank it or threw it away.

The point is this: No sulfite/Campden, oranges and lemons cut up and thrown in, pith and all, no raisins, no tannin, no yeast nutrient. It was just the tops of the flowers (including the green part), sugar, a couple of oranges and lemons, and some bread yeast. After time, it was OK, at least to a high school kid.

Yours is gonna have to be better than that.

 

[smokegrub]

I sure hope so, but at that age I considered anything with alcohol drinkable!

 

[Wade E]

Okay I have my dandelion petals picked and in the freezer now. Looking
at this recipe I dont understand why you would use 3 campden tabs for a
1 gallon batch! I think you nshould only be using 1 per gallon.


Edited by: wade

 

[smokegrub]

My batch size was 2 1/2 gallons, thus 3 campden tablets.

 

[rgecaprock]

Z....
That is a funny story!!


Ramona

 

[Wade E]

You wrote 7 1/2 ! I hope you didnt do this.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Still no dandelions here.....see the plants everywhere...especially places they shouldn't be!!!!

 

[smokegrub]

Wade: You are correct. I will have to revisit Jack Keller's recipe. Unless I made a mistake or he did, I simply multiplied his 3 for 1 gallon by 2 1/2 yielding 7. That does seem far too excessive. Will check again.

 

[smokegrub]

The dandelion must is now under airlock. I plan to rack to a clean secondary in a week. It is still slowly fermenting. The color is duller than I expected--more like a peach wine. Perhaps the color is attributable to the raisins. I will continue to post as the wine progresses.

 

[Harry]

Hey Smoke we like pictures

 

[smokegrub]

I will get the camera out and see if I can't share a few decent ones.

 

[bmorosco]

I have never tried Dandelion wine..I honestly can say I don't have a strong desire to either..Something about drinking weeds just seems off to me...haha

 

[smokegrub]

I have never tried it either, but I am going to give it a try. I almost hope it will taste bad given the work involved!

 

[Waldo]

I have never tried Dandelion wine..I honestly can say I don't have a strong desire to either..Something about drinking weeds just seems off to me...haha

bmorosco perchance your experience at "only smoking weed" has somewhat jaded your ability to be subjective or open to trying new uses of weeds?

Edited by: Waldo

 

[bmorosco]

Ok waldo...You got me ....you got me.....hahahaha

 

[grapeman]

Years ago I learned that a "weed" is nothing more than a misplaced plant.


Now where on Earth did I put my "weed"? Darn, it sucks getting old and losing your memory....

 

[smokegrub]

Racked the wine off the lees into a clean secondary. I did not add the Campden tablets the recipe indicated at this step. I decided to leave the wine under airlock for 2 weeks while we do a bit of travelling. I will rack again and add the Campden when I return. I will also degas and, perhaps add some bentonite if the wine hasn't cleared well. The wine actually tastes pretty good at this early stage.