Dandelion Wine

[dew2]

   Anyone ever made it?? I'm givin up trying to control them.Neighbors east and west dont and our yard is a every year control by spraying!! Last year it wasn't done and theres bunches comin up.I've made other flavor wines in 5-8 gallon quanities, Dandelion I made once Long time ago just a gal.It wasnt that good.
 I need a proven recipe anyone got one? Looks like I gotta start pickin tomorrow There are thousands in the adjoining lots not sprayed. So they have no poison yet.Anyone have grandmas recipe??

[Bobby Bass]

   Anyone ever made it?? I'm givin up trying to control them.Neighbors east and west dont and our yard is a every year control by spraying!! Last year it wasn't done and theres bunches comin up.I've made other flavor wines in 5-8 gallon quanities, Dandelion I made once Long time ago just a gal.It wasnt that good.
 I need a proven recipe anyone got one? Looks like I gotta start pickin tomorrow There are thousands in the adjoining lots not sprayed. So they have no poison yet.Anyone have grandmas recipe??

You need to add Rum  Lots of Rum   

[dakids]

I will see if my mother has great gmas recipe. We only have 3 gallons left that great vrandma made many years ago. She died 28 years avo and we only drink it at tbanksgiving. Best wine i have ever had. SMOOOOOOOOOTH

[dew2]

I will see if my mother has great gmas recipe. We only have 3 gallons left that great vrandma made many years ago. She died 28 years avo and we only drink it at tbanksgiving. Best wine i have ever had. SMOOOOOOOOOTH

Thats exactly what I was hoping for..Old time not the stuff found on the net with herbs ,citrus or spices! The real stuff. Pickin tomorrow get the boil goin the next day.Can you possabily get it that soon? Their bloomin like carzy right now!

[glenn57]

Mothers day is just around the corner. Just saying.

[dew2]

 Just spent little over a hour pickin nice clean all flowers no stems or seeds that you dont need.Got 4 lbs. Goin out for another compacted icecream pail full after a beer.
 Cant have the lite flavored stuff its all or nutin!! for flavor!!

[dakids]

Here is the recipe. Add 4 quarts of boiling water to 2 qt of dandelion buds and let sit for 24 hours. Add 2 cut up oranges skins and all 2 lemons cut up skins and all. 3 to 4 pounds of sugar and boil for 20 min. 
Strain and put in jug with 1/4 yeast cake and let ferment.   

Great grandma always doctored her cooking by taste so her recipies were not very precise.

[dew2]

Here is the recipe. Add 4 quarts of boiling water to 2 qt of dandelion buds and let sit for 24 hours. Add 2 cut up oranges skins and all 2 lemons cut up skins and all. 3 to 4 pounds of sugar and boil for 20 min. 
Strain and put in jug with 1/4 yeast cake and let ferment.   

Great grandma always doctored her cooking by taste so her recipies were not very precise.

Thanks,I did pick and boil,That pot is on the porch waiting 24-48 hours.I figured if you didnt put a recipe I would go with one off the net that is similar to yours. I'm gonna add a shaft of rhubarb and some golden raisins for more alcohol content.  I read some phony recipes that call for Vodka or Rum added,I want the real wine!!!!

[HD]

Buds or flowers? Cause I picked flowers....

[dakids]

I would assume flowers but great grandma is dead so i can't ask her. 

[dew2]

Buds or flowers? Cause I picked flowers....

Just flowers is what I read,and I've read so much the last few days!! some even say remove the green cup the flowers bottom are in.I removed bout 1/2 nit picky job. Cause others said you can leave em but to many will give a bitter taste.All say NO stems or leaves.
 Mine is about to be yeasted and let the fermentation begin!!

[HD]

I left the green part on....now it's sitting on the stove, already boiled, waiting till tomorrow afternoon. Figured, with that much sugar, it can't be to bitter. But, ya never know.......

[HD]

Next batch, I'll try peeling the green off.

So, when you start fermenting it, when do you know it's done?

Grandma used to put a balloon over the bottle also, it inflated, and then she said it was done. But I can't remember how long it took.

[dew2]

 Mine is in fermentation stage now.I would have had it done earlier,But I tryed to grab some asparagus from a secret spot Glenn57 has. I got there and he was there,That was a scoreless trip!
 I will make some replies later about the cockscombs on the jars,gotta help the ole girl on the dock.GONE FISHIN
 

[dakids]

Next batch, I'll try peeling the green off.

So, when you start fermenting it, when do you know it's done?

Grandma used to put a balloon over the bottle also, it inflated, and then she said it was done. But I can't remember how long it took.

We wait until balloon goes back down.  Also before putting wine into smaller bottles you will need to kill the yeast or your corks will pop off. We use a shot of vodka per bottle for that.

[dew2]

 This pic should make the AuldPharts jealous!! Thats Lee,Glenn an DDS.see that glove rise!!Remind you of yer younger days??
 Depending on the type of yeast once alcohol is being made from the yeast eating sugar and nutrients the alcohol kills yeast.UNLESS you use wine yeasts they can live in higher concentrations alcohol
 The gloves act as balloons on these gallon jars each glove has a pinhole in it.With out the pinhole the carbon dioxide will pressurize and blow them off.The glove lets 02 out while not letting natural airborn yeasts in,They may spoil the process.I strain then siphon off all clear wine 2-3 days after all action stops,Put it back in another clean gallon jar put the glove back on and let sediments settle for another week,It can be bottled without fear of caps popping off and you get a clearer wine.
 This is my first dandelion wine.I been making wine,beer an applejack for years.But never this dandelion stuff!!
 Here ya go AuldPharts drool over it and try to remember the good ole days

[HD]

Did you let the mixture cool before you put the yeast in?

[dew2]

Did you let the mixture cool before you put the yeast in?

Yes add yeast at about 90 degrees.First activate it in a 1/4 cup a of your juice mix, that  around 90-100 degrees.Watch it when it bubbles in the cup stir it into the jug.

[HD]

I might have put it in when it was to hot,I don't have a cooking thermometer. Can I put more in if it don't fill up the balloon?

[dew2]

I might have put it in when it was to hot,I don't have a cooking thermometer. Can I put more in if it don't fill up the balloon?

I do that sometimes add more yeast,To try for higher alcohol content.But I add 1/2 a pac instead of a whole pac The second time if I taste to much sugar that yeast will eat that sugar and turn it to alcohol.Yours may have a yeasty taste but if the balloon aint filling theres no action add another pac like I said in the last post.
 After its finished the yeast taste can be removed by letting all particulates settle to the bottom then siphon the clear liquid off.I do that 3 times any way to have nice clear wine.Dont forget to poke a pin hole in the baloon.It will still fill cause a pinhole cant let enough out in comparison to what gas the yeast produces.

 I have thermometers but I dont use em for this,Just a finger in the brew lets me know if its tohot.Yeast dies at 140 degrees.BUT dont let your yeast and water mix go over bout 100 just to be safe.I think some yeast starts to die at 104-106 at first

[HD]

Well I put the balloon on at 3in the afternoon yesterday, and was not inflated at 4 this morning.

How long before the balloon starts filling?

[dew2]

Well I put the balloon on at 3in the afternoon yesterday, and was not inflated at 4 this morning.

How long before the balloon starts filling?

My 2 pics are the limp glove to the inflated was 4 hours,Probably shorter than that I went fishing an didnt pay attention till I came in.

[HD]

Then I killed the yeast 

[HD]

I drained off the clear fluid, warmed it back up 100 degrees and added new yeast.......we have liftoff!

[HD]

Dew, how long till the balloon / gloves go down?

[dew2]

Dew, how long till the balloon / gloves go down?

Here's a little read for you below.I racked mine for the second time just a short time ago today,Glove back on and now the major wait for the yeast to stop completely, http://www.eckraus.com/wine-making-101

[HD]

I got 2 bottled up....

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[dew2]

 Mines about done with being active.I figure in a month I'll bottle it,maybe 6 weeks. so I can have clear wine with little sediment. After the next rack or filtering I'll let it settle and see what it looks like.
 In my pic are Grolsch beer bottles,I drank 2 cases of that skunk water about 6-8 years back just for the bottles!! What green bottles with ceramic tops are yours?
 Heres a pic

[HD]

I ran those 2 bottles through 20 coffee filters to get the clarity that I wanted. The other batch, the balloon is still up. So, that one is not done fermenting.

The wife found the bottles at Target, 6 bucks a piece. They are an Italian bottle made for canning / bottling wine. The name brand is: Bormioli Rocco

[glenn57]

Mines about done with being active.I figure in a month I'll bottle it,maybe 6 weeks. so I can have clear wine with little sediment. After the next rack or filtering I'll let it settle and see what it looks like.
 In my pic are Grolsch beer bottles,I drank 2 cases of that skunk water about 6-8 years back just for the bottles!! What green bottles with ceramic tops are yours?
 Heres a pic

isn't that all you drink is skunk water!