Attempt at Brewing Dandelion Wine: Failure?

soontobepcv · 05-09-2010, 05:54 PM

Posting this for my girlfriend...

After picking ~ 300+ dandelion heads a few days ago and letting them
sit for two days in water, stirring twice a day, as per the recipes
said - (http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques2.asp), I was ready to start the brew process tonight. The soaking dandelion heads had a nice earthy
grass smell each time I opened the lid to stir it the past two days.
Tonight, however, it has a pretty gross cheesy musky smell and I'm not
sure it's still good to use.

I know I did a few things 'wrong': I left some of the green parts
around the dandelion flowers (though I did cut off the bottom where
it's attached to the stalk on EVERY head), and I let it sit for just
over 48 hours instead of a max of 48. So, rather than waste sugar,
yeast and other ingredients on trying to go any further with this
wine, I'll just plan to find more fields of organic dandelions soon
and try again.

If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to respond and let me know
whether 1) this change in smell after ~48 hrs is supposed to happen,
or 2) it's because of my lack of following directions specifically...?

Thanks!

**Yooper** · 05-09-2010, 06:11 PM

Yeah, the directions are pretty adamant that you don't want to go over 48 hours! I think you've found out why.

magickis33 · 05-27-2010, 02:23 AM

2 quarts of dandelion heads
4 gallons of water
Boil dandelion heads in water for one hour
Add 5 pounds of sugar
allow to cool to 100-105 degrees F
add yeast - I use 2.5 tsp of bread yeast
In 2 or 3 hours it will start to ferment
After 24 -36 hours strain dandelions heads off and put liquid into carboy
Carefully and slowly - Add about a cup of sugar a day for next 7 -14 days
In two months rack into a new carboy
Drink at anytime!

*Boiling is an important part of the recipe as it kills off al the nasties that can be a problem.
I have very successfully made hundreds of gallons of dandelion wine in the last few years!!!

frogguruami · 05-27-2010, 01:13 PM

Is there an online source for dandelion heads?

magickis33 · 05-28-2010, 03:58 AM

I was unable to find any companies online that sell dandelion heads. I get mine at the local graveyard , because they have no money for weed killer or fertilizers or any such nonsense. In the graveyards dandelion grow in great numbers and I simply pick the heads off hundreds of dandelion and fill a 2 quart pitcher with heads in about an hour.
It is important that your dandelions NOT BE CHEMICALLY TREATED.
Also, the boiling is very important to release the flavor and kill all the bugs,etc.
I know that some commercial farms grow dandelions for sale in high-end grocers as the leaves make a excellent salad additive - if they grow dandelions and sell the leaves then they have many heads they might sell.