Dandelion Beer Recipe (Input Needed!)

[jmtonkin]

Hey all,

I was out doing some yard work this afternoon, and noticed the millions of dandelions growing everywhere. I was talking to my girlfriend about all of them, and she suggested that we try to make dandelion wine (she herself a homebrewer). Long story short, while we were sitting outside picking dandelions, I got the inspiration to try a dandelion beer. Below is a rough recipe that I put together, and would LOVE your input! I've never created my own recipe, so I'm not sure what I missed.

Also, my dog decided that she hates dandelions, and decided to destroy all the ones she could find! The picture attached will be the label for this beer if it turns out alright!

Here is the proposed recipe:


And here is the lable:



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[Braufessor]

Someone brought a dandelion Saison to our last homebrew club meeting...... it was actually really good. To be honest, I was surprised..... but I liked it. I will see if I can get some info. on it from him.

 

[jmtonkin]

That'd be awesome!


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[RedOktoberfest]

I'm making one tonight and tomorrow. My recipe was inspired by Don Osborn's wine recipe except I didn't want pure table sugar forcing me to wait a year to drink it. Check his page for the specifics on what he did to extract flavors from the dandelion.

Unfortunately, I haven't made it yet to give you feed back but here is my recipe for comparison's sake:

10lb Belgian Pilsner malt
2lb Honey
1lb Sunflower Malt (yup!)
2 lemons (zest and juice)
1oz N brewer @ 60min
.5oz N brewer @ 5min
'Merican II 1272

OG 1.064
FG 1.015
31IBU

I have a real mind to split the batch with Brett. We'll see.

Overall this isn't too far off of what you have planed.

 

[RedOktoberfest]

 

[truvr]

There is a local brewery that makes a dandelion beer but they use the greens for bittering instead of hops. I've been dying to try it but it is seasonal and I keep missing it.

 

[jmtonkin]

Apparently I have not been receiving these updates!

Unfortunately, I haven't made it yet to give you feed back but here is my recipe for comparison's sake:

10lb Belgian Pilsner malt
2lb Honey
1lb Sunflower Malt (yup!)
2 lemons (zest and juice)
1oz N brewer @ 60min
.5oz N brewer @ 5min
'Merican II 1272

OG 1.064
FG 1.015
31IBU

I have a real mind to split the batch with Brett. We'll see.

Overall this isn't too far off of what you have planed.

I decided to put this one on hold for a different brew. I wanted to do a bit more researching before I went through with this, so I brewed something else.

I'm glad to hear that yours is similar to what I'm planning! You'll have to let me know how yours turns out!


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[unionrdr]

I added dandelions to a batch of my sparkling apple jack once. A one gallon batch got two handfuls where the greens were separated from the blossoms. Very slightly sweeter with a lil bit of yellow blush from the flowers as I remember.

 

[RedOktoberfest]

I brewed it up on sat. Got unexpectedly high efficiency and I forgot I only needed 5gal not 5.5gal because of the dandelion juice. so I was at 1.062 without the honey. Honey goes in tonight.

 

[jmtonkin]

I brewed it up on sat. Got unexpectedly high efficiency and I forgot I only needed 5gal not 5.5gal because of the dandelion juice. so I was at 1.062 without the honey. Honey goes in tonight.

I hope it works out for you! I'm thinking that I'll make this in the next week or so!


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[RedOktoberfest]

I hope it works out for you! I'm thinking that I'll make this in the next week or so!


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Honey is in, I was down to 1.012 at the 56hr mark It must have gotten a little warm, of course this is my 1 carboy without a thermometer. That or 'Mercian 2 is a super quick attenuator (first time using it).

Hydro sample tasted ok. Very pale straw color, like a Berliner weiss. I guess I expected to get more color from the dandelion.

 

[unionrdr]

I did,but just a tinge of yellow from two heaping handfuls in a 1 gallon batch ages ago.

 

[RedOktoberfest]

I did,but just a tinge of yellow from two heaping handfuls in a 1 gallon batch ages ago.

I used 2.25-2.5 qts of tips

 

[unionrdr]

Which would equal a bit less than I used in one gallon divided by three.

 

[jmtonkin]

Honey is in, I was down to 1.012 at the 56hr mark It must have gotten a little warm, of course this is my 1 carboy without a thermometer. That or 'Mercian 2 is a super quick attenuator (first time using it).

Hydro sample tasted ok. Very pale straw color, like a Berliner weiss. I guess I expected to get more color from the dandelion.

I made some dandelion jelly a couple days back using just the petals, and it ended up a very pale color. I'm thinking the petals just don't give off that much color?


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[Arrheinous]

You can make tea out of the leaves.

I've been thinking of using dandelion greens as a replacement for bittering hops. Most likely a saison like Braufessor did. Any idea on an amount to use?

And what sort of taste are you getting from the samples with 1 tsp flowers? I didn't think there was much bitterness to them.

 

[Braufessor]

You can make tea out of the leaves.

I've been thinking of using dandelion greens as a replacement for bittering hops. Most likely a saison like Braufessor did. Any idea on an amount to use?

And what sort of taste are you getting from the samples with 1 tsp flowers? I didn't think there was much bitterness to them.

I did not do it, personally.... It was a guy in my local brew club. We have a get-together on Tuesday, hoping he is there again this month. I don't see him real often, so hoping he is there and I will ask him for more details and share any info I get..... Hopefully it will still be "dandelion season"