Dandelion wine

[michaelhult]

I made a dandelion wine this spring. Its done. It just cleared. I had a taste last night and not impressed. It has a bad fruit flavor on the after taste. Is that normal? Ive never had dandelion wine before. Heres my recipe

7.5 quarts of dandelion heads with bottom bulb cut off. Just the yellow peddles in the wine

5 oranges juiced in juicer

5 oranges zest

500 ml lemon juice

10 cups of sugar

Mixed all ingredients in 5 gallon carboy. Top up with water. Pitch Lalvin 1118 at 70 F.

Any suggestions are appreciated! Thanks!

 

[theDREWery]

If it's a fruit flavor that's an issue I'd omit the fruit and consider using honey instead of sugar. Use some sort of nutrient addition, like the TOSNA schedule, to avoid any off flavors from stressed fermentation. That should come out as a floral flavor bomb.

 

[User]

I find fermented oranges always taste rotten (never had a jaom I liked). Even screwdrivers taste a bit off to me.

I made a dandelion mead a few years ago that tasted rather like chamomile tea.

 

[michaelhult]

Ive done fruit meads in the past. Never an orange. Did you just use the dandelions and honey?

 

[bernardsmith]

What do you mean by "bad fruit flavor"? Do you know what the final SG is? the TA? Do you know the starting gravity? The dandelions - do you pick them when they were dry or rain - soaked? What was your process of making the must?

 

[michaelhult]

1.074 sg
1.005fg
The dandelions were dry.
I put the peddles and orange peel zest in a mesh brew bag. Steeped in 2 gallons of hot water. 150f to start i believe. Then let cool down over 8 hours. I juiced the rest of the oranges in my centrifuge juicer. Added that and lemon juice to the carboy. Added the steeped mix. Topped up water. Added sugar to desired gravity. Checked the temp (70) and pitched the yeast.

Its tastes like the oranges have gone bad but they were good when i put everything together that day. Im sure i ate a piece even.

 

[bernardsmith]

What yeast and how long have the oranges and dandelions been sitting in the must? Why did you heat the petals and oranges to 150F . I wonder if that temperature was enough to cook the orange just warm enough to allow the fruit to spoil?

 

[michaelhult]

Lalvin 1118
8 hours
The recipe i read said to heat it up and let it steep as it cooled

 

[bernardsmith]

I guess I am surprised that the flowers were not boiled and that the oranges were added to the hot tea...

 

[User]

Ive done fruit meads in the past. Never an orange. Did you just use the dandelions and honey?

Yup, just dandelions and honey.

 

[buMbLeB]

I don't see any mention of sulfites, sorbate or boiling - maybe I missed it? If not...