I have been doing some research on this recently and have found 2 recipies that look promising.
I will be trying the first one early next week.
I'll let you know how it works out.
Winemaking Ingredients: Dandelion Beer - Wine Making Guides
8 oz / 225 grams young dandelion plants
1 lb / 450 grams demerara sugar
1/2 oz / 15 grams root ginger
1 large lemon
8 pints / 1 gallon water
1 oz / 25 grams cream of tartar
1/4 oz / 10 grams brewer's yeast
Winemaking Method: Dandelion Beer - Wine Making Guides
This is very much a springtime recipe, when the dandelion plants are young and the leaves fresh. Dig up the dandelions plants, taking care to keep the roots intact. Wash them thorougly to eliminate all traces of soil, and remove any fine, fibrous roots, leaving a clear carrot-like taproot.
Add the dandelion plants (including leaves) into a large saucepan, together with the water, ginger (roughly chopped) and the rind of the lemon. Bring to the boil and leave simmering for around ten minutes. Strain into a fermentation bucket, adding the sugar and the cream of tartar, mixing thoroughly. When cooled, add the activated brewing yeast and the juice from the lemon. Cover and leave to ferment for three days, stirring once a day. Strain and bottle, using strong bottles with screw-tops. Drink just one week later.
Dandelion Beer
• 200-500g dandelion plants
• 1-2lb sugar
• 25g yeast
• 1-2 lemons
• 1 gallon water
• 25g cream of tarter
• 10g root ginger
Boil the dandelion plants with the ginger and the rind of the lemon for no more than 15minutes; strain and add to the sugar and cream of tarter. Leave to cool at room temperature, add the yeast and lemon juice. Ferment for 3 days, strain, bottle and leave for a week in a cool place.
Yeah neither are really anything like a beer really, but not much like a dandelion wine either. .
Yeah fair enough. In any case the brew is tasting pretty decent at this point but could still benefit from a little more time. But as it stands I will definitly be doing this again next year.
Yeah fair enough. In any case the brew is tasting pretty decent at this point but could still benefit from a little more time. But as it stands I will definitly be doing this again next year.
Oh and for the bitter fella if you don't want bitter this is good as is. I am going to try hopping next time. I prefer more bitterness than it has on its own.
I use the root and leaves and flower pedals. The root provides sugars, the leaves some flavour and the flower some residual sweetness. I go a little overboard I think but I have fun with it, I pull up the plants I plan to use roots from early in spring before they flower. Then I freeze these roots for a week or two until the flowers start to show up then I pull a bunch more.
I am a lot less knowledgable about hops than I am about the rest of the process so I appreciate the recomendation on the hop type. I'll see if I can get some of those. I was thinking of adding a small amount for the last 15 minutes of the boil. Does that sound reasonable?
Oh and for the bitter fella if you don't want bitter this is good as is. I am going to try hopping next time. I prefer more bitterness than it has on its own.
Enter your email address to join: