flowers

I started picking dandelion and I only picked about 1/5 of a 1 gallon bag, and I had no more. I think I need to go to the park.

We have some really big lilac bushes on our property. Has any one made lilac wine? http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques91.asp

Nate

I picked 2# of lilac flowers today. How careful do I need to be with the green? I'm getting mostly flowers, but there is a little stem?

Nate

i wanna do a lilac infusion in mead this summer... but i'm kinda worried that it will end up soapy tasting...

If you go to park dont go where the dogs go. I DE-stemmed 5 gallons of Dandelion flowers today. Good luck, my back hurts

I too was driving around yesterday thinking about picking dandilions.

Have any of you ever drink dandelion wine? I have and it is pretty nasty tasting especially for all the work you have to go through to make it.

I have to admit my bil has made it several times. I tried it once and it was quiet good. The next couple of times it was terrible.

Julie said:

Have any of you ever drink dandelion wine? I have and it is pretty nasty tasting especially for all the work you have to go through to make it.

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Runningwolf said:

I have to admit my bil has made it several times. I tried it once and it was quiet good. The next couple of times it was terrible.

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We have friends in Somerset that make it. I have to admit theirs was the only dandilion wine I ever tried and it was very good. Just have to find a good recipe I guess..

The one I tasted was from a local winery. Actually when we tasted it she said "sip, now wait, sip again, now wait, sip again and now how does it taste?" The first two sips were real nasty, the third was better but still did not care for it.

Yes I would say it probably depends on the recipe.

I believe there are a bunch of people that try to make it that have never made any other wine and just don't know all of the rules..3p's!

Dandalion wine that some one makes and does not get all the green out,SUCKS.
I don't know if it is worth the work, but good dandalion wine is rare and that is why I am making it. I picked out green pieces for 4 hours. I used mandrian oranges(zest and juice) to get good PH and an apple juice yeast starter. Used 7B 1122 yeast and am fermentiong it at 68 degrees. Starting SG was 1.087. I hope I don't have to pour it out. but if I do. It happens

thank you. I will be very careful with the green

Listen to Mike.

No greens in my dandelion wine too.

I just opened a bottle that had aged for 4 years and it was really deliscious.

My recipe is here:
http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2008/02/paardenbloemenwijn-dandelion-wine.html

Luc

Luc said:

Listen to Mike.

No greens in my dandelion wine too.

I just opened a bottle that had aged for 4 years and it was really deliscious.

My recipe is here:
http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2008/02/paardenbloemenwijn-dandelion-wine.html

Luc

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Actually, Luc, I beliieve you have the right answer, "aged for 4 years" The one I had a taste from was only a year old.

I have 6 gal dandelion from last year, and it's still aging. Might get around to bottling it soon, then let it sit some more. I had some that was very nice.
I had lilac that I liked and tried to do it. It rotted before it fermented... the stench was awful. I probably won't do it again, though it was really good with a white grape base.

Debbie

I picked 2.5 one gallon bags of lilac flowers and started a 2 gallon batch of wine.

2.5 one gal bags of lilac pedals.
10 cups sugar
6 tbs real lemon
1 gal water and 1 gal apple juice
1 tsp yeast nut.

tomorrow i will check the sg.

I had an e-mail saying my SG would be to high. Very true. 1.110. I was following a jack keller recipe, and i added apple juice. I will pick more flowers tonight.

Nate

When you add fruit juice in place of water in a recipe... you have to take the sugar back a bit usually. Luckily, you aren't so high it will affect the yeast too much. High alcohol and flowers don't tend to blend well though. Sometimes you lose that delicate aroma and get rocket fuel.

Debbie

So the wife and i just picked 2 more quarts of flowers(all the remaining) and added aprox 1/2 gallon of water and ended up with an sg of 1.089. Is this an ok sg? And i was planing on using 72b-1122 yeast.

Usually we sugest aiming for 1.085, so Yes, this is much better!!! You should be golden.
I don't know the amount of flowers needed... I do know Mr. Keller uses less lbs per gallon than most of us for fruit wines.
I'm not familiar with that yeast either... Sorry I couldn't help more....