My first failure at making wine!

Happened just this morning. I put a clean kitchen trash bag into my 10 gallon Brute bucket so the bucket wouldn't get dirty. I go outside and start picking dandelions intending to pick enough to make a 6 gallon batch. Well, there were plenty of them to pick but after a half hour's work of bending and picking I could still see the bottom of the bucket. I thought of what this 72 year old body might feel like tomorrow morning if I would keep going and so decided quit. Unless I get some kids over to do the picking no dandelion wine for me.

I hear ya! The amount of dandelions you have to pick to make a decent amount of wine is just not worth it. Dandelion wine is just not a great tasting of a wine to justify all the work.

Berry pickers work well, just scoop up the flowers and go inside and sort them out, lots easier and faster and less stooping. WVMJ

WVMountaineerJack said:

Berry pickers work well, just scoop up the flowers and go inside and sort them out, lots easier and faster and less stooping. WVMJ

Click to expand...

Never even knew there was such a tool. A quick Google search showed me plenty. Pretty cool tool.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHOhCC22QY8"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHOhCC22QY8[/ame]

I made I batch of dandelion wine. It was just 1 gallon and I agree, the time and effort isn't worth it!

Some people say you dont have to seperate the green parts from the flower, never tried it but maybe one of you guys might

Dandelion Wine

WVMountaineerJack said:

Some people say you don't have to seperate the green parts from the flower, never tried it but maybe one of you guys might

Click to expand...

I tried it. I knew never in my life would I have the time, strength, and patience to separate all the petals. I found this recipe which claimed to make good dandelion wine using the flowers with the calyxes. So, I thought, I'll try this recipe and if it is good I'll do it annually. If no good, I can quit trying.

I quit trying.

Yeah I didnt think that would make a good wine thats why we never tried it, WVMJ

Stressbaby said:

I tried it. I knew never in my life would I have the time, strength, and patience to separate all the petals. I found this recipe which claimed to make good dandelion wine using the flowers with the calyxes. So, I thought, I'll try this recipe and if it is good I'll do it annually. If no good, I can quit trying.

I quit trying.

Click to expand...

Tried making Dandelion wine around this time last year. Ended up pouring the whole lot down the drain a couple of months ago. Save yourself the back-pain and disappointment. Strawberry and Raspberry are the best home-made wines I've made and they didn't half kill me in the process

britwinemaker said:

Tried making Dandelion wine around this time last year. Ended up pouring the whole lot down the drain a couple of months ago. Save yourself the back-pain and disappointment. Strawberry and Raspberry are the best home-made wines I've made and they didn't half kill me in the process

Click to expand...

The best fruit/country wine I've made so far has been an apple wine from 6 gallons of freshly pressed apple cider. This coming season I intend to make at least 12 gallons. Maybe even 18 gallons seeing how well received the wine has been by family and friends and how many bottles I've gifted.

I have made dandelion wine in the past but usually only pick enough to make 2-3 gallons. I use a recipe from Jack Keller with the addition of raisins, lemons and oranges. I really turns out well, especially with some age. I usually pick half the flowers and remove the green below and leave the rest. I do not get the bitter that some say you do this way. If you are able to find a field of sunflowers, pick the petals on the flowers and make wine from them. Much less work and has roughly the same taste as dandelion wine!

Bkisel, when I lived in upstate N Y, our old Italian neighbor used to make awesome dandelion wine. He would "pay" my 4 & 5 year olds to pick dandelions for him because he couldn't bend over anymore. I picked more than they did. It was 5 cents a quart. I also tried making the wine & gave up! Roy