1st time dandelion wine help?

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Wine4Me

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We are starting to pick dandelion flowers to make dandelion wine [for the first time].. Freezing them like was mentioned! [think it was Luc] I found this recipe

2 qts dandelion flowers
3 lbs granulated sugar
4 oranges
1 gallon water
yeast and nutrient
This is the traditional "Midday Dandelion Wine" of old, named because the flowers must be picked at midday when they are fully open. Pick the flowers and bring into the kitchen. Set one gallon of water to boil. While it heats up to a boil, remove as much of the green material from the flower heads as possible (the original recipe calls for two quarts of petals only, but this will work as long as you end up with two quarts of prepared flowers). Pour the boiling water over the flowers, cover with cloth, and leave to seep for two days. Do not exceed two days. Pour the mixture back into a pot and bring to a boil. Add the peelings from the four oranges (again, no white pith) and boil for ten minutes. Strain through a muslin cloth or bag onto acrock or plastic pail containing the sugar, stirring to dissolve. When cool, add the juice of the oranges, the yeast and yeast nutrient. Pour into secondary fermentation vessel, fit fermentation trap, and allow to ferment completely. Rack and bottle when wine clears. Again, allow it to age six months in the bottle before tasting, but a year will improve it vastly. This wine has less body than the first recipe produces, but every bit as much flavor (some say more!).

- now the question?? Is there a way I can use orange juice from a carton?? I will still use the orange peel..
Better yet would be a recipe that is easier? :?
 
this is the one i used.

1 gallon flowerheads
1 orange
2 lemons
225grams sultanas or raisins
1 gallon boiling water
yeast and nutrient
1kilo sugar
campden tablets.

collect flowers and remove all green bits, measure by gently shaking down into measuring jug, do not press.
grate zest off lemons and orange,squeeze juice and chop raisins.
put petals, zest and raisins into primary, pour over boiling water cover and cool. Stir in the juice, the yeast and the nutrient, cover loosely and leave to ferment on the pulp for 5 days pressing down the cap twice daily.
strain then discard pulp, move to secondary and ferment out. Rack and add campden tablet. mature in bulk for 6 months before bottling, keep for one year before drinking.

store bought orange juice will do as long as no preservatives in it. or you can add a bit of citric acid.. basically flower wines lack acidity and body.. the raisins add the body.

hope this helps :)
 
About the raisins, I hate eating them so will I taste them in the wine??

I think your recipe sounds easier??
 
there isn't a raisin flavour in my dandelion wine..the recipe I use steeps the flowers longer . if you want to omit the raisins, add a couple of mashed ripe bananas for body instead..does the same thing..

Allie
 
OK to make sure I understand what you are saying:
You put the petals in a nylon bag [I use paint bags] when I am "steeping" the flowers??? Or afterwords?? :b
 
I just realise your recipe is slightly different.

I put them in a nylon stocking and then pour boiling water over them.
I let them soak then for a few days and then press the stockings.
That way I do not have to sieve.

I presume they are boiling the must for a second time to prevent it from spoiling. And in this recipe that is needed because I nowhere see the use of sulphite.....

I would not boil them a second time.

My way would be to put them in the nylon stockings, pour boiling water over and let cool. Next add sulphite and let it soak for 3 days.

I had a batch spoiling last year when I did not use sulphite:
http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2008/04/een-ongenode-gast-uninvited-guest.html

So I rather would let them soak a bit longer and not boil the must a second time. And definitely use sulphite.

I would not however boil them in a nylon stocking as I do not know what effect long time boiling has on nylon.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Luc
 
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You can boil the nylon paint strainer bags like you get at Lowes or Home Depot here in the USA. I do it all the time when I brew beer to keep my pellet hops out of the wort. If they can take an hour boil in a big stainless pot, pouring boiling water over them should be fine. With wine I used pantie hose for fruit bags to. I routinely poured boiling water over them to steep my fruits.
 

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