Ingredients:

  • 4 cups (approx. 1 litre) Dandelion Petals, tightly packed (no green parts)
  • 1 large Orange (Zest and juice)
  • 2 large Lemons (Zest and juice)
  • 3 lbs (1.36 kg) Granulated Sugar
  • 1 gallon (3.8 Litres) Filtered Water
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) Black Tea, loose leaf or 1 bag
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) Wine Yeast Nutrient
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) Pectic Enzyme
  • 1 packet (5g) Wine Yeast (Specific Gravity Tolerant, e.g., Lalvin EC-1118)

Instructions:

  1. Sanitise all winemaking equipment thoroughly. Carefully separate the yellow petals from the green base (sepals). Discard all green parts, measuring the petals tightly packed.
  2. Bring the filtered water to a rolling boil in a large, non-reactive pot. Remove from heat. Add the 3 lbs of granulated sugar and stir vigorously until completely dissolved to create the must.
  3. Stir in the tea leaves, lemon and orange zest, and the dandelion petals. Cover the pot and allow the must to steep for 24–48 hours at room temperature, stirring occasionally to extract the flavor.
  4. Strain the steeped must through a fine-mesh sieve lined with muslin cloth into the primary fermentation vessel. Squeeze the solids gently to extract maximum liquid, then discard the solids.
  5. Allow the strained must temperature to drop to between 68–75°F (20–24°C). Stir in the orange and lemon juices, the pectic enzyme, and the yeast nutrient.
  6. Check and record the initial Specific Gravity (SG) with a hydrometer (should be around 1.090 to 1.100). Rehydrate the wine yeast according to packet instructions and pitch the active yeast culture into the must, stirring gently.
  7. Seal the primary vessel with an airlock and bung. Move to a cool, dark location (ideally 65–70°F / 18–21°C). Primary fermentation should begin within 24–48 hours and continue vigorously for about 7 days.
  8. After primary fermentation slows (or SG drops below 1.020), use a siphon and racking cane to carefully transfer the wine into the sanitised 1-gallon glass carboy (secondary vessel), leaving the sediment (lees) behind. Refit the airlock.
  9. Allow secondary fermentation and clearing for 3–6 months. Repeat the racking process every 4–6 weeks, or whenever significant sediment accumulates. This is crucial for clarity.
  10. Once the wine is completely clear, take a final hydrometer reading. When the reading remains stable for two consecutive weeks (likely 0.995–1.000), fermentation is complete.
  11. Stabilisation (Optional): Add Campden tablets and potassium sorbate as directed. Wait 24 hours. Optionally, sweeten the wine to taste by dissolving sugar or honey in a sample, then scaling up and mixing gently.
  12. Siphon the finished, clear wine carefully into sanitised bottles (5 x 750ml). Seal with corks or caps.
  13. Aging: Store the bottled Dandelion Wine horizontally in a cool, dark place. Wait a minimum of 6 months, but preferably 12–18 months, before opening for best flavour development.