Dandelion Country Wine
Dandelion wine is the classic American country-wine project — Ray Bradbury wrote a novella about it. Pick the petals on a dry sunny morning, separate them carefully from the green calyx (the source of bitterness), and treat the rest like a tea-based fermentation. The finished wine is golden, faintly honeyed, and improves with cellar time.
ABV10-12%
Ferment30d
Age180d
Total210d
Ingredients
| 1 qt loose | Dandelion petals (yellow, no green) |
| 2.5 lb | Cane sugar |
| 1 gal | Water |
| 2 lemons | Lemon juice (fresh) |
| 1 orange | Orange juice (fresh) |
| 1 tsp | Yeast nutrient |
| 5 g | Wine yeast (71B) |
| 1 tab | Campden tablet |
Equipment
- 2-gallon primary bucket
- 1-gallon glass carboy
- Airlock
- Straining cloth
Steps
- Day 0
Pick petals
Pluck only yellow petals on a sunny morning. Green parts make the wine bitter.
- Day 0
Boil + steep
Pour boiling sugar-water over petals; steep 24h covered.
- Day 1
Strain + add citrus
Strain off petals; add lemon, orange juice, Campden.
- Day 2
Pitch yeast
After 24h add nutrient and yeast.
- Day 2-9
Primary
Ferment 5-7 days in primary at 65-70°F.
- Day 9-30
Rack + secondary
Rack to carboy; ferment to dryness.
- Day 180
Age + bottle
Bulk age 3-6 months. Bottle. Improves dramatically over a year.