Nettle/Dandelion Wine?

[supraflyguy]

Hi folks looking for a bit of help...

Many years ago I remember my dad brewing what he called dandelion wine. He passed away 22 years ago when I was only 12 so I was too young to be given any recipe!

From memory he used white flowering nettles and toast (I assume for the yeast). I was wondering if this sounds familiar to anyone and if so does anyone have a recipe?

Thanks in advance

[Jeanied]

Well, I have Granny's book here - there are two recipes for dandelion wine but none for dead nettle wine. Not sure what to suggest for the latter - but once you get used to using flowers to make wine I reckon the recipe is pretty universal.
Dandelion wine #1
2 quarts dandelion heads
3 lb white sugar
yeast
1 gallon water
4 oranges
Cut off the yellow heads, discarding the green portions (they inhibit fermentation). Pour boiling water over the flowers and leave for 2 days (covered) Boil the mixture for 10 minutes with the orange peel (no white pith) and strain through muslin onto the sugar. When cool, add the fruit juice and yeast and ferment out as normal.

Now you are going to ask me all sorts of technical questions - none of which can I answer because this was Granny's book and she is no longer with us! But I bet there are a few grapes who can!

[supraflyguy]

Thanks! Yes the technical questions were next, but at least thats a start

[Jeanied]

Well, now the book fell open at a new page and here we have nettle wine - the stingy kind, mind!
2 quarts young nettle tops
4 lb white sugar
1/2 oz root ginger
1 gallon water
2 lemons
yeast
Wash and drain the nettle tops and simmer in the water with the bruised ginger and lemon peel (no white pith) for 45 minutes, replacing any water boiled away. Strain and pour the hot liquid over the sugar and stir until sugar dissolved. Allow to cool, add the yeast and ferment out as usual.

I wish Granny was still here - she was lovely!

[rustylady]

I remember Mum sending us kids out to pick dandelion flowers for wine, usually around 23rd April which according to country lore is the best time to pick them. The sap makes an awful mess of your hands, though.

[Two_Sheds]

Dandelion Wine

from Judith Irwin

Medium dry table wine
4 pts dandy heads
1 bag (1kg) white sugar
1 tsp citric acid (or juice of a lemon)
1 tsp yeast nutrient
white wine yeast
2 oranges, peeled & sliced (no pith)
225g chopped sultanas

Do your primary fermentation in a sterilised bucket, then rack into a DJ after about 3 days
should be drinkable in nine months

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it's an excellent book: she also has a recipe for hawthorn flower wine

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update Nov '10: I did 2 batches, one with a yeast starter, one with the yeast just sprinkled in. The 2nd was bottled months ago, but the one with the starter is still in the DJ, it just won't clear.

[mrdinkle]

I made a batch last year - not tried it yet.

I was trying to leave it a year - not long left!

[Jeanied]

I think flower wines are best when they are young - they don't improve with age. Unlike the rest of us!!!

[binley100]

How about nettle beer
This simple and refreshing brew has the great advantage of being ready to drink within a week of being made!
12 litres water
1 carrier-bagful of young nettle tops
juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
1.5kg sugar
55g cream of tartar (or do without and add extra lemon juice)
yeast
Bring the water to the boil, and pour over the nettles. Mix well and then leave to infuse for at least an hour, until cooled down to blood temperature.
Strain into a pan. Add the lemon and orange juice, the sugar and the cream of tartar. Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.
Leave the mixture until it is tepid and stir in the yeast (started in a little warm water and sugar). Cover and leave for 2-3 days.
Remove any scum which has risen to the top in fermentation. Decant, or rack as for wine, to get the liquid off the sediment. Put into beer bottles, and leave for just 2 more days (but up to a month, if you have the patience).
By amateurish calculations this should end up about 4-4.5% abv so a nice easy drink

[Hilary B]

I used one of the recipes for Dandelion wine from "First Steps in Winemaking". It's pretty similar to the one Jeanied posted, works pretty good and the wine is just right for Christmas time!

[bLoubelle]

I found this recipe on The Green Chronicle and it uses toast as you mentioned Supraflyguy, looking out at my garden this morning I think I have enough dandelions to make a crateful of the stuff!!!

Dandelion Wine

Ingredients

dandelion petals to fill a gallon measure
10 pints of boiling water
5lb sugar/10 cups (preferably preserving)
2 lemons
Piece of bruised ginger
A little yeast



Method

- Put all the petals in a pan and pour the boiling water over them.
- Stand in a cool place, cover and leave for a full two weeks.
- Stir each day.
- At the end of that time, pour the dandelion liquid through a muslin cloth to strain.
- Add the sugar to it and stir until dissolved.
- Rinse the lemons.
- Cut into thin slices.
- Put them in the liquid.
- Add the piece of ginger.
- Pour the wine into a pan and bring to the boil.
- Simmer for 1/2 hour.
- Allow to become almost cold, then spread a little yeast on a slice of toasted bread and put this into the liquid.
- Cover the pan and leave for about 4 days.
- Strain the wine.
- Store in a demijohn for 3 to 4 months.
- Pour into bottles for use.

[rustylady]

That sounds like one 9f the really old recipes Bloubelle. They used to use bakers yeast (the creamy stuff, not dried). I've made a gallon of dandelion wine this year, using dry yeast. Will have to wait and see how it comes out.

[supraflyguy]

Thanks bLoubelle, that looks a very interesting recipe. I have asked my mum recently if she had a copy of the recipe but she doesn't think so. She also seemed to think my dad spread yeast on the toast.

Oh and thanks binley100, nettle beer sounds more what I would drink

[ohbeary]

bloubelle, Darling you got this recipe from "The Green Chronicle"!, please excucse me but their recipe for "Champagne Cocktail" misse's the brandy!!!, p'lease!,
1 sugar cube,
1 measure of brandy,
dash of Angostoura
cover/top with "Dry Champagne"!

I think you need to look for a more up to date recipe, for instance:-
3ltrs dandelion heads,
1kg raisins,
2ltrs boiling water,combine and stir 2 times a day for 2 days,
add up to 1200g sugar to SG 1080,
add 5g sachet Champagne yeast