Dandelion advice

[Aid]

Hi,

At the weekend I picked 10 litres of dandelion heads. I was working towards gathering enough for a 5 gallon batch (based on 2.5 litres per gallon). I had to stop short though...

I spent the afternoon disassembling the petals from the green parts and was left with 5 litres of petals. Having halfed the quantity of flower, am I still in a position to make 4 gallons from it? I assume yes, since I've only processed the recommended head count...

To make it a useful 5 gallons, I was going to use a grape concentrate or juice. How much would you think was suficient? I thought 250ml concentrate(or 2 litres of juice) for the missing gallon and then perhaps the same again for body. Does that sound ok?

[Duffbeer]

250ml of concentrate or two litres of juice per gallon would be about right, the flower petals will only add flavour and bouquet.

Hope you enjoyed de-petaling the dandilions It sure is a soul destroying job

[Aid]

The first 5 mins were fine, I hit the wall after 10 mins, the remaining 170 or so mins was a slow, grueling attrition of my mental and emotional state. Thank the stars I only have to do it once a year!
I saw that youtube video of the chap processing rhubarb and goooseberries yesterday - I want to hear that I can lob dandelions in a bag, freeze them and the juice will just flow out of couse that would also throw me into a rage

[Aid]

I've finished the must now I think...

Dandelion + orange peel infusion
Juice of 10 oranges
3.5 kg sugar
250ml White grape concentrate
6 litres white grape juice
5 tsp tronozymol
5 tsp pectolase
Watered to near 5 gallons and 1.090
Will be pitching a Gervin GV1 (green) yeast presently.

I haven't added any acid. I measured the must with a Ritchies kit - about 1.5 oojamaflips. Does the recipe need any would you think? A little citric perhaps?
Thanks.

[Aid]

More acid?

[Duffbeer]

Taste it, and then think of the acidity of a commercial wine, do you get that little zing from the acidity ? if so then leave it be, if not add a little stir and retaste.

I only use taste for checking acidity these day's, but if memory serves me right it should be about 3.5 ppt for a dry white up to 4.5 ppt for sweet.

[Aid]

I've watched Bob's video on developing my taste sensitivity using acid, tannin and salt in water - but I haven't done it yet. I think my palatte is ruthlessly untrained. No zing though so I'll add some acid to bring the level up to 3.5.

Thanks pal.

[fatbloke]

I've watched Bob's video on developing my taste sensitivity using acid, tannin and salt in water - but I haven't done it yet. I think my palatte is ruthlessly untrained. No zing though so I'll add some acid to bring the level up to 3.5.

Thanks pal.

Not sure if you remember your secondary school chemistry Aid, but the pH scale is from 0 to 14, 7 is neutral and as I remember it, each time the number moves, it's twice as acid/alkali as the number before. So numbers <7 are acid and >7 are alkali.

So did that mean down to 3.5 ????? (I've lost my measure for the oojamaflips )

regards

JtFB

[Aid]

Hey John,
I measured the acid using a richies kit, I checked and what I'm measuring is the presence of acid in parts per thousand. So I'm suggesting bringing the ppt up to 3.5, increasing the acidity which as you rightly say decreases the pH. Semantics

[fatbloke]

Hey John,
I measured the acid using a richies kit, I checked and what I'm measuring is the presence of acid in parts per thousand. So I'm suggesting bringing the ppt up to 3.5, increasing the acidity which as you rightly say decreases the pH. Semantics

Not so much semantics (or even pedantry), but I was just thinking along the lines of the posts being public, so any reader might need to understand what it is that you're aiming for and learn from it......

To be honest, dandelion is one ingredient that I've avoided (I know how long it takes to de-stalk elderberries and have guessed that dandelion petals would be considerably worse). I don't know whether it's better to go for a set amount of acid/pH level or whether it's better to start it "as is" and then if it needs a little help later on you could always add a bit of acid later..

I know that some like to add acid up front, and others after the ferment.

Hence I don't know what to suggest, other than it's easier to add "it"* later if it turns out that there's too little.


* = the it not necessarily being acid (as in this case) just that that comment applies to anything that might need to be added to a recipe.


I mean, whats the pH without any extra acid ?

regards

JtFB

[Aid]

Cool. For the record then...
I'm trying to create a balanced wine. One of the more experienced members on the forum can define what makes a wine well balanced. However, one of the components is the acid level. One method of measuring acid using a kit like the Ritchies one, which measures acid in parts per thousand (ppt). I've read that typical levels are around 3.0 for a light,dry wine to 4.5 ppt for a sweet, full bodied wine.
I measured my 'must' and it was only 1.5 ppt, so I'm curious to know from those who have made dandelion wines before, whether I ought to increase the acid level of the wine, or if acid level isn't really critical with this kind of country wine.
I didn't know I could simply add it at the end!
I don't have a way of measuring pH, unless there's a way of converting ppt to pH...