Charlottesville Area Masters of Real Ale

Last week's Basic Brewing podcast featured the making of Dandelion Wine.  It was actually very well explored, so you might want to check it out.  The only downside, picking 2,000 dandelion flowers for a 2-gallon batch.

Here are the online resources:

- Basic Brewing Radio (show from 5-8-08) - http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=radio

- Don's Dandelion Wine Page - http://www.donosborn.com/homebrew/dandelion.htm

- Don's Dandelion Wine Log - http://www.donosborn.com/homebrew/Beer_Log2007.htm#dandelion

- Jack Keller's Dandelion Wine Recipe Collection - http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/dandelion.asp

It might be worth a try.

Actually I wouldn't mind, it's getting the dandelions is the problem.  I've made a Marigold wine for the last 3 years and it's pretty good, but it does take 3 quarts of flowers to make 1 gallon (not to mention the amount of squeezed oranges and lemons that go in the recipe).  I would like to make some dandelion, so let me know if anybody has a good field I could use that is not too close to a major road or railroad track (exhaust fallout doesn't do too much for the flavor).  I'll come plant some, not sure where I'll get the seed but I'll find it.  I hear a whole field of blooming yellow dandelions is quite a site to see.  I'll even share a good portion of the batch with the field owner ---- assuming it comes out OK and you don't mind waiting a year. (If it tastes bad I'll let you keep it all  )