Help please with my Dandelion wine

[Gwen]

I have soaked my dandelion petals for 2 days and this morning I started the next stage with straining off the water and adding sugar etc. While getting a bit carried away making sure the temperature was cool enough to add the yeast (in between doing the other 1/2 dozen jobs) I forgot to check the OG before adding the yeast. Does it make that much difference to the reading? I took it about an after and it is off the scale. Shall I just leave it or should I do anything? Any advise would be very helpful.
Thanks Gwen

 

[Wynott]

Hi Gwen, I can't see from the photo what the reading might be. I made some dandelion recently which started out at 1.080, last year's was about that too, and I had no problems. I doubt the yeast would have an immediate effect in altering the gravity. Can you make a guess at where it might be on the scale? I would suggest adding some cold, boiled water to get it to the point you feel happy with.

Oh, and you're not alone, I frequently forget to take the O.G. but as I don't usually put more than 2.5lbs sugar to start, that seems to work out ok.

 

[Gwen]

Hi Gwen, I can't see from the photo what the reading might be. I made some dandelion recently which started out at 1.080, last year's was about that too, and I had no problems. I doubt the yeast would have an immediate effect in altering the gravity. Can you make a guess at where it might be on the scale? I would suggest adding some cold, boiled water to get it to the point you feel happy with.

Oh, and you're not alone, I frequently forget to take the O.G. but as I don't usually put more than 2.5lbs sugar to start, that seems to work out ok.

Hi Wynott,
Ok so the hydrometer shows the highest reading of 1.120 and it was sitting lower than that. I have made a 5 litre batch. So am I right in thinking the recipe is way too high in the sugar content and if so do you think I should add water to bring the readings down to a more sensible set of numbers?

 

[johncrobinson]

120 gravity is a high start.
I normally start at 80.

If you leave it as is it will go one of two ways.
(1) ferment out to a sweet high alcohol wine similar to sauternes
(2) It will stick leaving you with syrup.
Which one will happen largely depends how you look after it.

The safest way is to dilute it with some more dandelion liquor (Not water)
as flower wines are not strong flavoured to start with.
You have the 2-3 days window to prepare this as IF its going to stick it wont be until about two thirds of the way through the fermentation.

Good luck.

 

[Clint]

Just out of interest.,.does that stuff smell bad?

 

[Wynott]

I didn't realise how high the O.G. was - in agreement with John, as it's that high it needs more liquor. Hope that resolves the problem and do let us know how it works out.

 

[Gwen]

Just out of interest.,.does that stuff smell bad?

Hi Clint,

When it was soaking there was a little strange smell, but to be honest this is the first time I have done dandelion so just assumed it was ok. This morning it just smells of citrus.

 

[Gwen]

I have done the recipe from Andy Hamilton Booze for free but not sure if I should leave the citrus peel in or take it out
Just taken another reading with 2 hydrometers and still way off. Temperature is 20c

So I guess me and my crutch need to go out a hunting more heads