Homemade dandelion beer
You may have heard of dandelion wine, but have you ever made dandelion beer?
We have a recipe for dandelion beer that will be ready in a week! When looking for dandelions, make sure the area has not been sprayed with pesticides or herbicides and is far enough away from cars and pets to avoid contamination.
Who would have thought that the weeds in your yard could be turned into such a fun drink?
The following excerpt comes from Pascal Baudar’s book Wild brewer. It has been adapted for exploit on the Internet.
RECIPE: Monk Beer
The dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) can be found practically all over the world. Like nettle beer, dandelion beer is deeply rooted (no pun intended) in the tradition of brewing medicinal herbal beers.
It is mainly used as a tonic (the plant is a opulent source of beta-carotene and vitamin C), but it also offers health benefits for liver diseases, urinary tract disorders and diabetes.
The flowers are used to make wine and are a good source of wild yeast. I like beer more for its health benefits than for its taste (it’s not my favorite).
Ingredients
- 1 gallon (3.78 L) of water
- 1/2 pound (227 g) fresh dandelion greens
- 1/2 ounce (14 g) chopped, dried dandelion roots (often available in health food stores)
- 1 pound (454 g) brown sugar
- 1/2 ounce (14 g) ginger root (finely chopped or grated)
- 1 ounce (28 g) chopped fresh lemongrass or 3 lemons (optional)
- 1 oz (28 g) cream of tartar
- Yeast (brewer’s or wild yeast)
Procedure
1. Boil water and add fresh vegetables and dried roots.
Cook for 20-30 minutes, then add brown sugar, ginger, optional lemons (juice them first and then add them to the broth as well) and cream of tartar.
Cook for another 5 minutes.
2. Remove the pot from the heat and place it (with the lid closed) in icy water. Change the icy water two or three times until the beer is lukewarm (about 21°C).
3. Strain into a fermenter (bottle, pot, or whatever you exploit), add yeast (wild or commercial), and place an airlock (or neat towel) on top.
4. Ferment for 7 days. Start the countdown when fermentation is dynamic (this may take 2 to 3 days for a wild yeast starter), then bottle.
I don’t exploit any powdered sugar. Fermentation is dynamic, so I like to exploit a recycled plastic soda bottle to monitor excess carbon dioxide and release it if necessary by slowly opening the lid. Beer should be drunk youthful, usually after 7-10 days.