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Changing sugar to honey in wine recipe

16K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  the kid 
#1 ·
I found a real simple dandelion wine recipe that calls for 6 cups of sugar. I would rather use honey instead, how much honey should I use? Will it work? Thanks

Dandelion Wine
Dandelion wine does not require any special equipment to make. Just dandelions, some sugar and yeast, oranges and lemons, and pots to boil water in. This recipe uses cloves, which I think give it a nice touch. If you have dandelions around, give it a try!

•1 package dried yeast
•1/4 cup warm water
•2 quarts dandelion blossoms
•4 quarts water
•1 cup orange juice
•3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
•3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
•8 whole cloves
•1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
•3 tablespoons coarsely chopped orange peel
•1 tablespoon coarsely chopped lemon peel
•6 cups sugar
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Set aside. Wash the dandelion blossoms well. Put them in the water with the orange, lemon and lime juices. Add the cloves, ginger, orange and lemon peel, and sugar. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for an hour. Strain through filter paper (coffee filters work great). Cool. While still warm (but not hot), stir in the yeast. Let stand overnight and pour into bottles. Allow uncorked bottles to set in a darkened place for three weeks. Then cork and store bottles in a cool place. Makes about 4 quarts
 
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#4 ·
Sugar is listed in most brewing extract tables as yielding 45 points per pound per gallon (ppppg); meaning 1 pound of sugar disolved in 1 gallon of water yields a SG of 1.045. Honey is listed as 35 ppppg. So if a recipe calls for sugar and you want to use honey instead, multiply the weight of sugar by 1.29 (45/35) and you will get the weight of honey that you need.

In your case since the recipe calls for 6 cups of sugar, you will have to weight 6 cups of sugar and go from there. You cant do the calculation by volume (well actually you can, but it's too much work for me right now).
 
#5 ·
It would be a straight up waste of good honey to put it in Dandelion Wine. However yes it will work. Weigh out your sugar and use the same weight of honey + 18% more honey to compensate for the water in it. Last time I had some Dandelion wine it tasted too acidic. I dumped that crap out!
 
#6 ·
this might help

SUGAR NOTES

2 oz. (4 TBSP) sugar raises 1 gallon's s.g. by .005
1 cup sugar raises 1 gallon's s.g. by .020
5 cups raises 5 gallons' s.g. by .020
4# sugar = 9.44 cups
1# sugar = 2.36 cups
5# sugar = 11.8 cups
10# sugar = 23.6 cups

If wine is at 1.000 s.g., 8 TBSP (half cup) sugar per gallon should taste sweet (to me)

1# sugar in 5 gallons liquid will raise Potential Alcohol 1%

Sweetness:
1# sugar = 3 cups corn sugar
4# sugar = 5# honey
3# sugar = 5# raisins
1# sugar = 20 oz. grape concentrate
 
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