# Dragon blood



## Phador (Mar 20, 2013)

I began putting together the dragon blood mix found on these forums, and I added some strawberry to the mix. When first putting it all together it was this beautiful red color, after adding the proper amount of campden tabs I walked away. Came back about 5 min later and the color seems to have gone to a haze...is this from the dissolved campden or perhaps the strawberry I added. I also didn't add the Pectin yet as I read it was best to let the yeast nutrient/energizer sit for awhile first. Will that beautiful color resurface or did I do a bad thing?


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## Pumpkinman (Mar 21, 2013)

The color will be amazing! If you can filter it after it has fermented and aged, it will be an amazing color!!!


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## dangerdave (Mar 21, 2013)

Tom is right! It might look funny, smell bad, or even taste funky along the way, but in the end, it will be great!


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## Phador (Mar 21, 2013)

Thanks for sharing your recipe! Can't wait to try it. From what I described it seems correct then?


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## Boatboy24 (Mar 21, 2013)

Phador said:


> From what I described it seems correct then?



Yep.


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## dangerdave (Mar 22, 2013)

Ditto!


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## TommBomb (May 13, 2013)

Hey dangerdave, or others, I started the dragons blood recipe today and all is great except i didnt realize i didnt pick up tannin, as the recipe requests. Is it ok in your opinion's to add the tannin a few days after the yeast has been added? Im in the city on wednesday (two days from now) and was hoping to add it then. What do you guys think?


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## Pumpkinman (May 14, 2013)

Yes, you will be fine, I've even adjusted a batch adding tannin after fermentation was complete. 

The beauty of the dragon blood recipe is that it is almost "fool proof", and you when you make a few batches, and trust me, you will make more than one batch...lol, you will start to adjust it to your tastes, maybe adding more tannin, or oak (I think medium toast oak spiral give it an amazing taste), or even more, maybe even less sugar or honey when back sweetening.

My mother is staying with us, and she prefers a sweeter wine, so I've just finished a batch that I've made a bit sweeter, life is too short to not think outside of the box every now and then....lol

This is the perfect batch of berry wine to make, it is fairly simple, Dave's recipe is a step by step recipe, very easy to follow, the wine is complete in a very short time frame, and who doesn't like a nice lite berry wine?

Just remember a fer things:


The wine will become tart when it is fermented, don't be alarmed, it is normal, the yeast will have converted the sugar into alcohol, this is why we back sweeten it.
When back sweetening, if using honey, it will give the wine more body and a unique flavor, but it will have to age a bit longer.
I would start by back sweetening to 1.005, or 1.010 and tasting it, it might be better to let it sit for a few days and tasting it again before sweetening much more than that, the taste will improve and the sugars will need a few days to "marry" into the wine.
Don't be surprised if the wine gets cloudy after back sweetening, it is normal, it will clear up.
I've made batches as sweet as 1.020, it's really up to you and who you will be sharing it with, if you give it a month or two, you will be pleasantly surprised.
And last but not least, if you have a way of degassing (I love my All in One), it will help the whole aging time, wines have a more mellow, almost aged character to them when degassed, high levels of CO2 can give wine a tart, or green taste.


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## TommBomb (May 14, 2013)

Thanks Dave, one more question for you. How long do you let these beauties age?


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## wineforfun (May 14, 2013)

The wine is drinkable right away but I usually wait a few months for optimum taste. Normally we drink some at the 1 month and 3-4 month mark. It is noticeably different (in a good way) with each month that goes by.


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## dangerdave (May 15, 2013)

I can see my fellow DB makers have kept up on the questions while I was vacationing. You guys are great! I am still constantly amazed at how much people really like this recipe. As always, I am humbled. I require no credit, but the constant feedback is heart-warming. My great inspiration was none other than Lon DePoppe and his original lemon Skeeter Pee Recipe; the canvas on which the Dragon Blood was painted. Take the recipe, tweak it to your taste, give it a catchy name, and make it your own. We're all in this winemaking thing togther!

If I haven't said it recently, I say it now, "Thanks, Lon!"


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