DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[jamesngalveston]

chestnut since so many use sorbate I am not advising anything for you to do....But I do this.

I use redstar pasteur red yeast are premier curvee, both capable of 18& abv.
I start every wine at 1.110 are 1.120 and all go dry to .990.
When i rack the first time I add campden mixed with water to dissolve.
I then wait for it to get about 1/2 of sediment and rack again, and add super kleer.
after it is completely clear i add my sugar are back flavoring, i check after
addding and if needed i bring up the abv by adding a small amoount of spirits.

 

[jamesngalveston]

Lori, buy in bulk on amazon...its a lot cheaper...
PS: going to farm sunday and fertilize all the black berries...should be a bumper crop, this year....I hope you come get some. I am shooting for about 900 to 1000 lbs...hopefully./

 

[ckvchestnut]

Thanks for the info James it's nice to have more than a few options! It's a lot like cooking

That's a lot of blackberries! I'm jealous! Been wanting to plant those for years! I've just planted a huge amount of highbush cranberry and service berry can't wait to see how that will translate into winemaking!

 

[jamesngalveston]

I guess making wine is a lot like cooking, I am a very avid cook. I do a lot of research before jumping in both feet forward, sometimes backward depending on how much good whiskey i have had....
I have made crepes where you could see through them, and some like a tortillia...lol]
kfkfkfk happens.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Haha that's funny! Lol I love to cook anything goes - almost!

 

[jamesngalveston]

I am a big meat eater, but i love vegtables ..I guess i am a purist of sorts, I dont like anything canned,boxed are packaged, I buy meat in bulk and freeze, I but as much fresh as I can possibly get..I go to the grocery store every single day for my vegetables, potatoes, etc.
Might be the reason I dont like sorbate....Its not real....
I would rather have a banana with black spots then one that is gassed to death, I would rather have a real egg, then a liquid one that is bombarded with sorbate...

 

[jamesngalveston]

where you from chestnut

 

[ckvchestnut]

Wow you just labelled me to a t! Would rather not have to put a lot of junk in my wine but we need to have safe wine I guess so the k meta is important if I'm giving it away or it has to sit or awhile! We try to grow most of our own food, and what we can't produce ourselves we get locally - as in just down the road or in out back yard so to speak!

I'm up in eastern Ontario about an hour west of Ottawa... It's frigid here! I was reading another thread about weather in various parts off the US affecting grapes. I guess the odd thing that comes your way like freaky low temps and high winds could wreak havoc on some types. But our grapes and our muscadines live through practically anything that comes our way. I had a lot of other plants that I had to severely prune last summer due to severe winter kill from last winter... But all the grapes were happy! We've had -39 to -40c weather for more than a few days at a time and high winds! Ugh I much prefer spring and summer - even fall! But... This is a good time to be making wine! It's an indoor thing!

 

[jamesngalveston]

I think a lot of native plants can survive brutal cold, and brutal heat..as long as there is water...
I live in Galveston,texas, on the gulf coast, where the low temp is around 42 on the average, and high like 90 to 99 in summer which is from may to september.
I have about 1/2 acre planted every year...i grow my own tomatoes,cucumbers,peppers,melons,blackberries,mulberries,muscadines,mustang grapes, corn,herbs,turnip greens,spinach,cabbage,brocoli,okra,oninons.
I love it, I grew up with my mom that had a cafe in new orleans and a garden in the back...go figure...im just like her...thank goodness.

 

[ckvchestnut]

That's awesome James! You've got quite the list there! For me it was the opposite! My dad had a huge garden and a green thumb to boot. Everything my mother touched died sadly

Ya we were getting some extreme highs that we weren't used to and a nasty drought the summer before last... Plants weren't happy with that! We raise our own meat and egg chickens, and the so many types of veggies as well! Broccoli, tomatoes (too many types to name), rhubarb, onions, carrots, corn, cilantro, celery, garlic, beets, lettuce, turnips, beans, cucumbers, asparagus, peas and other legumes, Jerusalem artichokes, squash and pumpkins not to mention all the fruit out here. Let's see: elderberries, raspberries, apples and crab apples, black raspberries blueberries, cranberry and service berry now. Would like to plant blackberries and cherries, perhaps plums I had a lovely plum tree at my last place that produced nice sweet fruit... I'm thinking of getting into more varietal types of grapes that can withstand our climate.... Have to research again more on my sourcing.

We have 50 acres here of untouched land, we harvest wild strawberries and fiddle heads when we have the time as well... Oh also have a large supply of butternuts here. I much prefer summer - more to do when I'm not at work or playing with the horses!

Carolyn

 

[LoneStarLori]

Lori, buy in bulk on amazon...its a lot cheaper...
PS: going to farm sunday and fertilize all the black berries...should be a bumper crop, this year....I hope you come get some. I am shooting for about 900 to 1000 lbs...hopefully./

I'm thinking this year should be really good for the berries. I can't remember when we have had this much 'winter" so early and for so long.
Count me in for sure!
I worked Featherfest for 3 years and April is a great time to be in Galveston. I love The Strand. The coolest Fiesta dinnerware shop on the planet is there.

 

[dangerdave]

My recipe thread has been overrun! No problem. Chat away, y'all!

 

[ckvchestnut]

Oops sorry Dave! My post was a wee bit off topic! I love that Dragon Blood though! Today it is bubbling like crazy and I have funny observation to make: even after just one batch of DB under my belt as soon as the DB concoction was in the fermenter and first day stirring this huge nostalgic memory of that yummy smell came over me! Like I had been making it for years but hadn't in awhile... Call me crazy. But it was like you know when you smell some awesome cooking or food that you have fond memories of as a child? I think this recipe will be sticking with me for good!

 

[dangerdave]

Interesting observation, Carolyn. I am invariably humbled by the love many have shown for this wine. My heart swells every time someone praises the recipe or posts a related story. But I never thought to ponder a kind of Dragon Blood philosophy, as you imply. I have made so much that I could make DB with my eyes closed, like finding my wifes lips in the dark. Every batch started is like a reunion with an old friend. Each bag is squeezed is like a charished handshake with a close acquaintance. So, your point is well made...with me anyway.

You may indeed be a little crazy, but all the best people are.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Haha! That's so true! What is this all about! I just want to go look and stir all the time but I don't of course! I'll be happy to be in the DB groove so to speak! I'm following the directions but I ended up taking it stronger and forgetting how the fruit will affect the OG! Lol so I brought it to 1.100 originally aiming for 1.095 but didn't care too much about accuracy and forgot about the fruit... So today SG is 1.110 but looking at your dragon port thread I'm wondering if this will turn out just fine and not like red rocket fuel jungle juice!

Will aim for a tad lower next batch unless one day I am inspired to try something like a dragon port

 

[dangerdave]

It's going to be a while before I see how the Dragon Port turns out. Three months between tastings and finish up next Fall. It's amazing how much patience I have learned. But I think you'll be fine with this one. James makes his potent all the time and drinks it like water. If you're not happy with it in the end, you can always crank out another batch (lower in ABV) and blend them. Then you'll have twice as much!

Groove on!

 

[kryptonitewine]

I made a batch at 1.11. No worries. Going down just as fast as the rest. ;-/

 

[LoneStarLori]

My daughter came for a visit this weekend, and while I was degassing my fizzy batch, she tasted it and with wide eyes said "This stuff is dangerous! It tastes like juice and goes down way to easy." Then she made a comment about how I said it was being made for the beach and we had better plan on sleeping on the sand if we take it. lol

 

[ckvchestnut]

Haha! Better bring some parasols Lori I'm sure DB at almost any strength would go down easily!! I'm one of those ppl who don't like to waste their time drinking water! "If I would have wanted water I would have asked for water!" I think that's from some old beer commercial lol

 

[jamesngalveston]

LOL, dave is correct it goes down like water...
To tell the truth if I would have never found the db recipe, i probably would not still be making wine, are drinking wine...
Lots of people think that DB is not really a wine, more of a wine cooler...
BUNK>...its just as much wine as a white,are red grape,and just as much wine as any kit...
I can not make enough to go around..
I have 10 gallons ready for mardi gras and about to start 3 6gallon batches for the summer.