DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[LoneStarLori]

Mah first batch!

This one is just a mini batch to start with. I used 1/5th of all the ingredients (tannin, nutrients, etc.) but I used cara cara orange juice instead of lemon juice and I ~doubled the berries (40 oz of quad berry).

I will do a bigger batch once I get my 3 gallon carboy free.

-David

OMG,, ain't she purdy? I can smell it from here.
That should be a great combination of flavors.

 

[Winenoob66]

Everyone keeps saying how good DB smells as it is fermenting but I am at 1.024 now on day 4 and still all I smell is yeast mostly, with a berry background. And the Alc of course. I get the fizzies when I stir it. lol i left all the ingred the same but I cut it down to a 5.5 gal batch. ( Only have a 6.5 gal primary container.)

 

[barbl72]

Just spent the past few hours going over this thread. I will start my first DB on Sunday and can't wait! I can only find triple berry blend of blueberry, raspberry and strawberry and am worried about the strawberries disintegrating. FYI Dave, I was born in Chillicothe and graduated from CHS... small world!

 

[jamesngalveston]

if they are not frozen, freeze them, the thaw we u get ready to start the db..freezing actually helps break them down in the ferment..
good luck....i think you will love the way db taste and looks...most that make it love it..

 

[StoneCreek]

Just spent the past few hours going over this thread. I will start my first DB on Sunday and can't wait! I can only find triple berry blend of blueberry, raspberry and strawberry and am worried about the strawberries disintegrating. FYI Dave, I was born in Chillicothe and graduated from CHS... small world!

Your fruit will disappear. It is recommended that you use a fine nylon mesh bag for your fruit. All that was left of mine was a hand full of strawberry and blackberry seeds along with a few blueberry skins that didn't beak down.

 

[Elmer]

if they are not frozen, freeze them, the thaw we u get ready to start the db..freezing actually helps break them down in the ferment..
good luck....i think you will love the way db taste and looks...most that make it love it..

I tend to add them frozen.
Out of the freezer, weigh, wash, rinse
bag it -tag -it sell it to the butcher in the store!

I use a brew belt and heavy blankets and let sit for a day.
usually works!

 

[dangerdave]

You guys and gals are all doing great! I firmly agree with all of the excellent advice given by our resident DB experts. What a great goup!

barbl72: I was born and raised in and around Chillicothe. I have worked for the Chillicothe fire department for 27 years. Graduated from ZT in '81. Man, I'm getting old!

 

[twoyappydawgsbrewery]

I have a quick question, which may have been answered within the 25 pages already, forgive me. When starting everything, but before pitching yeast, I noticed in the directions that there were no camden tablets used. Did I overlook something or should I or not use about 5 crushed & dissolved tablets 12-24 hours before pitching yeast?

Thanks,

 

[dangerdave]

Welcome to the forum, two-dawgs! <pardon my laughter, it's an old joke> Anyways, yes, that's been answered, like, a million times. One more time never hurts!

If you are using bagged frozen fruit from the store, no sulfite is required in the must. Fresh picked fruit is another matter.

 

[Winenoob66]

Hi yesterday I checked my SG and got a 1.024, today I pulled out the fruit and squeezed it dry like I have done everyday and gave the must a much gentler stir being I know the sg is getting very low (careful not to introduce oxygen into it today) and when I took the SG it is at 1.000 so I discarded fruit. But I did not rack to secondary being I had stirred it tomorrow I will do the secondary racking.

But my question is this I had copied the recipe down awhile back and now I notice the Potasium Metabisulphie is now dropped to 1/4 tsp per 6 gall batch from 1tsp. As I am using camden tables does that mean instead of using 1 per gallon I just use 1 period ?

 

[dangerdave]

That was a clerical error on my part. Just use one. The current verion also has some minor proceedural changes, I believe. Good luck! You're almost there!

 

[barbl72]

Happy Girl Here! I have 6 gallons of Pinot Noir to bottle next Sunday, started 6 gallons of Dragon Blood today, two gallons of Dandelion almost ready and one gallon plus almost a bottle of Black Raspberry. Little Ole' Wine Makin' Me!
The Dragons Blood looks and smells great! Thanks for everyone's input on this thread - it helps me in my new obsession!

 

[keahunter]

This may be a silly question but, I have a batch of DB that has been clearing for a week. I did what I thought was a thorough job degassing but still notice a slight ring of bubbles around the top of the carboy. My question, when I rack to the next carboy to backsweeten, is it ok to degass again?

 

[jamesngalveston]

yes....
how are you degassing...vacuum pump, drill, etc.

 

[keahunter]

I degassed with the drill

 

[jamesngalveston]

you can degass up until you want to bottle...at least I do.
not advising just saying

 

[PoppaCork]

DB, Mango variation questions.

We were at Jungle Jim's last weekend and I found that they have frozen mango chunks,(from Mexico) so I bought 15 lbs. There is no visible juice in the bags.(the bag says some juice will appear as fruit melts)

I was going to follow the DB recipe and use only mangos.(and a couple banana's)

1) Do you think this will be enough fruit for a 6 - gallon batch?(at ~ 15% abv) Or do I need more fruit, or some concentrated juice to add?

2) I always use 3 tsp. of acid blend instead of Real Lemon. Should this be enough?

3) Because this is my first light colored wine,(other that a kit) any other suggestions/tweaks/considerations?

I searched the forum but could only find mango's used in conjunction with other fruits using the DB method.

I am very pleased with the Triple Berry and the Blueberry I have made, both are great!

 

[LoneStarLori]

I have come to the conclusion that mine re-started fermenting after I back sweetened. After being un bottled for almost two weeks, I am still dropping sediment. I must have back sweetened more than I thought because the SG is slowly dropping. Today it's down to .106. Down from 1.08 last week. I will say that the flavor is much better to me. It now smells and taste like berries. I don't know if it's because it has aged about 3 months now, or if it is just finishing up. I'm going to let it do it's thing as long as it wants and even though it will be drier than I was among for, it's going to taste better to me.
As long as it's ready by beach season in May, that works for me.

 

[oreoman]

I am going to make my first batch. Do I stick with basic or double the fruit? I want flavor. Also is there a forum of just the DB recipe variations with not a lot of other talking? Did find and read through several different forums in the DB. Excited to start.

 

[jamesngalveston]

Poppacork....mango is very light on flavor...did two batches last year.
that is mango db...one 6 gallon was made with 50 lbs which was very good, the other was a 3 gallon using 30 lbs..it was better.