DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[Ctmaro]

I've been thinking of doing one of these myself. Did you have to fortify it with sugar, or was the original SP high enough?

Do you think it would have worked out better if you had doubled up on the orange juice?

I followed the original recipe for sweetening it.

I'm finding when using orange juice to ferment it's usally a neutral type of spirit.

I don't think increasing the amount of OJ will make any difference. I saw on Shark Tank where a company was using OJ wine for the base of flavored wines. They said its de the perfect base because it was so neutral.

I would concentrate on the lemon, lime, and grapefruit favors.

Mark

 

[maurtis]

I followed the original recipe for sweetening it.

I'm finding when using orange juice to ferment it's usally a neutral type of spirit.

I don't think increasing the amount of OJ will make any difference. I saw on Shark Tank where a company was using OJ wine for the base of flavored wines. They said its de the perfect base because it was so neutral.

I would concentrate on the lemon, lime, and grapefruit favors.

Mark

A lot of the cheap fortified wines are citrus wines. Probably a lot cheaper to make than grape wines.

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Anyone have a ballpark idea of how many calories and grams of carbs are in a 5 oz. glass of typical Dragon Blood? I have estimated that backsweetening with 4 cups of sugar would give you just under 6 grams of carbs and 24 calories right there....if I've calculated right. But what about the dry wine before adding sugar? Thanks!

 

[winotut]

Anyone have a ballpark idea of how many calories and grams of carbs are in a 5 oz. glass of typical Dragon Blood? I have estimated that backsweetening with 4 cups of sugar would give you just under 6 grams of carbs and 24 calories right there....if I've calculated right. But what about the dry wine before adding sugar? Thanks!

As a guess, a 5 oz. glass of this has about a yummy number of carbs. Simply yummy, I'd guess. I'm no nutritionist but I'm pretty sure that's close.

 

[Ants_Elixirs]

I followed the original recipe for sweetening it.

I'm finding when using orange juice to ferment it's usally a neutral type of spirit.

I don't think increasing the amount of OJ will make any difference. I saw on Shark Tank where a company was using OJ wine for the base of flavored wines. They said its de the perfect base because it was so neutral.

I would concentrate on the lemon, lime, and grapefruit favors.

Mark

Thanks for the info Mark. Good to know. Having never used oranges before, I wasn't aware the fermented out so tasteless. But, on the other hand, I can see where they would be useful when wanting to make a "delicate" flavored wine using a neutral base.

 

[Ctmaro]

Thanks for the info Mark. Good to know. Having never used oranges before, I wasn't aware the fermented out so tasteless. But, on the other hand, I can see where they would be useful when wanting to make a "delicate" flavored wine using a neutral base.

I once made a straight orange wine. Ended up using it to top off all the other wines I made with it.

Now if you wanted to make some "Crazy Cool-Aide," this would be the best base for that!

MARK

 

[indolent]

Anyone have a ballpark idea of how many calories and grams of carbs are in a 5 oz. glass of typical Dragon Blood? I have estimated that backsweetening with 4 cups of sugar would give you just under 6 grams of carbs and 24 calories right there....if I've calculated right. But what about the dry wine before adding sugar? Thanks!

I'm diabetic so I pay pretty close attention to the carbs. I have mostly made apfelwein and variants of that, but have just recently finished my first batch of dragon blood as well.

I ferment my apfelwein completely dry and do no back sweetening. I have found that the amount of carbs, if any, are negligible. I can drink many glasses without any effect on my blood sugar. I have found that this correlates well with pretty much all commercial and homemade dry wines.

I don't know much about the calories, but the link I put below says a 6 oz. glass of dry wine with 15% alcohol has about 175 calories. The calories mainly come from the alcohol, so a lower alcohol dry wine will have slightly less.

Here are a couple links that provide some good info:
http://winefolly.com/update/carbs-in-wine/
http://winefolly.com/update/calories-in-wine/

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

I'm diabetic so I pay pretty close attention to the carbs. I have mostly made apfelwein and variants of that, but have just recently finished my first batch of dragon blood as well.

I ferment my apfelwein completely dry and do no back sweetening. I have found that the amount of carbs, if any, are negligible. I can drink many glasses without any effect on my blood sugar. I have found that this correlates well with pretty much all commercial and homemade dry wines.

I don't know much about the calories, but the link I put below says a 6 oz. glass of dry wine with 15% alcohol has about 175 calories. The calories mainly come from the alcohol, so a lower alcohol dry wine will have slightly less.

Here are a couple links that provide some good info:
http://winefolly.com/update/carbs-in-wine/
http://winefolly.com/update/calories-in-wine/

Thank you very much for sharing that information. I have recently been diagnosed with insulin resistance and so am trying to limit my carbs but still budget in my nightly glass of Dragon Blood. If a dry wine has little effect on your blood sugar, that definitely gives me a place to start in determining the carbs in my backsweetened varieties.

Thanks again!

 

[indolent]

If a dry wine has little effect on your blood sugar, that definitely gives me a place to start in determining the carbs in my backsweetened varieties.

Thanks again!

No Problem.

For my Dragon Blood, the only carbs I count are what I calculated from back sweetening. With 4 cups, I've calculated just over 1g of carbs per ounce, so your number sounds pretty close.

I've seen a few comments about backsweetening with splenda but haven't tried it yet. I may split off a couple gallons from my next batch and try splenda and maybe a half sugar/half splenda batch.

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

No Problem.

For my Dragon Blood, the only carbs I count are what I calculated from back sweetening. With 4 cups, I've calculated just over 1g of carbs per ounce, so your number sounds pretty close.

I've seen a few comments about backsweetening with splenda but haven't tried it yet. I may split off a couple gallons from my next batch and try splenda and maybe a half sugar/half splenda batch.

I've been contemplating this as well! I am actually going to try using monkfruit "sweetener" in an infused tequila that I make and normally add agave syrup to. I will try it for one of the 5th's and see how it turns out. It would be a little pricey to use that one for wine but Splenda or Truvia would be doable.

 

[Ctmaro]

I've been contemplating this as well! I am actually going to try using monkfruit "sweetener" in an infused tequila that I make and normally add agave syrup to. I will try it for one of the 5th's and see how it turns out. It would be a little pricey to use that one for wine but Splenda or Truvia would be doable.

Using Splenda to back sweeten is something I have thought of trying. We just don't nee the extra sugar!

I think I have read that some people said the wine had a slight after taste.

I have a small batch of "2nd DB" going and ready to sweeten this week; maybe I'll use Splenda and see how it tastes.

Mark

 

[willie]

A year ago I did research relating to back sweetening wine with a healthy 0 calorie sweetener. The only one I have found to be a healthy alternative to sugar is Stevia/Truvia. I have not yet experimented with these sweeteners yet mostly because my main squeeze and I don't as yet have a suger problem. Why I don't know cause almost all processed food is infused with High Fructose Corn Syrup.
I will keep looking to make a healthier wine.

Will

 

[Fan3car]

Clarification of instructions

Good day all and thank you for this forum.

I started a batch of DB two days ago and I'm ready to pitch my yeast today. I have a question on covering the fermentor after "Step 2". Should I continue to only cover it with a towel or should I actually snap the lid down and put on an airlock?

Thank you in advance and I'll also apologize in advance if it's already been answered in one of the previous 318 pages of posts, many of which I read but not all of them.

Glenn

 

[jumby]

Good day all and thank you for this forum.

I started a batch of DB two days ago and I'm ready to pitch my yeast today. I have a question on covering the fermentor after "Step 2". Should I continue to only cover it with a towel or should I actually snap the lid down and put on an airlock?

Thank you in advance and I'll also apologize in advance if it's already been answered in one of the previous 318 pages of posts, many of which I read but not all of them.

Glenn

I lay the lid on top of my fermentation bucket and cover with a towel the entire time it's in the fermenter. I never snap the lid down or use a airlock. I attach a airlock only after racking it to the carboy.

 

[willie]

After I put the yeast in the fermenter I just lay a towel over the top till it goes to dry at an SG reading of .990. the wine need lots of air and of course your stirring and squeezing the bag every day. Then I take the towel off and just lay the lid on and check the SG the next 2 days to make sure the SG stays at .990 then rack it. That's just the way I do it.

Will

 

[Fan3car]

Thank you for the answers. Yeast is pitched and I just peeked under the towel and I've got some foam going after only three hours. I brew beer and usually don't see krausen for a day or so. Not sure if krausen is the right term in wine making but it's getting foamy. I assume that is what it should be doing.

 

[wineinmd]

Thank you for the answers. Yeast is pitched and I just peeked under the towel and I've got some foam going after only three hours. I brew beer and usually don't see krausen for a day or so. Not sure if krausen is the right term in wine making but it's getting foamy. I assume that is what it should be doing.

Yep. You're good. I started out as a brewer as well, so the idea of not snapping down the lid at first was foreign to me. I've given it a shot on my second batch since that is what the experts recommend. I'd never seen the beginning of fermentation before, since I've never opened by brew bucket until at least 10 days had passed, but it made a thick, foamy "krausen" within 24 hours.

It definitely makes it easier to take gravity readings and add any additions. The lip on the bottom of my brew bucket is like a knife, so it's a nice change.

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

If anyone is interested, I have started a new thread detailing the results of my 0 calorie back sweetening experiments...http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=567868#post567868

 

[SwampDog35]

So let me get this right, You don't have to snap down the lid during the "Primary Fermentation Time"? Only after you put everything into the Secondary?

I've put the lid over the bucket with a towel draped over it. Is this okay?

Thanks

 

[Kraffty]

Correct SwampDog, no need to seal the primary. I'll sometimes have the SG drop low enough to rack but don't have time for a couple of days and in that instance I'd seal the bucket till you can rack.

Mike