DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[dcbrown73]

Last night I racked my DB into a new carboy. It was very clear (well, it got a bit hazy after racking it when I got down to the bottom. Hopefully that will clear up a bit.

Anyhow, I was back sweetening it and just pulled out a cup of the wine so I could sweeten that until I felt comfortable with the sweetness then do the math and sweeten the rest. Well, with one cup, I ended up adding seven teaspoons of sugar before I felt the wine wasn't harshly dry and acidic. If you do the math, that is way way way more than recommended by David's direction. (that is equal to 2.33 cups per gallon!)

I ended up just putting 3/4 cup of sugar per gallon (4.5 cups total or 2.25 teaspoons (vs 7!) per cup of wine) for the entire six gallons. It says "don't over sweeten the fruit will mix with the sugar and sweetness will come out", but I was a bit thrown off. Will the sweetness really come that much forward once the fruit flavors integrate with the sugar that was added? This is normal?

 

[sour_grapes]

It says "don't over sweeten the fruit will mix with the sugar and sweetness will come out", but I was a bit thrown off. Will the sweetness really come that much forward once the fruit flavors integrate with the sugar that was added? This is normal?

Table sugar (sucrose) can be split into two simpler sugars, fructose and glucose. That is what you do when you make simple syrup (aka "inverted sugar"). Fructose is much sweeter-tasting than sucrose. So, inverted sugar is sweeter than table sugar.

When you make simple sugar, you split the sucrose right away. However, sucrose will also split in an acidic solution, but it takes more time. I have no idea of how long it will take at room temperature, maybe a chemist can chime in. In summary, my hypothesis is that the sucrose you add to your DB will slowly split into its constituent parts and the sense of sweetness will increase. I do not know if this effect is responsible, but this is my hunch.

 

[dcbrown73]

Table sugar (sucrose) can be split into two simpler sugars, fructose and glucose. That is what you do when you make simple syrup (aka "inverted sugar"). Fructose is much sweeter-tasting than sucrose. So, inverted sugar is sweeter than table sugar.

When you make simple sugar, you split the sucrose right away. However, sucrose will also split in an acidic solution, but it takes more time. I have no idea of how long it will take at room temperature, maybe a chemist can chime in. In summary, my hypothesis is that the sucrose you add to your DB will slowly split into its constituent parts and the sense of sweetness will increase. I do not know if this effect is responsible, but this is my hunch.

Hmm. If I made simple syrup in the future for back sweetening, I'm guessing the water in the mixture isn't an issue for volume reasons (unless it overflows the carboy I suppose)

Secondly, is a cup of simple syrup equal to a cup of table sugar?

 

[sour_grapes]

Hmm. If I made simple syrup in the future for back sweetening, I'm guessing the water in the mixture isn't an issue for volume reasons (unless it overflows the carboy I suppose)

Secondly, is a cup of simple syrup equal to a cup of table sugar?

Close, but not quite. Simple syrup is often made as one part (by volume) water, one part (by volume) sugar. Fermcalc says that this combination will wind up with 1.5 parts simple syrup. So 1 cup of syrup would contain the equivalent of about 2/3 of a cup of sugar.

 

[wineforfun]

it'll be limeade, I like the flavor profile better.

my thoughts were to chop up the dried cherries in cherry juice and let them rehydrate a bit before the yeast is pitched.

I will let you all know how it comes out!

I have a cherry limeade recipe that is alot less work and time consuming, if that is what you are looking.
Basically ferment Real Lemon (added in beginning) and Real Lime (added around 1.020) and when it is fermented dry and cleared (usually 3 weeks total), then rack onto whatever Old Orchard flavor you like, ie: cherry, strawberry/kiwi, blueberry/pomegranate, mango/passionfruit, etc.

 

[MrsJones]

Back Sweetened my strawberry/mango/peach w/ lime & coconut - and it's a-M-a-zing!! I did six cups sugar because this one is mostly for my mom who didn't find my original sweet enough @4.5 cups.

Cheers!



Looking forward to bottling next weekend!!

 

[Tnuscan]

Back Sweetened my strawberry/mango/peach w/ lime & coconut - and it's a-M-a-zing!! I did six cups sugar because this one is mostly for my mom who didn't find my original sweet enough @4.5 cups.

Cheers!

View attachment 29076

Looking forward to bottling next weekend!!

I've really been looking forward to this post!!

Did the coconut flavor really come through like you were hopping it would?

 

[MrsJones]

I've really been looking forward to this post!!



Did the coconut flavor really come through like you were hopping it would?

I couldn't taste it separate from the other flavours yet, but then I don't know how it would be without. I think next time I would do even more coconut now that I know the ferment was successful. I would say the same for the lime. I can't taste it separately but the flavour overall is so good. My mom was super surprised with how much she liked it.

 

[Jericurl]

Well, that's my next DB variation sorted.

 

[dcbrown73]

Question.

On Wednesday, my DB was clear and I racked it. Once it got to the bottom I might have got some of the cruft off the bottom and the DB hazed up again, but most of it was left in the original carboy. Of course, this happen with my chardonnay, but it was clear again the next day.

Once it was racked, I back sweetened it with 4.5 cups of sugar as noted in the directions and used the degassing wipe to mix the sugar in. All went well. It's been two days since and it doesn't appear to be clearing at all. It's still quite hazy. As hazy as it was after I finished mixing in the sugar on Wednesday.

Do I need to add more sparkloid? Or a different fining agent? I know two days isn't long, and I'm using sparkloid from which I've read is a bit slower than some of the other options. Opinions? Just wait it out longer?

 

[Tnuscan]

I couldn't taste it separate from the other flavours yet, but then I don't know how it would be without. I think next time I would do even more coconut now that I know the ferment was successful. I would say the same for the lime. I can't taste it separately but the flavour overall is so good. My mom was super surprised with how much she liked it.

A homemade wine with hints of coconut, Oh Yeah... it's been on my mind almost every day. Need to get a few more out of the way and get going on this one soon.

 

[dcbrown73]

Question.

On Wednesday, my DB was clear and I racked it. Once it got to the bottom I might have got some of the cruft off the bottom and the DB hazed up again, but most of it was left in the original carboy. Of course, this happen with my chardonnay, but it was clear again the next day.

Once it was racked, I back sweetened it with 4.5 cups of sugar as noted in the directions and used the degassing wipe to mix the sugar in. All went well. It's been two days since and it doesn't appear to be clearing at all. It's still quite hazy. As hazy as it was after I finished mixing in the sugar on Wednesday.

Do I need to add more sparkloid? Or a different fining agent? I know two days isn't long, and I'm using sparkloid from which I've read is a bit slower than some of the other options. Opinions? Just wait it out longer?

Sorry, I'm a bit impatient and I'm going into the city tonight and was hoping to address this before I go if I need to add more fining agents. I think if I do, it will be the Super Kleer though.

...or should I just try to wait it out. It definitely doesn't appear to be clearing. The hazy is exactly the same as it was Wednesday night.

 

[dcbrown73]

I went a head and added the Super Kleer and it looks like that is doing the trick. I was just worried about the impact of using two different fining agents on the wine would be.

 

[dcbrown73]

I'm getting excited about this. When I first back sweetened it, it was still quite bitter, but the sweetness is starting to come forward a bit. Still more bitter than I want, but I will keep my patient with it and wait for it. Adding the Super Kleer definitely went to work on the hazy that appeared after I racked it. I was / am a bit worried since I added two different clearing agents. (Sparkloid and then Super-Kleer) Not much I can do now except wait and see.

 

[Winenoob66]

Using 2 different clearing agents will be fine

 

[mnwc2004]

Started my very first batch of DB on Sunday. I followed the recipe exactly and used 6 pounds of fruit. Now after reading 45 pages of this thread I'm thinking I should have used more fruit. I'm looking for A LOT of fruit flavor. What can I do? It's been in the primary 3 days now. Starting SG was 1.075 Sunday. Today is Wednesday and SG is 1.055.does this seem slow? Any help or opinions are appreciated.

 

[dcbrown73]

Started my very first batch of DB on Sunday. I followed the recipe exactly and used 6 pounds of fruit. Now after reading 45 pages of this thread I'm thinking I should have used more fruit. I'm looking for A LOT of fruit flavor. What can I do? It's been in the primary 3 days now. Starting SG was 1.075 Sunday. Today is Wednesday and SG is 1.055.does this seem slow? Any help or opinions are appreciated.

I used the six pounds of fruit, though mine was a mix of blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries and it has plenty of fruit flavor.

I would recommend just following the directions, then learn from there.

 

[sour_grapes]

If you decide that you want to add more fruit, it is not too late at this point to do so.

Your SG progression seems fine -- don't worry about that.

 

[mnwc2004]

Thank you! I was wondering if it was too late to add more fruit, so it's good to know its not too late. I've also read that the wine could sit on fruit later in the process as well. I think Dave used blueberries, is this just preference or because other berries would disintegrate and cloud the wine?

 

[willie]

Started my very first batch of DB on Sunday. I followed the recipe exactly and used 6 pounds of fruit. Now after reading 45 pages of this thread I'm thinking I should have used more fruit. I'm looking for A LOT of fruit flavor. What can I do? It's been in the primary 3 days now. Starting SG was 1.075 Sunday. Today is Wednesday and SG is 1.055.does this seem slow? Any help or opinions are appreciated.

We like the using the 6lb. and 7.5lb. Wyman Triple Berry the best. At present we are drinking a 9lb. batch and we don't like it as well. But that's just us. The Dragon Blood process is just fantastic. I've been playing around with it for 2 yrs. now. The Dragon Blood Thread is a great read from beginning to end.

Will