DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[Johnd]

Has anyone upped the sugar to have a higher alcohol content say 11 12 percent? Just wondering how it turned out. I just started a 3 gallon batch and added about 12 cups sugar to get a sg a bit below 1.080 (after all fruit and juice added) which should give me about a little over 10% alcohol. Was thinking of upping the sg a bit....

Mine are all above 12%, and I triple the fruit. Big hit on a hot summer day with an ice cube or two in it.

 

[Stevelaz]

Mine are all above 12%, and I triple the fruit. Big hit on a hot summer day with an ice cube or two in it.

Do you remember how much sugar you added to get to that? Sg would have to be at 1.095 to be a bit over 12%. I am at 1.080 and i added about 13 cups sugar already for just a 3 gallon batch.

 

[Johnd]

Do you remember how much sugar you added to get to that? Sg would have to be at 1.095 to be a bit over 12%. I am at 1.080 and i added about 13 cups sugar already for just a 3 gallon batch.

No, I do not, but according to fermcalc, you need 1.17 lbs sugar to raise the sg of 3 gallons of must from 1.080 to 1.095.....

 

[Stevelaz]

Ok. Thanks.

Wow! I opened a bottle yesterday evening and it was very good! Much better that last month when i bottled! Still a little sweeter than i would have liked but still very good! Il be a little more careful when i back sweeten the next batch.

Double Wow!! I tried the "Dragon tini" that jb recommended in a previous post. Excellent!! I used vodka and first did an equal mix, 3 shots vodka to 3 shots of DB. I found that to be very good but a little much on the vodka. I then added another shot or so of the DB and that did it for me! Excellent! Great recommendation JB!!!

 

[Stevelaz]

I started a new 3 gallon batch of dragon blood following the Dragonette recipe. I wanted to try a bit more alcohol percent so i got the sg up to about 1.090. After sitting a day i pitched the yeast yesterday about noon and by 5 pm it was already slightly fermenting and by 9:30 pm it had some real good foaming action going! I was a bit surprised because i decided to try the ferment at a lower temp to see if it comes out smoother. The starting temp was 70 degrees.

This morning when i stirred and pressed the fruit the temp was about 68-69 and the sg was at about 1.086-88.

Has anyone else done the fermentation at a lower temp? How was the results?

 

[eurobug]

Hi everyone,
After reading through most of the thread (yeah it took me some days), I decided to make a DB as well. I would like to give a short report here, so others might not make the same mistakes, or can learn from it. Thanks for all the information and the nice community you have going!
As I live in Belgium, I had to do with some modifications in the ingredients. Also, because I had some misfortunes with earlier wines and meads, I was pretty paranoid about underfeeding the yeasties (you should have smelled the rhino farts from our last mead, the whole house stinked, not just the basement...).

- 1.25 liter realemon (Well, what passes for it at least over here, the name is the same, but it is made locally).
- 5 kilo sugar
- 2 kilo mixed frozen berries (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, redcurrant) and 1 kilo raspberries.
- 2 banana's, chopped, cooked in some water, and a tbsp of bread yeast added. Cooked for 15 minutes, and added the liquid. This is supposed to be a good yeast food.
- 1 liter of white grape juice, with which I started the yeast one day beforehand.

Kinda threw it all together in a 6.5 gallon carboy through a funnel (no squeezing bag or anything, just dropped the loose fruit in), and filled to two third. Added 4 gram pectinase, 15 gram nutrient, and 4 gram tannin. Waited 24 hours, and added the yeast starter (bioferm champagne yeast added to white grape juice). Filled bottle to 4 inch below opening. Initial gravity 1.110
First activity noted after 7 hours (small bubbles forming). SG 1.10
After 24 hours, stirred with long stick, a lot of gas in solution, active bubbling, slight smell of sulphur dioxide. Added 10 gram DAP and 8 gram energizer. SG 1.08
After 36 hours, insane activity. Large water lock sputtering, going phfrrlurlublulub, at 220 blubs per minute. Removed some liquid due to overflowing (foamed up into water lock). Thick layer of berries on top, with pink foaming and large bubbles fizzing through this layer everywhere. The liquid itself seems like boiling. SG impossible to measure.
After 2.5 days, SG 1.03. Degassed by stirring
After 3.5 days, SG 1.014, degassed.
After 4.5 days, SG 1.00, but difficult to measure. The fruit seems to have dissolved mostly, little seeds everywhere, stuffing the wine thief. Only the husks from the redcurrants are still clearly visible in a layer on top, but now transparent.
After 6 days. No activity whatsoever. 0 blubs per minute. No more foaming. Tried to rack with racking cane in a pantyhose. Bad idea, didn't work. Then moved pantyhose to the receiving end of the racking tube, this worked much better and filtered out all the pits and seeds (note to self: buy SWMBO new pantyhose). Sulfited and sorbated. Put the carboy outside in a blanket, with temperatures close to freezing all day and night.
4 days later (day 10), racked again due to thick layer of sediment. They don't sell sparkolloid or superkleer over here, so I added 30 grams of bentonite to try and clear, and 600 gram sugar to backsweeten. Still outside, freezing temps (25F at night, 35F over day). At this alcohol level (14% ABV), it shouldn't freeze above 20F
Left it there for 3 weeks. Still very murky, not clear at all. Acquired a vacuum installation, and vacuum degassed (20 inch Hg for 30 min). Had a major brainfart and added 600 gram sugar again to backsweeten. Lesson learned: always check notes before handling wine, especially when drinking wine at the same time.
1 week later, nothing changed. Research learned that superkleer = kiezelsol + chitosan, which is sold here under different names. Bought Super Klar AB, which should be the same. Put the carboy back inside and used according to instructions. White flocks observed within 1 hour of adding the second component, after 12 hours a thick layer of white fluffy sediment formed, and it is starting to become clear.
After 3 days it is super "kleer", as promised. Red-purplish color, more purple than in most of the pictures I see of DB. This is today. Gonna leave it for one more week, rack off the fluffy stuff, and bottle.

I already tasted one glass of it. Tastes like a sweet-tart, very alcoholic, beverage made from berry pie filling, close in taste to cherry or berry "jenever" (hmmm maybe I'll try to add some juniper berries next time). Good, but will have to grow on me. Buzzed after one tall glass though.

Any thoughts on a blueberry only or a raspberry only dragon blood? These are also easy to find here, frozen.

 

[Casper137]

mmmmmmm 8 days in the bucket and it's down to about 1.02 and I couldn't resist a taste.

HOLY SCHNIKEYS!! That's some yummy blood red goodness!

 

[Whitehrs]

mmmmmmm 8 days in the bucket and it's down to about 1.02 and I couldn't resist a taste.

HOLY SCHNIKEYS!! That's some yummy blood red goodness!

Wait a few months..

 

[wineforfun]

Has anyone upped the sugar to have a higher alcohol content say 11 12 percent? Just wondering how it turned out. I just started a 3 gallon batch and added about 12 cups sugar to get a sg a bit below 1.080 (after all fruit and juice added) which should give me about a little over 10% alcohol. Was thinking of upping the sg a bit....

Like Jumby, when I do make DB, I always make it 12.5 - 13%.

 

[Stevelaz]

Like Jumby, when I do make DB, I always make it 12.5 - 13%.

I wound up getting my starting sg to 1.090 which according to chart should give me 11.5 percent alcohol. I wonder if the fruit will up that a bit?

I was a bit nervous upping it anymore right now because i don't want it to be to hot where its not an easy drinker. Il see how this batch is and adjust next batch accordingly.

None the less its looking good! Day 3 and im at 1.070 and it smells great!

 

[wineforfun]

I wound up getting my starting sg to 1.090 which according to chart should give me 11.5 percent alcohol. I wonder if the fruit will up that a bit?

I was a bit nervous upping it anymore right now because i don't want it to be to hot where its not an easy drinker. Il see how this batch is and adjust next batch accordingly.

None the less its looking good! Day 3 and im at 1.070 and it smells great!

1.090 is good. If it runs dry to around .995, it will give you around 12.4% ABV. That won't be too hot. a couple/few months in the bottle and it will be like sipping a fruity wine cooler on steroids.

 

[Stevelaz]

1.090 is good. If it runs dry to around .995, it will give you around 12.4% ABV. That won't be too hot. a couple/few months in the bottle and it will be like sipping a fruity wine cooler on steroids.

Good! Im looking forward to trying this batch!

 

[JetJockey]

I usually shoot for ~ high 13s-14% and most people i give it to like it there, but I also up the fruit to 9# for 6 gal. Mine always finishes at 0.994-0.996.

 

[LJC]

Hey everyone,

My first batch of Dragons Blood is coming along nicely (I think), I just hit 1.000 SG and removed the fruit bags (I used two since one wasn't big enough for the 8lbs of berries), and I am curious as to what others fruit bags looks like after they come out of the primary. I have read some people saying there is nothing but seeds left, but in mine I noticed the skins were more so still in tact and still somewhat resembled a a squished blue berry. I am curious now if I may not have used enough pectic enzymes. If wish I took a picture before chucking them, but if I squished them all together tightly it would have been a bit more than a baseballs worth of berry remains, is this a normal amount?

The color and taste was great in my mind, so I am not too concerned, just thinking ahead for my next batch.

 

[Stevelaz]

LJC, I think thats normal. Im on my second batch and the fruit was like that in mine to the first time and is like that now.

 

[wineforfun]

Hey everyone,

My first batch of Dragons Blood is coming along nicely (I think), I just hit 1.000 SG and removed the fruit bags (I used two since one wasn't big enough for the 8lbs of berries), and I am curious as to what others fruit bags looks like after they come out of the primary. I have read some people saying there is nothing but seeds left, but in mine I noticed the skins were more so still in tact and still somewhat resembled a a squished blue berry. I am curious now if I may not have used enough pectic enzymes. If wish I took a picture before chucking them, but if I squished them all together tightly it would have been a bit more than a baseballs worth of berry remains, is this a normal amount?

The color and taste was great in my mind, so I am not too concerned, just thinking ahead for my next batch.

I always have some "fruit" left in mine. It is usually just mush by that time, similar to yours. As long as you are squeezing it daily, you will be just fine.

 

[Casper137]

Just curious if there can be any negative effects doing what I did.

Had it fermenting for at around 71 degrees for about 11 days.

When the batch hit just under 1.010 I put a heater close by for about 12 hours to finish it off quicker (didn't mean to get the batch up to 110 degrees but I did).

Within that 12 hours it dropped to .998

Should be good to rack ya? With no negative side effects?

 

[willie]

Just curious if there can be any negative effects doing what I did.

Had it fermenting for at around 71 degrees for about 11 days.

When the batch hit just under 1.010 I put a heater close by for about 12 hours to finish it off quicker (didn't mean to get the batch up to 110 degrees but I did).

Within that 12 hours it dropped to .998

Should be good to rack ya? With no negative side effects?

Well I would not rack it just yet. The 71 degree temp. was just fine. The lower ferment temp. will make your wine in the words of Danger Dave (A lower temp will produce a paler blush with more fruity aroma and a smoother taste.) Don't be in a hurry and if you haven't done it yet back off with the heater. Go back and read Dave's instructions and don't worry about what number the day is. Me personally I like to leave my wine in the fermenter till it goes dry and get the same reading for 2-3 days straight. Remember the lower the temp. the slower the ferment takes to go to dry.

Will

 

[Stevelaz]

I have been fermenting at a lower temp also, between 70 and 72 degrees. I want to see if in fact it does come out a bit smoother.

My ferment is coming along pretty good in my opinion. I'm at day 7 and my sg is at 1.008 today, the temp is at 72. Probably 2 more days until i lock the lid and airlock on to let it finish fermenting, maybe even tomorrow.

Once finished fermenting I to was thinking about getting the temp up a little higher, but only to about 75-78 deg since its supposed to be much easier to degas at a higher temp.

 

[Casper137]

Well I racked my 45ish litres from buckets to carboys.

My carboys are only 5 gallon.

Therefore I had about 4 litres plus I just couldn't waste so begrudgingly am drinking them.

2/3 Dragon Blood, some Ginger ale and a splash of Orange Juice and the wife and I are feeling no pain tonight.