DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[Buddzy]

Ok guess I'll wait it out I've never had it take so long to start bubbling.

 

[jumby]

Jumby I aged a bottle of DB for 9 months and my wife and I both thought it had lost some flavor compared to a bottle that is say 3,4,6 months old. The reality is our DB just doesn't last more than a 3-4 months thanks to us, friends and relatives who help us drink it.
I do realize others on this site have a different opinion on aging DB and that's great. As the saying goes if we were all the same life sure would be boring.

Will

The plan wasn't for mine to last this long. It usually doesn't. I made 24 gallons last summer and we're just now finishing it up.

 

[cmsben61]

I had one about 2 years old I entered into the Iowa State Fair.
It won a silver

 

[Buddzy]

Well it took almost two days to start but now it's down to 1.016 from 1.09 and it's still chugging along. Also looks like I need a new straining bag. Where is a good place to get a new one that's durable for all the squeezing it has to indure.

 

[willie]

Well it took almost two days to start but now it's down to 1.016 from 1.09 and it's still chugging along. Also looks like I need a new straining bag. Where is a good place to get a new one that's durable for all the squeezing it has to indure.

Well our local Hardware store carries them and I have read on here that some use a paint straining bag that works just fine. You can even order one on Amazon.
Happy your wine is fermenting just fine now.

Will

 

[Rosa321]

Well it took almost two days to start but now it's down to 1.016 from 1.09 and it's still chugging along. Also looks like I need a new straining bag. Where is a good place to get a new one that's durable for all the squeezing it has to indure.

I don't know why, but my last two batches have had this problem...
Not sure if it's was cooler temperatures, or if it was because I eyeballed the K-meta with a 1tsp measuring spoon (I put in 1/4 of a tsp). Maybe my yeast wasn't "fresh"? (I keep it in the fridge, but I buy it in a 10 pack so it's there a while).
Like you I've made a bunch of batches (10+) and never had a problem until the last 2.

Glad it started for you! It's always so nerve-wracking to wait it out and wonder if you're going to lose the whole batch!!

 

[Buddzy]

Yeah i was getting antsy. I also buy yeast by the ten and keep it in the fridge. Never have had it take longer then an hour or two at most. I just ordered this yeast so it should be fresh. Was starting to think I was going to have to dump it.

 

[bear6230]

I bottled my tropical DB.
Looks very clear.
The taste is very good my friends and family love it can't wait to taste it in months to come.

 

[bear6230]

Started some dark cherry DB on Monday
SG 1.090 on Tuesday just before i pitched the yeast.
If its tastes like it smells now I'm in for a real treat when this one is done!!!

 

[jumby]

Well it took almost two days to start but now it's down to 1.016 from 1.09 and it's still chugging along. Also looks like I need a new straining bag. Where is a good place to get a new one that's durable for all the squeezing it has to indure.

Cut the leg off a ladies nylon and use that. Stick to a neutral color like nude. Toss it when you are done.

 

[jumby]

Does anyone have any experience adding oak to this wine? I'm thinking about throwing a medium plus toast French oak spiral in my next batch.

 

[willie]

Does anyone have any experience adding oak to this wine? I'm thinking about throwing a medium plus toast French oak spiral in my next batch.

Yes Jumby I have. Also Danger Dave has it's use in his Sweet Strawberry Tart recipe. That recipe calls for one cup of oak.

Will

 

[jumby]

Yes Jumby I have. Also Danger Dave has it's use in his Sweet Strawberry Tart recipe. That recipe calls for one cup of oak.

Will

In the primary or when aging? I'm thinking about adding a oak spiral when clearing/aging. Is there a noticeable change in body and taste?

 

[willie]

In the primary or when aging? I'm thinking about adding a oak spiral when clearing/aging. Is there a noticeable change in body and taste?

Yep in he fermentation bucket. And just a personal observation I didn't notice any change. But that's just me. I am no wine connoisseur and I don't believe I have the ability to distinguish subtle taste differences. But I do like to try different ingredients with this hobby.

Will

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Been ages since I have been around the forum. I still make Dragon Blood or some variation all the time and it is still a delicious addition to my wine collection. I do have a quick question:

I often start with store bought fruit and so don't worry about adding potassium metabisulfite to the must to kill off any wild yeast. However, I just got 30 pounds of home picked fruit from an acquaintance and I don't know how well it was cleaned or taken care of so I have added the sulfite to the must and am waiting the prerequisite 24 hours before adding the yeast. My question is, do you still add the yeast energizer and nutrient when mixing the lemon juice, fruit, etc. (and potassium metabisulfite) or should I wait 24 hours before I add those to the must?

 

[Buddzy]

I would say that you add them when you add k-meta nutrient and energizer and wait the 24 hours.

 

[mcthomas]

Trouble Clearing several batches of wine.. Mostly the Dragon Blood Recipe..

Been a while since I have been on here..
This is one of my favorite recipes.. I have made it a bunch of times.. It is usually a very fast clearing wine..

This time, it is clearing super, super slow..
I have thought about it several times while waiting.. I can't think of anything I did different..
If I did, I went back and corrected it and tried it again..
Only main difference.. I tried a much finer powdered bentonite clay this time, thinking it would hydrate better than the more granular version I put in a blender and run for 5 minutes and then seep/boil for 15 or 20 minutes, but, I have even gone back and used the original Bentonite and did the blending and seeping and I still am looking at a very, very slow clearing wine..

The only other thing I didn't do is stir it daily, like I usually do, so I can't go back and fix that.. But, I am sure I have made a batch without stirring like I should have before.. At least didn't stir it like I should have.. This batch, I didn't stir at all.. Just started it and finished it...

I am the crazy guy who kills the yeast at the end of Primary(Potassium Sorbate and Metabisulfite), stirs, then pulls a vacuum on his brews to degass,then adds the Bentonite, stirs, and usually the wine clears over night with the bentonite clay mix... I may have one more subsequent racking maybe a week later to keep from having the dust in the bottom of the bottles.. Never any heavy settlements..
I make a 12 or 15 gallon batch every year and have never seen it not clear, or this slow clearing before..

Anyone have any ideas to clear it quickly??

I have 2-6 gallon batches and 1-5 gallon and 2-1gallon batches..
I did one "Full Body=6lbs fruit, two with 3lbs fruit=light wine, and the others were different frozen fruit juice mixes I was trying (New Recipes)..
All but one are having the same problem..
The second run, using the older more granular bentonite cleared the other gallon over night, but, not like it usually clears.. 2 Weeks after the second application of bentonite clay, and it just now looks ready to bottle.. Usually, it is overnight..

I had a real hard time with a bananna wine one time.. Thought it would never clear.. Read somewhere to use an extract of boiled "Old Bananas", and it worked like a charm.. But, I figured it was for Bananna wines??
Ready to try anything to see what works.. Not worried about changing the flavor, etc at this point..
Any ideas are very welcome.. I promised 5 gallons of this to a friend for a wedding party... It's making me a bit nervous.. Ha..

 

[Buddzy]

Try super kleer has worked great on everything I've made.

 

[Zintrigue]

Does anyone have experience with an aged DB producing some kind of fluffy sediment? I racked off the final lees, then let it sit for 3 long months. Didn't see any more sediment come down, so then I bottled. Now there's this fluffy stuff in the bottles. I'm peeved, to say the least, and would love to explore why this is happening so that I can put a stop to it. Flavor isn't affected.

 

[jumby]

Does anyone have experience with an aged DB producing some kind of fluffy sediment? I racked off the final lees, then let it sit for 3 long months. Didn't see any more sediment come down, so then I bottled. Now there's this fluffy stuff in the bottles. I'm peeved, to say the least, and would love to explore why this is happening so that I can put a stop to it. Flavor isn't affected.

I had the same problem when using sparkoloid. Switching to superkleer/Dualfine took care of that problem.