DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[calvin]

Original recipe? What is the temp of your must?


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[bkisel]

I never leave anything in an open primary after the primary ferment is done ie when the SG stabilizes , no visible activity and no more protective layer of CO2 is being emitted. No point giving oxidation exposure.

That means never longer than 7 days in an open air primary. Into the protective carboy or gallon jugs at day 7 or sooner.
It's worked out is is always day 7 though some of them could have been day 6.

Then I can do the next process step(s) at my leisure it's in the carboy,it's protected.

I hear you. I airlocked after removing removing f-pack. Didn't notice until yesterday that the instructions don't tell you to do that.

 

[shrive22]

Original recipe? What is the temp of your must?


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The changes I made were I added 4 bottles of 15oz lemon juice for total of 60 instead of 48. And I added 2 cups of the recipes 20 of raw sugar which has some molasses in it and maybe just a little less water than 6 gallons. Temp is right around 68.


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[calvin]

Try bringing the temp up to 75 or so to help get it going

 

[boozehound]

Just racked an all blueberry batch (12lbs) to secondary. Degassed for 30 minutes still gettn a lot of bubbles. Kinda has an off smell. I air locked for now. What shall I do about bubbles and smell?


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[willie]

Just racked the 2nd batch of DB. Used 6lbs Wymans Three Berry and 3lb bag of WalMart Great Value three berry. Used enough organic sugar to get an SG of 1.085 to get a higher ABV. Wine went to dry at .990 for three straight days.
The original recipe 1st batch is 65 days old and is just delicious. Am curious to see if it will get any better than it all ready is.
Will

 

[Hunt]

Just started another batch of the DB this evening and like always I'm giddy with excitment lol.

 

[Hunt]

So the I learn more about Wine making the more questions I have. Should I step feed the must? Like 3 tsp of nutrient now 3tsp at 1\3 of the sugar being eaten and once more once 2\3 if the sugar being eaten. Never done it before and am learning that it could be one of the reasons for the rotten egg smell.

 

[sour_grapes]

IMHO, adding nutrients up front, and at the 1/3-sugar-depletion mark is a fine idea. I believe adding at the 2/3 sugar mark is a bad idea.

The ideal nutrient schedule really depends on the starting nutrients (specifically, the yeast-assimilable nitrogen) in the must. Without knowing that, you are just guessing. (However, what other choice do you have, short of making a large investment to measure YAN?) We assume that DB or SP will be low in nutrients, so we add the nutrients up front.

My understanding is that the yeast need the YAN while reproducing and growing. By the time 2/3 of the sugar is gone, and there is significant alcohol in the must, the yeast are no longer reproducing like crazy. They are hanging out, living out the rest of their days in an alcohol-crazed existence. Therefore, they won't/can't use additional YAN at that point.

So, sure. Either add it all up front, or add half up front and half at the 1/3 sugar mark. I believe you will be fine either way.

 

[bkisel]

Tried an experiment with my second batch. Dry at SG .990 so went to carboy from bucket and started trying to do all the degassing just using my VacuVin. I'm sore as can be and still getting loads of bubbles coming up. Guess stirring does get a lot of gas out. Have a luncheon appointment but when I get back home will steal enough wine from the carboy to use my drill stirrer. I'll add stabilizer and clearing agents then pour the stolen wine back in the carboy and airlock. Live and learn.

 

[NoobVinter]

@anyone: What size fine nylon mesh bag works well with 6 lbs of fruit? They come in different sizes and I'm having trouble getting it pushed into a carboy for primary and it's so messy.........can't figure this one out..........are you smiling now? Yeah I'm just kidding. Seriously though what size bag works well? Thanks. Take care. Rocco.


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[wineforfun]

I use a paint strainer bag that fits over a 5 gallon bucket. Not sure what its exact measurement are, but that should be all you need to look for. Usually they are sized for 5 gallon or 1 gallon buckets/cans.

 

[dangerdave]

@Rocco: "Pant length", I think, is what I use. Anything longer would be fine, but knee highs are definately unnecessary.

@shive22: Calvin is correct. Warm it up to get it going.

@boozehound: The blueberry is different. Give it some time and any off-smells should resolve themselves.

 

[NoobVinter]

Thanks guys.


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[NoobVinter]

@dave and wine: I found the 5g paint strainer bags on Amazon. They look like just the thing I need for sure. I'll pick them up. Thanks. Take care.


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[shrive22]

@calvin. Thanks I'll warm it up. @dangerdave does yeast 'go bad' after being in the liquid DB must for so long without starting to ferment?


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[boozehound]

Thanks Dave. Patients is not my friend. I'll work on that.


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[dangerdave]

@dangerdave does yeast 'go bad' after being in the liquid DB must for so long without starting to ferment?

What a great question! And I have no idea, since I have never had to address that problem myself. I wish I could be more helpful on this one, but someone else will have to answer it.

 

[Johngottshall]

Racking my DB to carboy and degassing. Having a glass of my first batch taste is great . I added a little spritz of 7up for a little fizz lol

 

[dangerdave]

Very nice, John. Love those Stella glasses. Enjoy!

Dave