DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[NoobVinter]

Yep....DB stuck. I don't think it is was in a lag phase. Sourgrapes told me to read up on it. Doesn't matter now though. After three days I went with stuck.

I just read the posts of DB progress. I wish my batch posted numbers like yours. Hahaha. Good for you guys!! Well done, bet it tastes great. I'm gonna get there soon....I hope.

I racked off lees, back to primary, whipped in some more sugar and air (1.075) and pitched 1118 again.

Fingers crossed.....I don't want to think about the laundry tub drain yet. I just can't bear the thought of it.




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[nealz2k]

I have some(mostly strawberry) DB clearing in a carboy and it is SUPER red. I started with sugar and juice up to 1.084-1.086. I think that means 13%-14% ABV. Can't wait to get it sweetened and chilled!

 

[NoobVinter]

Did some reading......apparently using Distilled Water is in the top ten list of reasons causing a "failure to ferment"

Might be the reason the DB didn't take off.....

This is something I should have known isn't it. Well, the penciled in annotation on the printed DB recipe may have cost me $35.

I realize that failure to ferment can be caused by Several other things, but I won't be using Americas Choice Distilled Water anymore. Lol

Take care, have a good day.




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[fabrictodyefor]

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will pop in...I hope the added sugar and another yeast packet will do the trick, Noobvintner. I haven't been making wine that long and have never had a stuck ferment, I'm sure my challenge is coming! Did you add additional yeast nutrient? You might investigate the advantages of Go-Ferm or something down those lines. Good Luck, keep us posted.

 

[Rosa321]

Soooo..... Has anyone had issues with their better bottle not being as clear as their glass carboy??? I'm wondering if it doesn't look as clear in the plastic as it did in the glass...

I'm just perplexed and failing to see how it can still look cloudy after all this time.... Has the wine gone bad?? :-(

I know I know.... I gotta have patience I racked from glass to better bottle, added pectic enzyme, degassed again for insurance, let it go for a month, and it looks WORSE than when it was in the glass..... It's making me think something is wrong, our my perception is wrong....

 

[Rosa321]

I have some(mostly strawberry) DB clearing in a carboy and it is SUPER red. I started with sugar and juice up to 1.084-1.086. I think that means 13%-14% ABV. Can't wait to get it sweetened and chilled!

It's a beautiful color!!
Don't you want to top it off to keep it from spoiling?? Just a thought! ;-)

 

[Rosa321]

Did some reading......apparently using Distilled Water is in the top ten list of reasons causing a "failure to ferment"

Might be the reason the DB didn't take off.....

This is something I should have known isn't it. Well, the penciled in annotation on the printed DB recipe may have cost me $35.

I realize that failure to ferment can be caused by Several other things, but I won't be using Americas Choice Distilled Water anymore. Lol

Take care, have a good day.




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I know this doesn't help now, but I use the rule, if I wouldn't drink it, then I wouldn't put it in!!! :-D This applies to wine, when i'm cooking (Don't put yucky wine in that I wouldn't drink), as well as wine making (since we don't drink distilled water, I wouldn't put it in). Stick to spring/filtered water that you would drink. Since distilled water tastes 'odd' on its own, I'd imagine it might give the wine an odd taste as well.....

Live and learn! And, much good luck in your future wine making endeavors

 

[nealz2k]

Rosa, should I top with watet or maybe a cheap blush or maybe something else?

 

[Rosa321]

Rosa, should I top with watet or maybe a cheap blush or maybe something else?

You could do either. Personally, I would top with wine so I don't dilute flavor or color.

If you don't have any dragons blood left from this batch, or any bottles reserved, then by all means buy something to top it off.

But I would follow my rule, and if you wouldn't drink the wine, don't throw it in there! lol

Next time start with more in the primary and save a gallon jug so you have some to top off with.

 

[NoobVinter]

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will pop in...I hope the added sugar and another yeast packet will do the trick, Noobvintner. I haven't been making wine that long and have never had a stuck ferment, I'm sure my challenge is coming! Did you add additional yeast nutrient? You might investigate the advantages of Go-Ferm or something down those lines. Good Luck, keep us posted.

I didn't add any additional yeast nutrient. I only used what was called for in the recipe.

Thanks for the information about Go-Ferm. will check it out!







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[NoobVinter]

I know this doesn't help now, but I use the rule, if I wouldn't drink it, then I wouldn't put it in!!! :-D This applies to wine, when i'm cooking (Don't put yucky wine in that I wouldn't drink), as well as wine making (since we don't drink distilled water, I wouldn't put it in). Stick to spring/filtered water that you would drink. Since distilled water tastes 'odd' on its own, I'd imagine it might give the wine an odd taste as well.....



Live and learn! And, much good luck in your future wine making endeavors

I see your point and will remember that one. I assumed that Distilled water was better because it was pure water ( free from elements, chemicals etc). But.....like you said live and learn. Thanks for the suggestion, I will stick with spring and filtered water now.

I wish you much luck with your winemaking adventure also! take care, have a great day.


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[nealz2k]

You could do either. Personally, I would top with wine so I don't dilute flavor or color.

If you don't have any dragons blood left from this batch, or any bottles reserved, then by all means buy something to top it off.

But I would follow my rule, and if you wouldn't drink the wine, don't throw it in there! lol

Next time start with more in the primary and save a gallon jug so you have some to top off with.

Yea I made about 7 gallons but lost A LOT to the gross lees. Probably the gallon that would have gone into a spare gallon jug.

 

[Rosa321]

Yea I made about 7 gallons but lost A LOT to the gross lees. Probably the gallon that would have gone into a spare gallon jug.

I have a10 gallon primary fermenter bucket. I think that is the standard a Kit comes with. If 7 wasn't enough, just make a note in your files, and next time make 8

Live and Learn!!

I'm still very much learning, noting, and modifying

 

[4score]

I have my first DB batch going. I'm in the clearing stage. It's been about a week since I added Sparklloid and I think it's done it's duty. Overall, the carboy looks dark-ish. Certainly very dark compared to my Skeeter sitting next to it. When I put a little in a small glass recently, it definitely looked lighter. I still haven't back-sweetened, so I added a little sugar to the glass and tasted it. Is it common at this "phase" that it tastes somewhat "thin" and almost watery? I read that it improves with a few weeks or a couple months, but I guess I was hoping for more promise. Anyone else recall their tasting notes just after the clearing phase?

 

[NoobVinter]

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will pop in...I hope the added sugar and another yeast packet will do the trick, Noobvintner. I haven't been making wine that long and have never had a stuck ferment, I'm sure my challenge is coming! Did you add additional yeast nutrient? You might investigate the advantages of Go-Ferm or something down those lines. Good Luck, keep us posted.

Hey, hey, hey.....!! Guess what.

A rack off the lees, a whip of some fresh O2, sugar to 1.075, and a another pitch of 1118 did the trick!!! Hahahaha ) I am so happy Fabric!

Ambient: 71 F
Must: 73 F (no brew belt) pitched at 79 F didn't want to stress it it fell a bit but 2 degrees above room I'll take it baby!! Thanks for the support and luck. Have a great night.

24 hrs later....




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[freqflyer]

Rosa, should I top with watet or maybe a cheap blush or maybe something else?

You can always go to a craft store and buy some marbles or decorative glass beads. Sanitize them and pour them in to raise the liquid level.

 

[Medic8106]

Has anyone ever added chocolate to a dragon blood batch to give a chocolate/berry wine? I am in the late stages of a Jack Keller strawberry-chocolate wine but that has taken a year to complete. Just wondering if you could add a chocolate flavor and how you would do it to a dragon blood batch?

 

[NoobVinter]

Has anyone ever added chocolate to a dragon blood batch to give a chocolate/berry wine? I am in the late stages of a Jack Keller strawberry-chocolate wine but that has taken a year to complete. Just wondering if you could add a chocolate flavor and how you would do it to a dragon blood batch?

How about Dark Hershey Syrup before primary fermentation? It would give you flavor and sugar would it not. Do you think the yeast will eat it? I'm just thinking out of the box......how about Hershey Dry powder added to primary......? Sounds good though.

Good luck!



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[Medic8106]

How about Dark Hershey Syrup before primary fermentation? It would give you flavor and sugar would it not. Do you think the yeast will eat it? I'm just thinking out of the box......how about Hershey Dry powder added to primary......? Sounds good though.

Good luck!



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I used dark cocoa powder (Hershey's) in my strawberry chocolate prior to primary fermentation. It contains no sugar as it is baking cocoa. Don't know if syrup would work and not really sure how much I would start with. I used 4 oz of powder for the 1 gallon before.

 

[dangerdave]

Ah, the trials and tribulations of wine making. Ain't it great!

Problem solving is a great skill to learn with your wines. After 122 bathces, I'm yet to have a stuck ferment (good local water, maybe?), but that just means I'll have no idea what to do when it happens.

Panic!