DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[sour_grapes]

My OG shot up to 1.200 with all that fruit and despite stirring twice a day and adding my yeast nutrient every 2nd day it pretty much stopped at 1.000 on the dot.

Really?? That would be about 26% ABV. Did you mean 1.120? (Which would be about 15.5%)

 

[jamesngalveston]

i use red star pasteur red, are red star premeier curvee

 

[JetJockey]

Ah... Interesting so used a fair amount but it was just blueberries... And you even added some at the end. Has it been your experience that blueberries like certain other fruits don't carry as much flavor? I'm starting to wonder what's different about mine... The 2 differences in my DB batches are that it's quad berry so has strawberries in it and I add bananas. I do quad berry instead of triple berry because that's the only kind I can get at Walmart in the 1.75kg bags apart from other stuff like fruit blends and straight berries such as blueberries or strawberries. Maybe I just have sensitive taste buds!

This is my first batch of blueberry only. I had a friend give me the blue berries that they picked from their bushes. I froze them first and then used some kmeta before starting the DB. Currently I'm only in the 5th day of fermentation.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Really?? That would be about 26% ABV. Did you mean 1.120? (Which would be about 15.5%)

Oops yes you are correct! lol obviously if it doesn't go dry I won't have the 15.5% because it stopped at 1.000

 

[ckvchestnut]

This is my first batch of blueberry only. I had a friend give me the blue berries that they picked from their bushes. I froze them first and then used some kmeta before starting the DB. Currently I'm only in the 5th day of fermentation.

Hmmm sounds good! Let us know how it turns out! I'd also like to try the blueberry/blackberry combo... It sounds good from other people's feedback here!

 

[Simpsini]

Carolyn & Bob - Thanks for the info and the feedback. When I back sweeten I'm going to bring the SG up to 1.000 and see how it tastes.

 

[jamesngalveston]

if you started out at 1.120 and if finished at 1.000 that equals 16 percent.
dry as a bone, and if your yeast died out that quick..I bet the wine is excellent.
http://www.davesdreaded.com/homebrew-calculator/

 

[ckvchestnut]

Thanks for the link James! I have one already or refer back to my hydrometer instructions to make calcs based on cases like this... I was just too lazy to go look! And you made me look! At my instructions that is! You are right I course so why the heck have I always thought that .990 was dry as in 0?? Can someone kind of explain to me why .990 is actually a negative? I'd better go read up on that link! Time to be enlightened further!

 

[ckvchestnut]

Oh I just found it on my instructions because it's a negative you get a higher abv than what your OG reading says.... You add the amount from the - final SG reading! Ok lol me being a dumb nooby! Haha

 

[dangerdave]

In an attempt to create an "over-oaked" batch of DB, the one I have going now got three times the normal tannin and a whole cup of untoasted American oak in the primary. Johnna turned up her nose and said it "smells like a lumber mill in July"!

I may get this whole batch to myself! Woot!

 

[ckvchestnut]

From all your posts on your experiments I don't think you'll ever change your wife's preference for your original DB!

 

[dangerdave]

I know, Carolyn, bless her heart. I won't stop trying, though.

 

[ckvchestnut]

No need to stop trying! You know what keeps her happy and you can continue to experiment to your heart's content! I'm lucky my hubby will drink almost anything lol!

 

[JetJockey]

I know, Carolyn, bless her heart. I won't stop trying, though.

Dave,
I look at it like this: the more times you make new variations and she turns her nose up, the MORE she will appreciate you when you make the Original DB! Kind of reverse psychology for DB. Of course, I may have deliberately screwed up an assigned chore or two so that it never made the Honey-do list again ;-)

 

[jamesngalveston]

LOL...i used some liguid smoke in a test batch once...after about 3 mos in the bottles, it was actually good.

 

[JetJockey]

James, I think you have tried it all! Was that American or French smoke and what kind of toast!

 

[ckvchestnut]

Too funny! I'll wager that it might have been hickory haha

 

[jamesngalveston]

just bought two of the new style carboys...called the big mouth bubbler.
going to use for dragon blood style only.
since i manuallly degass and have a transfer pump...no vacuum. for the pet.

 

[JetJockey]

just bought two of the new style carboys...called the big mouth bubbler.

James,
I'm interested in your thoughts on the bubbler keeping in mind how to top up without narrow neck, how to connect the airlock, will a two holed stopper fit the lid (hole same size as regular carboy), etc. It looks like a great idea, especially because they should be easy to clean! Is the glass as thick as a regular Italian glass carboy (since I use a vacuum pump)?

 

[jamesngalveston]

dont know..just bought them, will probably get delivered next week.