DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[Rosa321]

I just want to say that I'm grateful for the post with the additional steps in it.

It doesn't say that many rackings in the original recipe.....So I didn't do that the first time. Maybe I just got lucky the first time that it cleared to quickly!

I guess I need to do a few more rackings and wait a while longer before the super kleer and/or the fpack. That might just be what I did....I probably rushed it because I only have a 4 step process that I printed out.

Ok....livin' and learnin' over here! It DOES say additional rackings may or may not be necessary..... Guess I just got lucky the first time...... I'll try a few more rackings, and wait it out....... And in the future, I'll wait longer before adding the "Super Kleer". It doesn't say that in the recipe, but clearly the wine needed some more time to chill out first! hehehe

 

[jdmyers]

As you make it enough times you will get a feel of what to do. I am getting to a point were i dont need to be told to do certain things in a recipe I just know but I would say theres more that I dont know Than what I do know and learning is half the fun. drinking would be the other half

 

[StoneCreek]

Just started a new batch of DB tonight with the original triple berry blend as the recipe calls for. My first batch was a quad berry blend with strawberries and it turned out great. Tonight the wife and I were at Target and they had 3# bags of triple berry on sale for $9.99 and by using the Target Red Card we saved an additional 10% and my wife checked the mobile Target Cartwheel app and we saved another 5% with that. WooHoo. same deal on sugar that was on sale for $1.99 for 4# bags.

Two questions: First - Why is there a 12-24 hour wait time before pitching yeast for this recipe? I know usually you wait to let the k-meta kill off any wild yeast but this is commercially processed fruit and k-meta isn't used. Is there another reason for the wait time?

Secondly - I know some of you add a banana to increase mouthfeel. Do you add just one or do you add more than one. Also, are they added to the primary or do you wait until the secondary. Thanks. BTW, I do already have about 12oz of raisins added to the fruit bag.

 

[sour_grapes]

Here is a link to the old "Dragon Blood in 15 days!" thread: http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f68/dragon-blood-15-days-31996/

It went on for 843 posts, but was more or less superseded by the present, stickied thread.

 

[Julie]

Here is a link to the old "Dragon Blood in 15 days!" thread: http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f68/dragon-blood-15-days-31996/

It went on for 843 posts, but was more or less superseded by the present, stickied thread.

thank you Paul

 

[bkisel]

I just want to say that I'm grateful for the post with the additional steps in it.

It doesn't say that many rackings in the original recipe.....So I didn't do that the first time. Maybe I just got lucky the first time that it cleared to quickly!

I guess I need to do a few more rackings and wait a while longer before the super kleer and/or the fpack. That might just be what I did....I probably rushed it because I only have a 4 step process that I printed out.

Ok....livin' and learnin' over here! It DOES say additional rackings may or may not be necessary..... Guess I just got lucky the first time...... I'll try a few more rackings, and wait it out....... And in the future, I'll wait longer before adding the "Super Kleer". It doesn't say that in the recipe, but clearly the wine needed some more time to chill out first! hehehe

You know it is really funny how this wine making stuff works... I changed Dave's instructions to more closely match what I've been doing with kits. I stabilized (sorbate & K-meta) and stirred, degassed 10 min with electric drill device, back sweetened with 4.5 cups sugar and stirred, added first clearing agent and stirred, waited ~ 1 hour and added second clearing agent and stirred and finally degassed for another 10 minutes. Lifted the carboy onto a kitchen chair, bunged it and did periodic VacuVin degassing over the course of 2-3 days. Sediment dropped over those few days and my DB cleared. DB has been racked, past Tuesday, to a fresh carboy.

I was going to rack again today but I see zero sediment sitting on the bottom of the carboy. I expected to see at least a little. I'll watch and wait for a few weeks and then bottle after carboy to bucket rack just in case there is a very fine sediment that I'm not seeing.

So go figure. One persons DB clears within hours, another's over the course of just a few days and yet another person struggles to get theirs to clear over the course of a week or more. So again, go figure.

 

[wildvines]

Few glasses will do fine


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[chasemandingo]

I found my sweet spot with the Dragon Blood recipe. I used 1 1/2 pounds triple berry blend. Saved the other 1/2 pound for an fpac and added one can of Welch's niagra concentrate per gallon. Next batch I make will be a straight raspberry and I will be adding bananas and a tannin regiment. Will post results here.

 

[dangerdave]

I have done the raspberry version, Chase, and it is particularly good. You will love it. It's one of my wife's (many) favorates. Consider using extra fruit. The raspberry can sometimes come out light.

Rosa!!! I saw your "chunky" wine picture. I once had the same thing in a kit. Why? I mixed up (reversed) the order of the kieselsol and chitosan. It caused the exact same chunky-looking stuff. Could you have gotten them backwards?

Good news, though. The kit I messed up clear eventually. It just took longer.

 

[barbl72]

stirrer made form clothes hanger.

THANK YOU! My husband made one of these for me.
I racked and degassed again...
So now what? Wait a week to see if it clears? If not, do I use Superkleer again?
Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[Julie]

THANK YOU! My husband made one of these for me.
I racked and degassed again...
So now what? Wait a week to see if it clears? If not, do I use Superkleer again?
Thanks for everyone's help!

Don't use superklear again, leave it rest and it should clear. If you rack too often. This keeps everything in suspension. You should always leave your wine sit for three months between rackings. I know this is a quick wine and it will probably clear within the month but if you are racking constantly you will have problems with it clearing.

 

[Rosa321]

Thanks for the advice, Julie!
It's hard for me to be patient. Especially since I don't have a stockpile yet to be drinking! hahahaha

But I do think it is starting to look a little better!
I'll wait it out......I was planning on drinking it this Summer anyway!

 

[Rosa321]

I have done the raspberry version, Chase, and it is particularly good. You will love it. It's one of my wife's (many) favorates. Consider using extra fruit. The raspberry can sometimes come out light.

Rosa!!! I saw your "chunky" wine picture. I once had the same thing in a kit. Why? I mixed up (reversed) the order of the kieselsol and chitosan. It caused the exact same chunky-looking stuff. Could you have gotten them backwards?

Good news, though. The kit I messed up clear eventually. It just took longer.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm................ MAYBE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought I added them right...............but no promises! lol
The names are on the BACK....... That could be it!!!!! I don't mind waiting a bit longer for it to clear (although it's a bit hard to muster up all my patience! hehe) as long as it's good wine in the end, and I can figure out what the heck went wrong. I definitely don't want to go through this every time.

 

[Julie]

Thanks for the advice, Julie!
It's hard for me to be patient. Especially since I don't have a stockpile yet to be drinking! hahahaha

But I do think it is starting to look a little better!
I'll wait it out......I was planning on drinking it this Summer anyway!

Lol, I know it is hard to be patient but you will get there!

 

[dangerdave]

Regardless of the reason(s) for his removal (it's not my business), I am going to miss James and his invaluable input into this thread. I will attempt to better field questions/comments, here, to make up for his loss.

Carry on!

 

[reefman]

Bummer, I didn't know that, I'll miss him too!

 

[keahunter]

That really is too bad.

 

[calvin]

Dave, I have to thank you for this awesome recipe! (And nice labels too, I'm assuming you designed them)? Bottled my first batch of dragon blood 3 weeks ago. Only 10 bottles left. I got nervous I was going to run out so I started another batch yesterday. People I have shared it with are literally banging on my door trying to get more. Some are offering $10 a bottle. Obviously in not selling it but holy crap is that stuff yummy! I was at Costco getting ingredients. They only carry the triple berry blend in 4 pound bags. So my new batch will have 8#'s in the primary. I can't wait. I hope it's bottled before I run out but I doubt it will be.




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[dangerdave]

Yes, I designed the label. I'm glad you like it, and the recipe. You are very welcome, Calvin. I appreciate your feedback, and I'm glad everyone loves the wine.

Keep making it, because they will never stop banging on your door. As to selling it: that falls under the "Don't ask, don't tell" category.

Good work, man!

 

[willie]

I'm kind of new to this site and making wine and have only posted a couple of times. I too will miss James, he is very knowledgeable.
In January I started my first batch of wine from a kit Mosti Mondaile Summer Breeze Raspberry Merlot that I purchased from George's Store along with a wine making kit. The wine is about 55 days old now and I have it bulk ageing in a carboy for a couple of months. My wife drank a sample of it last Sat. and really liked it. It was pretty clear too. I have another 6 gal. of wine going and it is Dave's original D.B. recipe. I'm at step 4 and it has been a week sense the first racking. Looked and tasted the wine few min. ago and it's pretty clear and dry. It won't hurt if I wait a few more days to back sweeten and rack again will it? Thanks, Will