DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[jojabri]

When you say spigot, are you referring to a "tap" or just a plug? Trying to understand how to get the wine out of the bag without subjecting it to air ... (great instructions btw, thanks!)

The Franzia bags come with 5 Liters of wine in the bag and a spigot valve thingie to pour from. I put the bag back in the box, then the box in the fridge and drink as I wish.

So long as you burp the excess air out of the bag there is very minimal oxygen inside when you store it or put in fridge. You wouldn't want to use this as any long term solution, but it's good to save space and money, and recycle.

 

[Terri]

Hi All,
We have not been on in a while, spring is so busy for us. We have bottled lots though, 2 batches of dragon blood one waiting to be sweetened and the same for Skeeter Pee. We have also made a Jet Blue, my husband added the oak chips and I sampled before it was sweetened, just added a little sugar to the glass and I do not like the taste, to me it tastes like a camp fire smells. Will this mellow?

 

[tmmii]

Do you re-use plastic bags from kits or are you buying them new? If re-using you just sanitize them and go? Do you gave a tap to put on the bag? This is a brilliant idea, especially for young wines like db...

First time I've done it, has a spout, was 8 bucks and holds 6+ gallons. For something like this that will be a lot easier than bottling, and it's about the same price as corks. I don't think they are reusable.


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[bkisel]

Now I feel cheap.

I am grabbing corks for under 15 cents, the specialty screw on wine bottle caps under 30 cents. Then I drink a couple bottles of wine with my friends for their empty bottles. One of my buddies works at a bar and grabs me all there empties. Most liter or less bottles with a plastic caps: fit the caps at my local wine shop. If I don't bust those caps I sanitize and reuse those too. If I buy new bottles I spend less then a buck. I print my labels on normal paper slice them out and reply the with acid free stick glue. The actual Dragons Blood costs me about 65 cents. I have already chatted about my dollar store berries, 25 Lbs of sugar from Sams, and Sam has the lemon juice for under $3.

Best case a bottle of DB is under a buck (worst case $2.00). Once upon a time I would spend that on a bottle of beer.

That's great! I can easily afford this hobby [even though I'll sometimes "complain" about being on a fixed income]; I just happen to be frugal. I think it is kind of a fun challenge to keep the cost down. Maybe half of the good taste of DB comes from its being so relatively inexpensive?

For the future - whites, blushes and DB that are to stay in the house I can use dark glass to help keep the cost down. Some folks will hand me back the bottles when they've finished the wine I've given them BUT I WILL NEVER ASK FOR THE BOTTLE BACK.

I'm pretty good about following the admonition of "give expecting nothing in return". But what a thrill and blessing it is when someone expresses a heart felt appreciation for what you've done for or given them.

 

[bakervinyard]

I blended 2 gallons of DB with a gallon of raspberry wine I had. Not bad if I do say myself. The other 4 gallons I have left is aging a little longer, will bottle for the holiday weekend in May.
I'm frugel also. I've only bought 2 cases of new bottles since making wine for about 8 years. I'm the production manager for a function facility and I have all the bar tenders save the emptys for me. Yes I do reward them with wine. LOL, Bakervinyard

 

[corinth]

Danger Dave's dgragon blood

Hi this may be a silly question but based on your original recipe Dan, is there a typical range for ph and ta.

I have tied to read all the threads but I do not see any numbers?

Corinth

 

[Rosa321]

I blended 2 gallons of DB with a gallon of raspberry wine I had. Not bad if I do say myself. The other 4 gallons I have left is aging a little longer, will bottle for the holiday weekend in May.
I'm frugel also. I've only bought 2 cases of new bottles since making wine for about 8 years. I'm the production manager for a function facility and I have all the bar tenders save the emptys for me. Yes I do reward them with wine. LOL, Bakervinyard

Was this raspberry wine you made, or bought?

 

[dangerdave]

My pH typically comes out just above 3.0.

The oak will mellow.

The DB will mysteriously disappear.

You'll need to make more.

 

[calvin]

Bottled my second batch last night as I was drinking the last glass from my first. I sure had to ration the last few bottles


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[bkisel]

Looks really nice.

How long between starting batch one to starting batch two? I'm thinking about starting my second batch next week which would make it about a week shy of two months since my first batch. I think Dave posted here, in so many words, that he starts a batch a month.

 

[bakervinyard]

Was this raspberry wine you made, or bought?

Rosa321, This was a wine that I made last year. Only made 1 gallon it came out pretty good. I just didn't know what I was going to do with it. I decided to blend it with the DB because I wasn't crazy about it on its own. If you want the recipe P.M. me. Bakervinyard

 

[ckvchestnut]

Prolly Dave! I am a karaoke Jockey/Junkie from way back! And I will defo be singing it and thinking about you when I'm bag squeezing. ROFLMBO!

Hrm songs about squeezing to sing while squeezing... Soul To Squeeze (Red Hot Chilli Peppers) or Squeezebox (The Who)

Current batch is a 3x batch that I sing: "Whao-oh black berry (bambalamba) Whao-oh black berry (bambalamba)"

OMG tooooooo funny!

 

[ckvchestnut]

Just bottled 3 gals of dragonette and another 6 gals DB have been in the fermenter for 4 days now... It does mysteriously disappear! I can taste the cherries in this batch it's going to be good as usual!

 

[Elmer]

Just drank a bottle of DB I made last June, while watching the frozen four.

A little tart, the lemon and black berry has really come through over time In this batch!

Might have to dial that down moving forward


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[ckvchestnut]

Good feedback Elmer! How much lemon did you use?

 

[calvin]

I started my first batch 1/30 bottled 2/24

Second batch started 3/18 bottled 4/11

That was cutting it pretty close. I might have to go with the 20 gal brute garbage can batches


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[Elmer]

Good feedback Elmer! How much lemon did you use?

I always follow direction , so 48 Oz.
Which was never an issue when drinking early, but when it ages for a good period it changes a lot.
I am starting to think my SP ages better than my BD!


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[jojabri]

Looks really nice.

How long between starting batch one to starting batch two? I'm thinking about starting my second batch next week which would make it about a week shy of two months since my first batch. I think Dave posted here, in so many words, that he starts a batch a month.

As I'm still in the beginning stages of wine making, and yet to have a plentiful stock, plus I started several long termers, so I've been popping out the DB variants like gangbusters. Sadly, I haven't been able to do original yet, as where I find quad-berry much cheaper at GFS (which is conveniently located next door to my LHBS).

Between our consumption and getting tapped from so many others as their personal liquor store that I had to start a batch as soon as the primaries emptied. Recently, I upgraded to a 15 Gal demijohn so hopefully I can keep up with being generous to friends and family and start batches less frequently, while still building a stocked wine rack.

With summer just around the bend, there should be good sales on fruit. Hopefully, that will lend to experimenting and trying new variants.

This week most of my other wines should be ready to bottle and sit. So I'll have several open carboys. Blessing or curse?

I am thinking on experimenting with a dandelion db variant. What would that hurt? <3 how you can variate.

 

[bkisel]

As I'm still in the beginning stages of wine making, and yet to have a plentiful stock, plus I started several long termers, so I've been popping out the DB variants like gangbusters. Sadly, I haven't been able to do original yet, as where I find quad-berry much cheaper at GFS (which is conveniently located next door to my LHBS).

Between our consumption and getting tapped from so many others as their personal liquor store that I had to start a batch as soon as the primaries emptied. Recently, I upgraded to a 15 Gal demijohn so hopefully I can keep up with being generous to friends and family and start batches less frequently, while still building a stocked wine rack.

With summer just around the bend, there should be good sales on fruit. Hopefully, that will lend to experimenting and trying new variants.

This week most of my other wines should be ready to bottle and sit. So I'll have several open carboys. Blessing or curse?

I am thinking on experimenting with a dandelion db variant. What would that hurt? <3 how you can variate.

Hey, thanks for sharing.

After this Costco 5 berry batch which I may start as early as tomorrow my wife wants me to try a peach DB. I plan on doing the DB recipe, just replace the berries with ~ 6 pounds of peaches. Peaches should start showing up around here about July. After these two I'd like to try stuff like pineapple berry or orange berry vs. the lemon berry. Mainstay wine making will remain various RJS kit wines. Or... Will DB become the mainstay with kit wines sprinkled in?

 

[willie]

Day 47 of first batch of Original Dragon Blood.
Ok Dave, here is a picture as you requested. It has been two more weeks sense wife and I tasted this wine and we are really impressed how the berry flavors have come to life. Absolutely delicious. We plan on bottling it this week.
This has been a great thread to read and I so enjoy all the nice folks posting here. Thanks Dave.
bkisel your idea of a peach does sound good and we do have some nice peach orchards outside of town here just to the North of us. July you say. Yep that sounds just about right. Will