DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[dangerdave]

Would finishing tannin be the same as the tannins you add in the beginning stage?

I just use a generic "wine tannin" for my Dragon Blood. No need to get fancy with this one.

 

[RotGut76]

I just use a generic "wine tannin" for my Dragon Blood. No need to get fancy with this one.

Thanks for the quick answer. However, could you please explain how you do this step more in depth?

 

[beggarsu]

Thanks for the quick answer. However, could you please explain how you do this step more in depth?

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f2/dangerdaves-dragon-blood-wine-41825/

Recipe

Step 1: To a cleaned and sanitized seven gallon (or larger) primary, add---in this order:

• 1 bottle (48 oz each) 100% Lemon Juice (ReaLemon in the green bottle): More or less lemon juice can be added to your taste, (i.e., if you want to reduce the acid level use less lemon juice). The acid added here will help balance the final wine. Substitutes include any other kind of citrus juice (orange, lime, etc.), or use no citrus at all for a very soft, supple blush.
• Water to about four gallons
• 20 cups of white granulated sugar (you will be looking for a SG of around 1.075 after filling to 6 gallons below. This will give you a finished alcohol by volume of about 10%-11%): Add more/less sugar for high/lower desired final ABV. Stir sugar until completely dissolved.
• 1 tsp. tannin (stir)
• 3 tsp. yeast nutrient (stir)
• 1 tsp. yeast energizer (stir)
• 3 tsp. pectic enzyme (stir)
• Top water to six (6) gallons* and stir well
• Test SG with hydrometer (remember, you are looking for a SG around 1.075) Note: The natural sugars from the fruit (below) will slightly increase the final ABV, so be careful how high you drive up the SG at this point!
• 6 lbs. of Triple Berry Blend (raspberry/blackberry/blueberry--availablein most grocery store freezer sections), frozen then thawed, in a fine mesh nylon bag (tied shut), placed in primary (add any extra juice from the fruit as well): Give the bag a couple of squeezes to work in pectic enzyme. You may also toss the fruit directly into primary, but this makes for a "messier" fermentation and subsequently will require more clearing time and further racking. Dozens of variations on this recipe have been created by simply substituting different or combinations of different fruit.
• Cover primary: Do not snap down the lid or add an airlock. Cover the lid with a cloth or towel.
• Place brew belt (if desired): Keep temp in 68F-80F range. A higher temp will result in a faster fermentation, and a sharper tasting, more colorful wine. A lower temp will produce a paler blush with more fruity aroma and a smoother taste.
• Let sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours...

Step 2: ...

 

[RotGut76]

My current "perfected version" calls for the addition of 1/3 cup of untoasted American oak in the primary and three tsp of finishing tannin near the end, in addition to everything else in the recipe. This was after nearly three years of tasting and testing.

Beggarsu: I do the same thing. Waste nothing. I have collected a large number of jugs, bottles, and jars for the sole purpose of collecting dregs for topping up later. Some of my leftovers ahve resulted in some very interesting blends, as well.

Thanks Beggarsu but I was referring to to post number 1900 (quoted above) where dangerdave refers to the American oak and finishing tannin.

My question is, is there an additional step where the tannin is added after the initial step 1?

 

[NoobVinter]

@RotGut: was wondering about the additional tannin also. I'm going to soak some French White Oak chips in some vodka and dump them in the primary on the next batch. I got the chips from a guy during a Craigslist carboy buying adventure. Lol but I'm still not sure when to add the extra 3 tsp of tannin that Dave uses. I have no doubt that we will soon have the secret hahaha.

Your recipe rocks Dave! I'm sharing it in eastern PA and DE. Nothing but smiles and good conversations when it gets poured. Only shared one bottle out of the primary, hehe, but I know it's just gonna get better.


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making

 

[bakervinyard]

Raspberry wine

I find myself with 6lbs of raspberry's that need to get used because I have to clear way in my deep freezer for meat!

I dont want to spend more money on other ingredients, to make 30 more bottles of DB. I am trying to keep it simple, considering I already have 25 bottles of Blue/Rasp, 20 bottles of SP and many bottle of good summer wine. So my summer wine supply is doing well.
so I was thinking straight Raspberry.

I dont want to make 6 gall w/ 6lbs, that would be too week.
I was thinking 3 gallons and double up the rasp.

having never used straight Raspberry, I am unsure of the flavor for wine.

Has anyone ever done straight Raspberry?
If so was it too light, too harsh?
Any recommendations?

Elmer I made a straight Raspberry wine. I followed the recipe from the book titled "Mary's Recipes" Came out pretty good. I didn't know what to do with it so I blended it with 3 gallons of DB. Using it for Sangria for the summer. Bakervinyard

 

[dangerdave]

I usually add the finishing tannins after the first racking following clearing. In other words, add the clearing agent, wait at least a week and rack add tannin, three tsp.

 

[Elmer]

Elmer I made a straight Raspberry wine. I followed the recipe from the book titled "Mary's Recipes" Came out pretty good. I didn't know what to do with it so I blended it with 3 gallons of DB. Using it for Sangria for the summer. Bakervinyard

I am confused.
the wine "came out pretty good"
but
you "didnt know what to do with it"

if it was good, why didnt you drink it on its own?

but I digress.
If you enjoyed it in any capacity all the better.

I might just go experimental and make a 3 gallon batch and throw some vanilla bean in there

 

[upsidedown]

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

I know this is bad practice but I have topped not topped used water used dragon blood etc.... and racked off into individual bottles straight from Carboy as needed. I have not noticed any difference in colour taste or smell. I suppose if you were to leave this to bulk age for a long period of time it would make a difference.But oxidation seems to have very little affect on this fruit wine in the short term(it never lasts long at our place). But if you can top up always to up

 

[SouthernChemist]

I know this is bad practice but I have topped not topped used water used dragon blood etc.... and racked off into individual bottles straight from Carboy as needed. I have not noticed any difference in colour taste or smell. I suppose if you were to leave this to bulk age for a long period of time it would make a difference.But oxidation seems to have very little affect on this fruit wine in the short term(it never lasts long at our place). But if you can top up always to up

It depends on a number of factors (including temperature and just how much headspace you have), but I think some people tend to assume oxidation/degradation occurs faster than it really does. In the short term, you can probably get away with it.

 

[maurtis]

Thanks a ton for the wonderful recipe, Dave! I just backsweetened my first batch of DB yesterday. The wine was already crystal clear, 14 days from start! So I figure I will let it sit in the carboy for another week while I am out of town and will bottle when I get back next Thursday.

I cannot wait to kick back with a glass of chilled Dragon Blood! I tried some while racking yesterday and it was surprisingly good already, so this should turn out well.

I made a couple gallons of various meads, but this is my first fruit wine. Already thinking of my next variant, tropical sounds good...

 

[freqflyer]

back sweetening question

The instructions say to add sugar and stir until completley dissolved. I have also read wear a simple syrup is used to sweeten wine. Two parts sugar to one part water heated until disolved. Is this how you sweeten DB or do you just dump the sugar in and stir?

Also, is there any benifit or detriment to syphoning off a little bit of wine to heat and make the simple syrup with to avoid adding more water?

 

[JetJockey]

Freqflyer,
I have tried the simple syrup and just adding sugar and stirring. To ME, I like the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) and prefer to just dump the required sugar in and stir until dissolved. First, I noticed no difference in taste or ease of dissolving between the simple syrup and granular sugar because the sugar concentration is respectively low. If one were trying to dissolve sugar to saturation, then the simple syrup would be advantageous. Second and more importantly, dumping and stirring is easier, less time, and helps get any remaining CO2 out.

Using wine to make the simple syrup is something I tried as well. It gets rid of the alcohol in the wine by cooking. Again I didn't notice anything that led me to believe it was worth the time and effort. also, the amount of wine needed for the simple syrup is so small and being 'cooked' off' that equal amounts of water will not dilute your DB to any measurable extent.

Just my $0.02!

 

[dangerdave]

I agree with Bob ^^^

 

[beggarsu]

Making some Dragons Blue 6 gallons with 3000 gm (6.6 lbs) of 5 Canadian Wild Blueberries frozen packs (600 gm) (President's Choice - $3.97 per bag regular price).
As per my method , I squeeze the fruit bag for 5 days but on day 5 or 6, I dump the bag into the must. I like to get every last bit of fruit sugar and fruit flavour into the must. I can see the difference as it sparkles up more vigorously after I dump the fruit bag.

The blueberries were more difficult as they became a fine powder. These kinds of things are best filtered out in the first racking but ordinary household wire filters will clog up. but what works is cheesecloth - I use a large double strainer saucepan affair with a cheesecloth to first pass the thick must through then it goes into the carboy straining through wire filters to catch anything that got through the first pass.
..
Works well.
--
Had my first Dragon Blood (4-berry packs ) on the deck in the sunshine with guests - just what it's for - a cooler. One of them normally preferred beer but was converted immediately - it went over very well - the balance of berry and tartness - the several guests all wanted bottles to take home.

 

[freqflyer]

When to back sweeten.

The instructions say way a week, rack and back sweeten. Mine will have been in the carboy a week tomorrow. It is clearing nicely but not completely clear. Do I have have to wait until it's completely clear or can I back sweeten now and let it sit in a carboy until it's clear. I'm going to be pretty busy for the next week or so and tomorrow I have the free time to do it.

 

[bkisel]

The instructions say way a week, rack and back sweeten. Mine will have been in the carboy a week tomorrow. It is clearing nicely but not completely clear. Do I have have to wait until it's completely clear or can I back sweeten now and let it sit in a carboy until it's clear. I'm going to be pretty busy for the next week or so and tomorrow I have the free time to do it.

Personally I would follow the SG and not the number of days in the instructions in determining phases.

Because I started with RJS kits I generally back sweeten right after I've stabilized. I'm talking minutes after adding and stirring in the stabilizing ingredients. Works great ifin you're sure of your back sweetening amount. So, my answer to your back sweetening question is "yes" but you will stir things up and lengthen the clearing process. If I were you, at this point, I'd let it clear and schedule the back sweetening before bottling.

 

[freqflyer]

I think you misunderstood Bill. I'm going to rack it, then back sweeten. Then let is sit in a carboy until I bottle it.

 

[willie]

The instructions say way a week, rack and back sweeten. Mine will have been in the carboy a week tomorrow. It is clearing nicely but not completely clear. Do I have have to wait until it's completely clear or can I back sweeten now and let it sit in a carboy until it's clear. I'm going to be pretty busy for the next week or so and tomorrow I have the free time to do it.

I always wait for the wine to completely clear before I back sweeten. I am on my 3rd Batch of DB and I usually give it ten or more days to clear completely. I don't get into a hurry. I believe Dave saying a week wait is just a guide.
Will

 

[Rosa321]

Sooo...... I've posted a few times about my 3rd batch of dragon blood.
I actually made "dragonette" with a little extra acid blend and fruit.
It's VERY DARK. Looking through it with a flash light, I CAN see through it. And I DO NOT see particles floating around. However, without the flashlight, it it impossible to see through. And I do not know if it is the color, or if it is a haze. It does look like it could be a little hazy....I know....seems weird that I can see through it clearly with a flashlight, but I swear I can!

So I am just having trouble testing/judging the clarity of this wine..........should I put some in a glass and hold it up to the light??? I think that's about where I'm at....
The other two batches, I could definitely tell when they were clear.
This one, I cannot.....

Any input is greatly appreciated. Thank you!!!!