DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[chasemandingo]

Hey everyone, I just would like to say that db is awesome. I am bout to start my first 5 gallon batch. Just wanna put it out there that I prefer to add one can of welchs white grape juice per gallon and up the fruit to 2 lbs per gallon if possible! Makes one heck of a good wine!

 

[gotbags-10]

I like the idea of adding the grape juice. I'm starting a batch today. Is there any other frozen concentrates that would work?

 

[barbl72]

Anyone ever do a spiced batch of DB? I am a little late for Christmas, but I am going to add cloves and cinnamon sticks to the last weeks of this batch. Anyone have any advice on how much of each?

 

[Ctmaro]

Thanks for the input Dave, Bill, and Will.

Dave, I was thinking like you, but I like numbers and thought I might be able to calculate it. Oh by the way, got the 100% Raspberry DB sweetened the other day and so far think its going to be a go to wine!

Bill, what you are saying does make perfect sense. When I sweeten (4 to 6 C) after racking off the Sparkolloid, I end up with more wine than I started. So, the volume has actually increased. The question is how does the sugar effect the ABV. If it were water then a decease, but sugar, I don't have any idea.

Will, I totally agree with you acessment of dryness to sweetness in DB.

Just being a little much of a nerd. I love this wine and every variation I've done so far.

Thanks again,

Mark

 

[JetJockey]

Ctmaro,
Mathematically if you double the volume without adding alcohol, the resulting ABV would be half (6gal/12gal = 0.5 X ABV).

Since you like numbers, I used Fermcalc to get the following:
Your initial ABV appears to be between 11.4 to 11.7%, depending on calculation method. (Using 1.08 initial SG and 0.994 for final SG. Using all temperature corrected SG's.)

Assuming that you initially had ABV of 11.5% (Duncan Acton method) and exactly 6.0 gallons to start, you would have to add 55.562 oz (6.95 cups) of sugar to get to SG 1.02. The resulting volume would be 6.2557 gal.

Calculating the Final ABV: 6 gal. Initial vol./6.2557 gal. Final vol. = 0.9591 X 11.5% Initial ABV = Final ABV of 11.03%. (All assuming that yeast did not convert any new sugar to alcohol, i.e. yeast colony is dead.)

 

[HeadWatersWine]

Has anyone use wine conditioner instead of regular sugar in their Dragons Blood? How was the result and how many oz per gallon? Thanks.

 

[bkisel]

Has anyone use wine conditioner instead of regular sugar in their Dragons Blood? How was the result and how many oz per gallon? Thanks.

Not in DB but, but in times past, I've used it in other wines. Entire bottle which I believe is 500ML. Being frugal I made the same wines again with first with simple syrup and then just putting in sugar with near identical sweetness results. To me and my wife (sorry don't have hydrometer readings) 2 cups of sugar approximately equates to the 500ML of the wine conditioner in terms of sweetness. If there is a taste difference I'd have to have them side by side to have any hope of distinguishing a difference.

 

[Just-a-Guy]

What's wine conditioner?

 

[beano]

What's wine conditioner?

FYI...
From Jack Kellers Website:

"Wine Conditioner can be used for simultaneously stabilizing and sweetening a wine. Wine Conditioner is a mixture of potassium metabisulfite, potassium sorbate and non-fermentable sugar. It comes with instuctions."

Beano Joe

 

[Just-a-Guy]

FYI...
From Jack Kellers Website:

"Wine Conditioner can be used for simultaneously stabilizing and sweetening a wine. Wine Conditioner is a mixture of potassium metabisulfite, potassium sorbate and non-fermentable sugar. It comes with instuctions."

Beano Joe

Thanks, Beano. That's helpful... other than the fact that I've never heard of non-fermentable sugar. Doesn't sound like "wine conditioner" would be something I would use, since I'd just use the k-meta and sorbate to stabilize... and then sweeten separately. Don't quite get it, but ok....

 

[bosco500]

How do you guys clean your hands before squeezing the fruit bag? Soap? Star San?

 

[HeadWatersWine]

Have to tell DangerousDave: Just had a wine at my sisters house. She had a couple to choose from and one was a lemon/berry summer wine from a local winery. It is exactly what I believe Dragon Blood was designed to be. Our friends owned this winery and then moved to start another one so we kind of lost track of what they are producing there. I was there a couple of weeks ago and didn't see this, must be seasonal. I only hope mine comes out close to this as it was very good. I can see if this is what Dragon Blood is suppose to taste like why everyone loves it. Should have taken a picture of the label.

 

[HeadWatersWine]

How do you guys clean your hands before squeezing the fruit bag? Soap? Star San?

I am new to this but I use soap, rinse well and then spray my hands with a sterile solution of kmeta.

 

[bkisel]

How do you guys clean your hands before squeezing the fruit bag? Soap? Star San?

I wear a pair of the tall rubber dishwasher gloves. The gloves are easily washed and rinsed, while being worn, then dried. They are spritzed with k-meta solution 5-10 minutes before squeezing. I have paper towel handy to help with drips and stuff.

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Anyone ever do a spiced batch of DB? I am a little late for Christmas, but I am going to add cloves and cinnamon sticks to the last weeks of this batch. Anyone have any advice on how much of each?

I made the spiced Dragon Blood variation for Christmas and I love it! The recipe I found here on the forum called for licorice root but all I had was star anise (which I love) so I used that but otherwise followed the recipe, found here:

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f68/dragon-blood-15-days-31996/index84.html

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

How do you guys clean your hands before squeezing the fruit bag? Soap? Star San?

I remove my rings and then while I am sanitizing everything else I need (hydrometer, wine thief, stirring spoon, etc.) in my big bucket of StarSan, I make sure my hands and forearms get swished around in the solution as well.

 

[bkisel]

I made the spiced Dragon Blood variation for Christmas and I love it! The recipe I found here on the forum called for licorice root but all I had was star anise (which I love) so I used that but otherwise followed the recipe, found here:

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f68/dragon-blood-15-days-31996/index84.html

Sounds great. Glad you really like yours.

Read the recipe and though I know its a matter of degree that wine is way different, in my opinion, than DB. I don't think I'd even call it a DB "variation". Again, just my opinion.

Maybe DB "inspired"?

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Sounds great. Glad you really like yours.

Read the recipe and though I know its a matter of degree that wine is way different, in my opinion, than DB. I don't think I'd even call it a DB "variation". Again, just my opinion.

Maybe DB "inspired"?

Really? I think it has the main DB "calling card", a lemon juice base. And it fermented, cleared and was ready to drink in a few weeks. Oh well, potato, patato

As I look back over the recipe now though, I realize I didn't follow it as closely as I thought I had...heeheehee. I certainly didn't boil the bananas, cloves, raisins and (in my case) star anise, but simply added them to the fruit bag.

 

[bkisel]

Really? I think it has the main DB "calling card", a lemon juice base. And it fermented, cleared and was ready to drink in a few weeks. Oh well, potato, patato

As I look back over the recipe now though, I realize I didn't follow it as closely as I thought I had...heeheehee. I certainly didn't boil the bananas, cloves, raisins and (in my case) star anise, but simply added them to the fruit bag.

You make some good points for it being considered a DB variation... Can't we all just get along?

 

[jumby]

I remove my rings and then while I am sanitizing everything else I need (hydrometer, wine thief, stirring spoon, etc.) in my big bucket of StarSan, I make sure my hands and forearms get swished around in the solution as well.

+1

Same here!