DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[calvin]

No need to sorbate again. Remember the fruit flavors will start to come out more in about a month or so. Once you put sugar in you can't take it back out. so be careful not to over do it

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

I sweetened my initial DB last week and started to bottle it today. It is still too dry for my taste, so the question I have is: Can I resweeten it again before bottling, used sorbate before and if I sweeten again I would assume to sorbate it again?? Thanks for the help!!

I agree with Calvin...no need to add more sorbate as it has done its job of prohibiting refermentation. What gravity did you backsweeten the wine to?

 

[gaboy]

I agree with Calvin...no need to add more sorbate as it has done its job of prohibiting refermentation. What gravity did you backsweeten the wine to?

1.02 after the 2nd sweetening.

 

[Medic8106]

Got my first " full " batch of Strawberry/banana/boysenberry dragon blood transferred to secondary a few days ago. Looks beautiful, can't wait to see how it turns out.

 

[MrsJones]

I started my second batch of Dragon Blood on Sunday. My first was the current version of the original recipe, and this second batch has many, many modifications based on all of the good feedback and trials and errors I've read on this thread.

Here's the recipe:
6 lbs of mixed fruit, 1 banana (peeled) bottle of lemon juice, 1 liter of pomegranate juice, 1lb of Santana raisins, and 1/2 cup of American toasted oak cubes.

Wish me luck!

 

[bkisel]

I started my second batch of Dragon Blood on Sunday. My first was the current version of the original recipe, and this second batch has many, many modifications based on all of the good feedback and trials and errors I've read on this thread.

Here's the recipe:
6 lbs of mixed fruit, 1 banana (peeled) bottle of lemon juice, 1 liter of pomegranate juice, 1lb of Santana raisins, and 1/2 cup of American toasted oak cubes.

Wish me luck!

Good luck! [But I've a feeling you won't need it.]

 

[Ctmaro]

With Raspberry DB done and bottled, it time to move on to straight Strawberry DB.

All though I like the raspberry, it could have used a little more raspberry taste to it.

So my question is: How much strawberry to use?

When I make regular strawberry wine I use 18#/5 gallons.

Thank,

Mark

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

With Raspberry DB done and bottled, it time to move on to straight Strawberry DB.

All though I like the raspberry, it could have used a little more raspberry taste to it.

So my question is: How much strawberry to use?

When I make regular strawberry wine I use 18#/5 gallons.

Thank,

Mark

Hi Mark! I haven't made a straight strawberry yet, but Dave's contest winning Strawberry Tart Dragon Blood recipe calls for 15 pounds. I am definitely planning on making a batch for summer!

 

[WildBillCiarbino]

Time for my second batch...I'm upping the fruit to 12lbs, and debating on adding some pomegranate juice. At the store they have "Pom" in a snowman-shaped bottle. I didn't see any preservatives listed, but wanted to be sure...Anyone have experience with this one?

 

[Ctmaro]

Hi Mark! I haven't made a straight strawberry yet, but Dave's contest winning Strawberry Tart Dragon Blood recipe calls for 15 pounds. I am definitely planning on making a batch for summer!

Thanks, I thought I read something like that, but it hard to go through 270 pages to find it.

Mark

 

[Ctmaro]

Time for my second batch...I'm upping the fruit to 12lbs, and debating on adding some pomegranate juice. At the store they have "Pom" in a snowman-shaped bottle. I didn't see any preservatives listed, but wanted to be sure...Anyone have experience with this one?

I made a straight POM wine last year; no problem with fermentation, but it was so tart, it was almost u drinkable.

Ended up mixing with banana wine to drink it.

Mark

 

[dangerdave]

Both my raspberry version and my sweet strawberry tart required extracts to bring the flavor to where I wanted it.

 

[Jericurl]

My largest batch of wine so far.....10 gallons of Christmas Dragon's Blood. I'm using the same recipe that I used for Christmas 2013. This batch will age and be used for gifts Christmas 2015. I added a vanilla bean, 5 cloves, 3 star anise, and 1.5 oz of dried elderberries. I want the spice to be there but subtle.

Has anyone tried oaking DB yet?
I have some french cubes and some cubes soaked in rum. I'm thinking of splitting the batch 5 gallons apiece and adding one kind of cubes to each.

eta: I'm too lazy to get up and go check my brew long right this second...but I used @ 30 lbs of fruit in this batch!!

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Both my raspberry version and my sweet strawberry tart required extracts to bring the flavor to where I wanted it.

From your notes for the Strawberry Tart, it says you added Watkins strawberry extract and, well, it must have turned out great because you won the contest...lol. But have you ever used any other strawberry flavoring? I was thinking about trying the frozen strawberry daiquiri concentrate.

 

[jumby]

I noticed my dragon blood is dropping some sediment in the bottle. It's been bottled for about a month and a half now. My question is does anybody bulk age DB in the carboy before bottling it and if so how long? I have a batch in the carboy now and I'm thinking about bulk aging it for about 3 months before bottling.

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

I noticed my dragon blood is dropping some sediment in the bottle. It's been bottled for about a month and a half now. My question is does anybody bulk age DB in the carboy before bottling it and if so how long? I have a batch in the carboy now and I'm thinking about bulk aging it for about 3 months before bottling.

I have had a couple different batches drop sediment in the bottle, my concord grape version being the worst so far. I am sort of being forced to bulk age my latest batch which had lots of plums in it because it just isn't clearing. That being said, I am only at about 6 weeks and it will be hard for me to wait once it does clear because I know it will be ready to drink....well and because patience is a virtue I do not possess...lol.

 

[wineforfun]

My largest batch of wine so far.....10 gallons of Christmas Dragon's Blood. I'm using the same recipe that I used for Christmas 2013. This batch will age and be used for gifts Christmas 2015. I added a vanilla bean, 5 cloves, 3 star anise, and 1.5 oz of dried elderberries. I want the spice to be there but subtle.

Has anyone tried oaking DB yet?
I have some french cubes and some cubes soaked in rum. I'm thinking of splitting the batch 5 gallons apiece and adding one kind of cubes to each.

eta: I'm too lazy to get up and go check my brew long right this second...but I used @ 30 lbs of fruit in this batch!!

WOW, that is quite the undertaking there.

I oaked a much smaller batch a couple years ago but don't believe I left it in long enough. Really didn't notice any flavor difference.
I did use oak with the DB port and it gave it a real nice flavor. That recipe also called for quite a bit more fruit(similar to how much per lb. you used).

I need to get a batch of your "Christmas" version going, it looks really good. Out of room in my wine rack so need to get drinking or giving it away.

 

[bkisel]

I noticed my dragon blood is dropping some sediment in the bottle. It's been bottled for about a month and a half now. My question is does anybody bulk age DB in the carboy before bottling it and if so how long? I have a batch in the carboy now and I'm thinking about bulk aging it for about 3 months before bottling.

I've had no sediment issues with any of the 4 regular (i.e. 6 lbs berry) DB batches I've made and I don't think any of them were bulk aged more than just a few weeks. Three were racked 3 times and one I think only twice. My ~14 lbs. peach DB variation did have sediment and I think a longer bulk aging period with an extra racking might have helped.

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

My largest batch of wine so far.....10 gallons of Christmas Dragon's Blood. I'm using the same recipe that I used for Christmas 2013. This batch will age and be used for gifts Christmas 2015. I added a vanilla bean, 5 cloves, 3 star anise, and 1.5 oz of dried elderberries. I want the spice to be there but subtle.

Has anyone tried oaking DB yet?
I have some french cubes and some cubes soaked in rum. I'm thinking of splitting the batch 5 gallons apiece and adding one kind of cubes to each.

eta: I'm too lazy to get up and go check my brew long right this second...but I used @ 30 lbs of fruit in this batch!!

I love, love the Christmas Dragon's Blood! I am a big fan of anise flavor and it really comes out in my batch, which makes me very happy. A lot of my friends aren't a fan though, but that just means I don't have to share...LOL.

I throw a handful or two of oak chips in all of my DB batches but just leave them in for the primary fermentation so it is a very subtle addition of flavor.

 

[jumby]

Do you think 3 months in the carboy is adequate time for all the sediment to drop? I usually shoot for 6 or more months with my reds.