DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[dcbrown73]

David, you might wind up with corks pushing up. You are supposed to have a good fingers width empty below the cork to leave room for the air to be compressed. Take a good look at pics of other folks bottled wine to see what I mean. I know these will be quick drinkers, but keep an eye on them.

Pam in cinti

Yes, I figured that out after I corked them. I had to re-cork several of them after I took that picture as several of them started pushing up immediately after corking. (I'm learning something new all the time!)

 

[Tnuscan]

After a closer look Pam is correct, Don't lay them on their sides. I would pull the corks and redo. You need to reset your fill level on your AIO. I took a Large 20ml syringe slid a small piece of tubing on the end then cut the tubing to the desired length. If I over fill, just insert tube, the syringe will hit the top of bottle stopping it, pull up on plunger and you've got a perfect level. Easy way to make sure before you cork.



Edit: Oops, didn't see the post.

 

[dcbrown73]

After a closer look Pam is correct, Don't lay them on their sides. I would pull the corks and redo. You need to reset your fill level on your AIO. I took a Large 20ml syringe slid a small piece of tubing on the end then cut the tubing to the desired length. If I over fill, just insert tube, the syringe will hit the top of bottle stopping it, pull up on plunger and you've got a perfect level. Easy way to make sure before you cork.



Edit: Oops, didn't see the post.

I don't know how to adjust the filling, but I'm heading home now. I will have to look then. Also, it was foamy when it was filling (the wine has no gas, it just foamed up from the splashing I suppose) When I saw filling using it in Youtube videos, it didn't do that.

I suppose I will need to re-cork more of them if it needs a full finger of space. Most now have space, but it might not be a full finger of space.

Still learning! hah

 

[Tnuscan]

Close to the width of a cork, not the length, will be fine.

 

[dcbrown73]

Now that I think about it. The foam was probably from dosing it with 1.5 grams of k-meta. The tester said it was at 20ppm SO2 and I figured I should bring it up to around 57ppm. I did that, then racked it, then filled the bottles. I suppose next time I should dose it then wait a couple of days before bottling.

 

[NCWC]

Now that I think about it. The foam was probably from dosing it with 1.5 grams of k-meta. The tester said it was at 20ppm SO2 and I figured I should bring it up to around 57ppm. I did that, then racked it, then filled the bottles. I suppose next time I should dose it then wait a couple of days before bottling.

What is the PH? 57 SO2 sounds high 3.5 ph=50ppm

 

[Tnuscan]

Now that I think about it. The foam was probably from dosing it with 1.5 grams of k-meta. The tester said it was at 20ppm SO2 and I figured I should bring it up to around 57ppm. I did that, then racked it, then filled the bottles. I suppose next time I should dose it then wait a couple of days before bottling.

On DB and wine kits that your going to bottle early I'd toss 1/4 tsp. of K-meta in. Fruit and grape wines that your going to bulk age I would keep a closer eye on the so2, with the SC-300. Just my thoughts.

 

[dcbrown73]

What is the PH? 57 SO2 sounds high 3.5 ph=50ppm

I didn't know exactly what it needed to be. (I haven't learned that as of yet) I read several places about 50ppm and the documentation I read with the SC-300 matched exactly what I was finding. My ppm was 20 and it said raise it to 57ppm and then gave me the math to figure out how to raise it 37ppm based on the 20ppm and the volume of wine.

 

[NCWC]

For me when you get above 50-60ppm I can taste the SO

 

[dcbrown73]

For me when you get above 50-60ppm I can taste the SO

I do not taste it. Besides, based on what I read odds are good the wine will end up less than 57ppm due to SO2 binding.

 

[NCWC]

I do not taste it. Besides, based on what I read odds are good the wine will end up less than 57ppm due to SO2 binding.

And it will be gone by Summers end

 

[NCWC]

Rack and add everything as per step 4 a week ago

Went back today to do step 5 and the wine is still fermenting
De-gassed the S out of it last week
Dont' see how will give an other week

 

[mennyg19]

Hi everyone, I want to make dragon blood as my first wine. I contacted a wine supplies store here in israel for all the supplies. The issue is that I'm jewish and he said that the yeast nutrient, energizer and pectic enzyme are not certified kosher.
I know I can use papaya peels instead of the enzyme, but I cant get that around here either (they dont grow them in israel). Is there anything else I can substitute? Also, anything I can substitute instead of the nutrient and energizer?
And last question: if I don't substitute, how much will it affect the final product?

 

[chrisjw]

Hi everyone, I want to make dragon blood as my first wine. I contacted a wine supplies store here in israel for all the supplies. The issue is that I'm jewish and he said that the yeast nutrient, energizer and pectic enzyme are not certified kosher.
I know I can use papaya peels instead of the enzyme, but I cant get that around here either (they dont grow them in israel). Is there anything else I can substitute? Also, anything I can substitute instead of the nutrient and energizer?
And last question: if I don't substitute, how much will it affect the final product?

There is a Kosher yeast nutrient, Fermaid K (Kosher).
http://www.scottlab.com/product-105.aspx

I have not seen a Kosher energizer, which I believe has additional ingredients over a yeast nutrient, but every mfgr product is slightly different.

EDIT:
Without Pectic Enzyme, the wine may turn out to be cloudy (due to pectin haze). However, it may not be cloudy because Pectic Enzyme is produced by the fermentation process. The flavor will not be affected by the pectin haze.

EDIT 2:
Do a search on 'yeast nutrient substitute' and you will find some alternatives.

EDIT 3:
...and if you don't add energizer and/or yeast nutrient, you might have side effects: fermentation may not start, or be slow, or cause H2S in the final product. More risk for sure, but I do not know what the chances are for these to occur.

 

[StevieP]

Would Red Star Cote des Blancs be an acceptable substitute for EC-118 in dragon blood?

 

[reefman]

Look at post #2172.
It has been used by others.

 

[Whitehrs]

Would Red Star Cote des Blancs be an acceptable substitute for EC-118 in dragon blood?

That is what I used. I believe there is a flavor difference. Mine is turning out fine. I will use the exact listed yeast next time.

 

[drainsurgeon]

I'm 3 weeks into my first DB and close to bottling. I want to get another batch going but have a question. Many of my questions have been answered by reading this LENGTHY thread but I'm up to post # 2360 and haven't seen an answer to my question. (apologies if this has been asked already) I'm going to start a batch of Peach/Mango and am going with 10# of each fruit. I was a little surprised how much the water level raised with the addition of 6#. So adding 16#-20# of fruit like many are doing now, do you reduce the amount of water into the must to say, 5 or 5 1/2 gallons help with the volume of the extra fruit? I think my primary is 7 1/2 gallons and a little concerned about getting too high (no pun intended) in the primary.

 

[willie]

I'm 3 weeks into my first DB and close to bottling. I want to get another batch going but have a question. Many of my questions have been answered by reading this LENGTHY thread but I'm up to post # 2360 and haven't seen an answer to my question. (apologies if this has been asked already) I'm going to start a batch of Peach/Mango and am going with 10# of each fruit. I was a little surprised how much the water level raised with the addition of 6#. So adding 16#-20# of fruit like many are doing now, do you reduce the amount of water into the must to say, 5 or 5 1/2 gallons help with the volume of the extra fruit? I think my primary is 7 1/2 gallons and a little concerned about getting too high (no pun intended) in the primary.

Been waiting for someone else to answer your question that maybe has made a Peach/Mango variant. I never have. If I was going to I wouldn't use more than 7 # of each fruit for a total of 14 # when making a 6 gal. batch and I think you would use 2 bags for that. The most fruit I have ever used in a 6 gal. batch is 15 # making Strawberry wine. When I make Triple Berry DB I have not used more than 9 # but prefer the Original 6 # that I usually make.
What ever you end up doing keep us posted as to what you ended up doing and how it turned out.

Will

 

[drainsurgeon]

Been waiting for someone else to answer your question that maybe has made a Peach/Mango variant. I never have. If I was going to I wouldn't use more than 7 # of each fruit for a total of 14 # when making a 6 gal. batch and I think you would use 2 bags for that. The most fruit I have ever used in a 6 gal. batch is 15 # making Strawberry wine. When I make Triple Berry DB I have not used more than 9 # but prefer the Original 6 # that I usually make.
What ever you end up doing keep us posted as to what you ended up doing and how it turned out.

Will

I thought that I had read (on more than one post) that the light colored fruit like mango and peach required ALOT more fruit. Maybe 20# is a bit too much. Thanks for the reply Will. Anyone else made this combination and with how much fruit and what did you think of the results?