DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[v8rx7guy]

I am working on my first batch of DB per the original instructions. I am down to around 0.994 and the wine is now under airlock in a 6gal carboy. Everything went great except now I am wondering if I used too much sugar in the beginning getting my s.g. up to 1.075. It took maybe 11 or 12 lbs... is that normal? I am thinking maybe it was not all dissolved when i took my s.g. measurements. Can I water it down later if the alcohol content seems too high?

 

[jumby]

I am working on my first batch of DB per the original instructions. I am down to around 0.994 and the wine is now under airlock in a 6gal carboy. Everything went great except now I am wondering if I used too much sugar in the beginning getting my s.g. up to 1.075. It took maybe 11 or 12 lbs... is that normal? I am thinking maybe it was not all dissolved when i took my s.g. measurements. Can I water it down later if the alcohol content seems too high?

You are fine. Don't water it down. Your starting SG is actually a little low by my standards. I usually push mine up to 1.080-1.100. Proceed to the next step.

 

[GreenEnvy22]

I'm making a batch using this recipe as a base. We picked 3 flats of strawberries this week and had 5 lbs left over after, so decided to make a batch of fruit wine.

I changed around the recipe a bit, will see how it turns out. This is what I did:

-1 bottle of ReaLemon juice ( 945ml)
-4200g white table sugar (21 cups)
-3tsp yeast nutrient
-1tsp yeast energizer
-3tsp pectic enzyme
-Added water to 23L and stirred to disolve sugar
-SG 1.07

In the nylon brewers bag:
-2200g of fresh sliced strawberries
-600g frozen blueberries
-375g thompson seedless raisins

I let it sit overnight and added the yeast this morning. I'll update as it goes along. My initial SG was lower than the recipe but I have more fruit in it, so I think it will balance out. I didn't have any tanins so added the raisins.
It's at 26L now with the fruit in it. Not as much head space in my 30L bucket as I'd like, so I may have to split some off into a smaller bucket if I get too much foaming during primary.

 

[maurtis]

It has been a while since I made my last batch of DB, got into brewing beer for a while so all my carboys went there. But with a neighborhood potluck coming up I figured some DB would be perfect.

Just backsweetened to a little over 1.005 using 3 cups of sugar (dissolved into water) and racked into a new carboy last night, looking forward to bottling next week. Man, I forgot how beautiful the color is!

I used the original recipe with the following changes Dave recommended a while back:
1/3 cup of untoasted oak powder in primary
3 tsp wine tannin in primary
3 tsp wine tannin in secondary

BUT, I just did a search and found that I might have added the secondary tannin early. I added it when I racked to clear, not AFTER clearing:

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=517730&postcount=1927

"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."


No harm I guess, just wondering if the clearing agent (Super Kleer) strips it out?

 

[Ajmassa]

It has been a while since I made my last batch of DB, got into brewing beer for a while so all my carboys went there. But with a neighborhood potluck coming up I figured some DB would be perfect.



Just backsweetened to a little over 1.005 using 3 cups of sugar (dissolved into water) and racked into a new carboy last night, looking forward to bottling next week. Man, I forgot how beautiful the color is!



I used the original recipe with the following changes Dave recommended a while back:

1/3 cup of untoasted oak powder in primary

3 tsp wine tannin in primary

3 tsp wine tannin in secondary



BUT, I just did a search and found that I might have added the secondary tannin early. I added it when I racked to clear, not AFTER clearing:



http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=517730&postcount=1927



"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."





No harm I guess, just wondering if the clearing agent (Super Kleer) strips it out?

Have you used this recipe with the extra tannin before? Ive got a DB cleared and sweetened waiting to tweak and bottle. Can you describe how that extra tannin in secondary tastes in comparison to without it? (That is, If you've done this recipe tweak before)

 

[maurtis]

I have used it before, but last time I made the same "mistake" and put the extra tannin in before clearing, so not sure if it made a difference. Taste-wise to me it was about the same, I mainly put it in to help with my wife's fibromyalgia flare-ups. Supposedly the extra tannin helps with the inflammation. Or maybe just being so easy to drink makes it work to quell the pain, LOL.

 

[Ajmassa]

I have used it before, but last time I made the same "mistake" and put the extra tannin in before clearing, so not sure if it made a difference. Taste-wise to me it was about the same, I mainly put it in to help with my wife's fibromyalgia flare-ups. Supposedly the extra tannin helps with the inflammation. Or maybe just being so easy to drink makes it work to quell the pain, LOL.

What kind of wine tannin do you use ? (Aside from the untoasted powder). Powder or liquid?
Ive only attempted to add "finishing tannin" during aging once before. I just used the generic "wine tannin" powder you see in every LHBS. I got a different suggested amount to add in every website I looked at. In the end I ended up adding too much and the tannin overpowered the wine even months later. Another lesson learned....the hard way, as always.
Maybe I'll pour some glasses and do some bench trials with this.

 

[maurtis]

I just use the powdered wine tannin from my LHBS. I did not get a overly-tannin dry mouth feel to my last batch, but I backsweeten to semi-sweet so that might have masked it.

My palate is not very fine anyway, one of my favorite wines that I have made so far has been Skittle Wine, that should say something there

 

[dallase]

I'm making a batch using this recipe as a base. We picked 3 flats of strawberries this week and had 5 lbs left over after, so decided to make a batch of fruit wine.

I changed around the recipe a bit, will see how it turns out. This is what I did:

-1 bottle of ReaLemon juice ( 945ml)
-4200g white table sugar (21 cups)
-3tsp yeast nutrient
-1tsp yeast energizer
-3tsp pectic enzyme
-Added water to 23L and stirred to disolve sugar
-SG 1.07

In the nylon brewers bag:
-2200g of fresh sliced strawberries
-600g frozen blueberries
-375g thompson seedless raisins

I let it sit overnight and added the yeast this morning. I'll update as it goes along. My initial SG was lower than the recipe but I have more fruit in it, so I think it will balance out. I didn't have any tanins so added the raisins.
It's at 26L now with the fruit in it. Not as much head space in my 30L bucket as I'd like, so I may have to split some off into a smaller bucket if I get too much foaming during primary.

I think brix level on your strawberries is much lower than your 1.07 SG mead, so in effect your final SG will be lower than 1.07. In other words, yes you get extra sugars from the fruit, but you also get extra h2o. I would throw
a few more cups of sugar at it to get 1.08-1.085. Otherwise you are making wine coolers.

The EC1118 yeast is a low foamer, I think you should be ok. If you are using
that.

 

[v8rx7guy]

Trying my first glass of dragon's blood tonight. It finished at 0.990 so if my initial s.g. reading was correct I should be sitting at 12%. I just had to sneak some out of the carboy a little early... it is mostly degassed using a vacuum, but a bit gassy still and certainly not perfectly clear yet.

But still... considering all that, I am very impressed at how tasty this is only 3 weeks after pitching the yeast! I added 1 tsp of sugar to my 1 cup of wine so that is about 0.375 cups /gallon. I might go a little higher such as 0.500 cups / gallon for my batch but dont want it too sweet! Before adding the sugar I tasted mostly lemon, but after the sugar much more fruit flavor.

I am still more of a red wine drinker, but this is a great wine to practice with during the off season! Very pleasant to drink on a hot night.

 

[Ambugaton]

I sweetened my batch to 1.002 and it is great. FYI a bottle at 3 months was significantly better. Trying to resist the urge for a couple more months. It really comes to life with some age though.

 

[Ambugaton]

I also reduced the lemon by half

 

[GreenEnvy22]

I think brix level on your strawberries is much lower than your 1.07 SG mead, so in effect your final SG will be lower than 1.07. In other words, yes you get extra sugars from the fruit, but you also get extra h2o. I would throw
a few more cups of sugar at it to get 1.08-1.085. Otherwise you are making wine coolers.

The EC1118 yeast is a low foamer, I think you should be ok. If you are using
that.

Thanks, I added 400g more sugar.

 

[willie]

Trying my first glass of dragon's blood tonight. It finished at 0.990 so if my initial s.g. reading was correct I should be sitting at 12%. I just had to sneak some out of the carboy a little early... it is mostly degassed using a vacuum, but a bit gassy still and certainly not perfectly clear yet.

But still... considering all that, I am very impressed at how tasty this is only 3 weeks after pitching the yeast! I added 1 tsp of sugar to my 1 cup of wine so that is about 0.375 cups /gallon. I might go a little higher such as 0.500 cups / gallon for my batch but dont want it too sweet! Before adding the sugar I tasted mostly lemon, but after the sugar much more fruit flavor.

I am still more of a red wine drinker, but this is a great wine to practice with during the off season! Very pleasant to drink on a hot night.

Oh it will be much better 2-3 months from now. And do yourself a favor and make a batch of skeeter pee soon while it's still summer. I just did the first rack of LemonLime version I got from the people on the skeeter pee thread. Can't wait to try it.

Will

 

[Floomagoo]

So after being extremely dissapointed with the watery, flavorless taste I got from my first batch of Dblood, I am fighting the urge to try again.

I am hoping for a very fruity early drinker with about 11% alcohol. Thinking of tripling the fruit and then backsweetening with a couple of quad berry concentrates from Wal-Mart. Would that be a mistake? Any suggestions?

 

[Ron0126]

I sweetened my batch to 1.002 and it is great. FYI a bottle at 3 months was significantly better. Trying to resist the urge for a couple more months. It really comes to life with some age though.

Agreed. Mine absolutely came to life at 3 months. Was better at 4 and I'm looking forward to 5, 6, 7 ... if it makes it that far.

Started another batch with double the fruit and it already tastes even better.

 

[PandemoniumWines]

Thinking of tripling the fruit and then backsweetening with a couple of quad berry concentrates from Wal-Mart. Would that be a mistake? Any suggestions?

At that point, wouldn't it just be berry wine with a bit of lemon? It's my impression being light on berries is part of why it can be drunk early.

 

[Hordak]

For back sweetening I've used two berry type of frozen concentrate cans with good luck and a touch more wine conditioner. I try to find the Welch's grape and raspberry frozen concentrate as most of the others are apple based.

This time I'm trying a raspberry and bluebbery f-pac with wine conditioner as a flavour and sweetening boost. I took just over 1/2 lb frozen raspberries and 1/2 pound frozen blueberries and put them in a blender with some of the just racked Dragons Bloodand then dumped them in the secondary (after sorbate addition) and stirred for a few days now I'm gonna let it sit a week then rack and do the clarifying step. Adds an extra week in but no biggy.

 

[Zintrigue]

So after being extremely dissapointed with the watery, flavorless taste I got from my first batch of Dblood, I am fighting the urge to try again.

I am hoping for a very fruity early drinker with about 11% alcohol. Thinking of tripling the fruit and then backsweetening with a couple of quad berry concentrates from Wal-Mart. Would that be a mistake? Any suggestions?

I'm still new to this, so take my advice with a grain of salt...

But I always use a little more fruit than the recipe calls for. And then I don't start off with 6 gallons, I do 7 because the bag displaces so much and I hate topping off with water. Another option was to top off with a white zin, which would brighten your end product considerably.

As for backsweetening with another juice concentrate, can't say I've ever tried that before, but I like the idea.

Hope you try again. Do keep us posted.

 

[GreenEnvy22]

Mine was down to .994 so I racked to secondary last night, Used the AIO and got lots of CO2 out.. Adjusted free SO2 to 35ppm. Once my filtering stuff arrives I'll run it through the filters. I hope to bottle at least a couple bottles by the end of July,and let the rest age for a few months.