DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[Tinwakr]

I've been drinking since I started and I like it, it grows on you fast. I think it needs more age to bring out the flavors but it's drinkable now.

I think you'll make your deadline. I tasted it when I racked and cleared on the 29th of Nov and it had a strong lemon/alcohol flavor, today it still has a slight lemon flavor but the fruit is coming through at the finish.

I did rush it and it's getting better by the day.

Don't hate on the bottles, I'm Podunk making fruit wine. I wouldn't have it any other way.

here's my log of the process. This was a 4 gallon batch with 7 lbs of strawberry, blackberry rasberry, blueberry mix. I broke down the 6 gal recipe to 4 and went with the recipe except I added a 96oz jug of white grape & peach to the party.
22-Nov pitched yeast K1-V1116 1.095
23-Nov Pressed bag and stirred good 1.089
23-Nov pressed bag and stirred good 1.073
24-Nov stirred and measured SG in the AM 1.050
25-Nov stirred and measured SG in the AM 1.022
26-Nov stirred and measured SG in the AM 1.010
27-Nov Measured SG 1.000
28-Nov Measured SG .992
Racked, degassed & added chemicals sorbate 2.24 tsp
camden tab 1 tab SG .992
28-Nov added super kleer part 1. 5:30pm
added part 2, 8:00pm, stirred both parts in really good.
29-Nov racked and sweetened ,SG 991
29-Nov sweetened to a little over 1/2 cup per gallon.
5-Dec racked and bottled 1.004

Don't take anything I say as Gospel, this is my first batch and I started this wine thing a month ago.

When did you remove the bag from the fermenter?

 

[RadRob]

On the 23rd, the fruits were spent and shrunk down to about 10% of what I started with. I should've left them in longer but didn't think it would make a difference.

 

[Tinwakr]

All I have in my bag mostly are seed right now, I think I am gonna remove the bag tonight

 

[Tinwakr]

I think I will leave the bag in one more day, still a bit of pulp.

 

[RadRob]

It won't hurt. I have a 2nd batch started a day later and left the bag in till it hit 1.000. I need to rack it again. It cleared just as good as the first batch.

 

[dangerdave]

The blueberries are the driver for the color. I’ve made blueberry only versions (I call it “Jet Blue”) that are virtually the same color as the triple berry batches. Leaving the the skins in there until it reaches 1.000 makes all the difference in color and flavor. Trust me. I’ve made hundreds of batches.

 

[Tinwakr]

The blueberries are the driver for the color. I’ve made blueberry only versions (I call it “Jet Blue”) that are virtually the same color as the triple berry batches. Leaving the the skins in there until it reaches 1.000 makes all the difference in color and flavor. Trust me. I’ve made hundreds of batches.

I have left the bag in. Checked the SG last night(2nd night) and it was 1.061(dropped .015). Hopefully by this evening it has dropped a considerable amount. [emoji6]

 

[Tinwakr]

Last night the SG was 1.004. Looks like the first racking is happening tonight! Woot!

 

[Tinwakr]

Well, Dragon’s Blood is now clearing. SG was at 0.997. I had slightly more than 3 gallons(3 gallon carboy, 1-375 ml and 1-750 ml).

Hopefully when everything clears I will have exactly 3 gallons. I plan on bottling in some 375ml bottles(gifts) and the rest in 750ml bottles for me and my better half.

I am so stoked to try some of this and I can’t wait to start my next batch!

 

[RadRob]

It clears fast with Super Kleer, You'll see it clear within a few hours but I go 2 days and rack then rack again in 2 days and that's it.

I sweetened with 1/2 cup/gal and found it to be a good drinkable dry wine, then I added 3/4 cup/gal to one bottle and it's like fruit punch that you can drink waay too fast. Both 1.75L bottles are gone in about 4 days, it goes quick.

 

[G259]

Is it necessary to inoculate the must prior to adding the yeast, or will it already be sanitized due to the frozen berries?

 

[RadRob]

You should be safe if you're using frozen fruit.

 

[sour_grapes]

I don't think "inoculate" was the word you were looking for...

 

[Tinwakr]

It clears fast with Super Kleer, You'll see it clear within a few hours but I go 2 days and rack then rack again in 2 days and that's it.

I sweetened with 1/2 cup/gal and found it to be a good drinkable dry wine, then I added 3/4 cup/gal to one bottle and it's like fruit punch that you can drink waay too fast. Both 1.75L bottles are gone in about 4 days, it goes quick.

With that amount of sugar what was your final SG?

 

[Ajmassa]

With that amount of sugar what was your final SG?

The one batch I made— the “Dragonette” version with double the fruit and half the lemon juice essentially—— I found my sweet spot at about 1.004-1.005 SG.
Another couple months and the fruity flavor was definitely showing more signs in the wine.

 

[RadRob]

I'm not sure but I'll measure it later, I might need to know that info later myself.

 

[RadRob]

I opened up the 3rd 1/2 gallon and measured/drinking it. I'm at 1.002, it's a little dry/tart but good. It's only aged 2 weeks since it hit .992. The fruit flavor is stronger than it was last week. This is sweetened to 1/2 cup sugar per gallon. I think I need a little more sugar to help with the tart/dry taste.

AJMass^ probably has it right on the SG, I'll adjust tomorrow and drink more!!!

 

[G259]

I don't think "inoculate" was the word you were looking for...

in·oc·u·late
[iˈnäkyəˌlāt]
VERB

1. treat (a person or animal) with a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease.Compare with vaccinate.

Adding Pot-Meta, to kill wild yeast. Apparently it's not necessary in this case. Just confirming.

 

[Tinwakr]

I opened up the 3rd 1/2 gallon and measured/drinking it. I'm at 1.002, it's a little dry/tart but good. It's only aged 2 weeks since it hit .992. The fruit flavor is stronger than it was last week. This is sweetened to 1/2 cup sugar per gallon. I think I need a little more sugar to help with the tart/dry taste.

AJMass^ probably has it right on the SG, I'll adjust tomorrow and drink more!!!

I would probably like it a little tart however, my better half may not. I will likely go for a SG of about 1.005-1.010

 

[sour_grapes]

in·oc·u·late
[iˈnäkyəˌlāt]
VERB

1. treat (a person or animal) with a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease.Compare with vaccinate.

Adding Pot-Meta, to kill wild yeast. Apparently it's not necessary in this case. Just confirming.

Your definition backs up my assertion. K-meta is not a vaccine, must is not an organism, no immunity was conferred, and growth of wild yeast is not a disease. What you are doing might be termed sanitizing or the like.

The only reason I took the trouble to comment on this is that, later in the process, you WILL inoculate the must (using another meaning of inoculate):

in·oc·u·late
[iˈnäkyəˌlāt]
VERB
1. treat (a person or animal) with a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease. Compare with vaccinate.
"he inoculated his tenants against smallpox"

2. introduce (an infective agent) into an organism.
"the microorganism can be inoculated into laboratory animals"

3. introduce (cells or organisms) into a culture medium.

It goes without saying that you may use the word as you see fit, and I won't comment on it again. But don't be surprised if others don't comprehend your intended meaning.