DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[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.

Mine has been racked once into a 3 gallon glass carboy and it’s been two days and there is still really fine particles floating around and they look like they are suspended in the wine. Did you also have this after two days?

 

[RadRob]

No I didn't. I would add a little pectic enzyme and degas, that should drop it in a day.

 

[Tinwakr]

No I didn't. I would add a little pectic enzyme and degas, that should drop it in a day.

Thanks for the quick reply!

I degassed like mad (for a half hour)as per directions, no foaming continued. How much more pectin enzyme for three gallons? Maybe wait for a complete week before I worry about it?

 

[RadRob]

I'm sure everybody would say just wait but I have no patience so I would add 1/2 tsp and stir good. It's your call either way it should clear in a week.

 

[Allie Geiger]

Help!!
I JUST started a batch of Skeeter Pee in the fermenter, and we have been invited to visit family for the weekend.
Staying home is out of the question, as my kids are bouncing-off-the-walls excited to go to Grandma's house, but what about my wine? I'm worried the skeeter will go sulpher-y over the weekend not being stirred to incorporate oxygen. What can I do to prevent, or "push pause" while we are away?
I don't really trust someone else coming in to stir it, as I am particular about sanitizing, etc. I have no other friends that are familiar with making wine.

 

[cmason1957]

Help!!
I JUST started a batch of Skeeter Pee in the fermenter, and we have been invited to visit family for the weekend.
Staying home is out of the question, as my kids are bouncing-off-the-walls excited to go to Grandma's house, but what about my wine? I'm worried the skeeter will go sulpher-y over the weekend not being stirred to incorporate oxygen. What can I do to prevent, or "push pause" while we are away?
I don't really trust someone else coming in to stir it, as I am particular about sanitizing, etc. I have no other friends that are familiar with making wine.

Go and have fun. Slap a lid on it with an airlock. It's wine, not a baby that requires absolute attention. Yes, I stir my wines somewhat regularly during the time it is in the primary fermenter, but if I forget for a day, it still ferments just fine. Don't worry, be happy.

 

[Allie Geiger]

Go and have fun. Slap a lid on it with an airlock. It's wine, not a baby that requires absolute attention. Yes, I stir my wines somewhat regularly during the time it is in the primary fermenter, but if I forget for a day, it still ferments just fine. Don't worry, be happy.

Phew! One more question though, what about it being Skeeter pee and needing more nutrient and juice added at SG 1.05? Will it mess up my batch if I miss that?

 

[cmason1957]

Phew! One more question though, what about it being Skeeter pee and needing more nutrient and juice added at SG 1.05? Will it mess up my batch if I miss that?

I would add it now before you leave. Your are changing the pH of the must, after starting to ferment. The yeast are used to what it was,so you give them some extra help.

 

[Tinwakr]

I'm sure everybody would say just wait but I have no patience so I would add 1/2 tsp and stir good. It's your call either way it should clear in a week.

What I think I’ll do is wait the week, at that point if it’s not totally clear I will rack and add 1/2 tsp of pectin enzyme. Maybe I didn’t add enough at the start?

I can always cold crash as well I guess. [emoji6]

 

[Tinwakr]

Well, racked again and added a tsp of pectin enzyme. Hopefully clear in the next couple of days.

 

[MickeyB]

Bottled one yesterday that didn’t clear in 2 weeks with Super Kleer. Had substituted orange for the lemon in primary and think this somehow changed things. Reracked it and Super Kleered a second time and cleared in 24 hrs. Not sure the difference, but think the orange was the culprit since is the only batch that didn’t clear quickly first pass and the only one with orange in it.

 

[Allie Geiger]

Bottled one yesterday that didn’t clear in 2 weeks with Super Kleer. Had substituted orange for the lemon in primary and think this somehow changed things. Reracked it and Super Kleered a second time and cleared in 24 hrs. Not sure the difference, but think the orange was the culprit since is the only batch that didn’t clear quickly first pass and the only one with orange in it.

I didn’t realize you can use superkleer more than once! I figured if it didn’t work the first time, that was that.

 

[Tinwakr]

Well, after racking and adding pectic enzyme for the second time, it is now crystal clear! Working 7 days per week, no time to bottle. [emoji30] I hope to have it bottled before Christmas Day.

 

[dangerdave]

One of the first rules I learned in wine making, and I often repeat: Pectin haze is the number one cause of cloudy wine. The great thing is that pectic enzyme will not effect your wine. If you have to dose it again, you can do so with confidence.

While we’re on the wine clearing subject, let me say this. Last year I purchased bulk liters of both kieselsol and chitosan. I have used both of these in numerous of batches of Dragon Blood (mostly). It was not the first time I had used them from bunk purchases. This time, with this year’s purchase, they have repeatedly failed to clear quickly. I have used SuperKlear many time and had them clear in days. With these last liters purchased it takes more than a week. Recently, I have done a side by side with SuperKlear that proved my suspicions. The products I purchased in bulk were inferior to the SuperKlear, which will clear in days without fail. Just an FYI for you all.

 

[Tinwakr]

Well, all bottled! 7-375ml bottles for gifts and 12-750ml for us! Oh ya, and a glass for the brew guy! LOL!

I added 2-1/2 cups of sugar to back-sweeten mine.

I have a 3 gallon batch of apple wine just about ready for second racking and 6 gallons of an Argentina Ridge Merlot kit just started yesterday, and a gallon batch of white wine using Welch’s white grape juice.

Wife says gotta get these finished before I start another batch.

Next up: blueberry dragon’s blood and raspberry dragon’s blood, 5 gallons of each! Gotta stock up for summer and these wines will be perfect!!

 

[MickeyB]

Well done, Tinwakr!

 

[Tinwakr]

One of the first rules I learned in wine making, and I often repeat: Pectin haze is the number one cause of cloudy wine. The great thing is that pectic enzyme will not effect your wine. If you have to dose it again, you can do so with confidence.

While we’re on the wine clearing subject, let me say this. Last year I purchased bulk liters of both kieselsol and chitosan. I have used both of these in numerous of batches of Dragon Blood (mostly). It was not the first time I had used them from bunk purchases. This time, with this year’s purchase, they have repeatedly failed to clear quickly. I have used SuperKlear many time and had them clear in days. With these last liters purchased it takes more than a week. Recently, I have done a side by side with SuperKlear that proved my suspicions. The products I purchased in bulk were inferior to the SuperKlear, which will clear in days without fail. Just an FYI for you all.

Why not just use the Chitosan and Kieselsol? My local brew store sells these. I found Sparkoloid worked well also, I just didn’t add enough pectic enzyme I think.

 

[Keith5]

Started first DB 3 weeks ago. Great AF with 1118 yeast. Racked to 1 gallon glass carboy and put on air lock. It looks good and clearing via gravity. However, it smelled awesome on AF, but aroma has declined ALOT and test taste at racking was bitter( honestly awful. When does this get drinkable? Original SG was 1.08 and fermented dry to 0.96

 

[Tinwakr]

Started first DB 3 weeks ago. Great AF with 1118 yeast. Racked to 1 gallon glass carboy and put on air lock. It looks good and clearing via gravity. However, it smelled awesome on AF, but aroma has declined ALOT and test taste at racking was bitter( honestly awful. When does this get drinkable? Original SG was 1.08 and fermented dry to 0.96

Did you back sweeten?

 

[Keith5]

This is first DB run. It’s still in secondary clearing up a few weeks, so I have not backsweetened yet or sorbated. I did try a test glass on racking to secondary and was way tart, flat, etc. I added 3 teaspoon of simple syrup in the glass and it was palatable. Not fruity tasting or smelling like it was in primary AF(which smelled awesome). I’ll let it settle out a amonth, rack, use bentonite to clear if cloudy backsweeten and sorbate. We shall see