DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[wildhair]

Did you already add potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulphite before sweetening? If not, I would do that now. If you did - then I'd give it a week > month to settle out. It's likely just some solids from the juice.

 

[SteveR87]

Yeah I added that before and let it sit a week. It was crystal clear. I may have take gotten a little to close to the sediment when taking it out. I’ll let it sit for a while.

 

[aabshire]

Been reading and lurking about and have made 6 batches of DB and variations of mixed berry/fruit. I was just given 25 lbs of homegrown frozen blackberries by some friends! I have read through the thread and "picked out" the ones talking about blackberry versions. I have made blackberry wine before and used 4 lbs per gallon, which is what most recipes I have found call of) so I am thinking of using the DB version using all of 25 lb in a six gallon batch and 16 oz of lemon juice. Thoughts? (I know this can be a loaded question!! )

 

[heyyou]

Openebed our first bottle of DB yesterday afternoon. This is a keeper. What a perfect summer wine.

 

[willie]

I just backsweetend my first batch of DB with Whitegrape Rasberry concentrate and it seemed to cloud up some. It was crystal clear before I added the concentrate. Can I add sparkloid again even though I added it last week before sweetening? SG was at .993 before sweetening and it had been down that low for about 2 weeks.

After back sweetening we always wait 7-10 days and it should clear back up.

Will

 

[dangerdave]

Been reading and lurking about and have made 6 batches of DB and variations of mixed berry/fruit. I was just given 25 lbs of homegrown frozen blackberries by some friends! I have read through the thread and "picked out" the ones talking about blackberry versions. I have made blackberry wine before and used 4 lbs per gallon, which is what most recipes I have found call of) so I am thinking of using the DB version using all of 25 lb in a six gallon batch and 16 oz of lemon juice. Thoughts? (I know this can be a loaded question!! )

I think your plan sounds perfect. Blackberry wine is one of my favorites.

 

[aabshire]

I think your plan sounds perfect. Blackberry wine is one of my favorites.

Well, those black berries had a ton of juice! I was only able to add about 4 gallons of water to get to 6 gallon level! I added my 12 lbs of sugar (my normal for DDDB) and my starting SG is 1.114. I'll see what it is tomorrow when I pitch my yeast

PS Blackberry is my favorite and a fan favorite. I normally make it with the Vintner's Best Blackberry Fruit Base in a 5 gallon batch so I am really excited to see how this batch comes out.

 

[Billie Rezarch]

You guys! I made the original recipe in January and it turned out amazing (according to my husband and in-laws). I can't drink right now so I'm believing them. I started a tropical version right after because I'm "stocking up" while pregnant but its been sitting clearing for quite a while because the smell was making me super nauseous. I thought my original was clear, wrong! This one, having had more time to settle and clear, is incredible! I think it's been clearing for 6 weeks. What a difference a little (forced) patience makes! Now I need to just make a wine rack for my basement to hold all the bottles I'll be putting up in the next 6 months!

 

[winemanden]

I don't know how this would affect the taste. If you're going to back-sweeten, in theory you could syphon off some of your wine, boil it up to drive off the alcohol, then dissolve your sugar in it and add back to the carboy.
Just theory on my part, but it might work???

 

[wildhair]

I found it easier to just add frozen Berry Juice concentrate. Plus it adds body.

 

[SteveR87]

Thanks for everyone’s help on sweetening and clearing my first batch of DB. It’s back to crystal clear and smells amazing. We’ll let it sit for a while longer and then bottle it.

 

[wildhair]

I just racked and backsweetened my 6 gal. of DB. I added 4 cans of frozen Berry Blend conc., 2 cans of frozen White Grape conc. and 1 1/2 cups of simple syrup. I also added Brewers Best natural flavorings - 2 oz. each of Raspberry, Blackberry and Strawberry. Really perked up the flavor. My wife tasted it, smiled and asked how much I made.
The calcium carbonate additions and reducing the lemon juice in the must kept the acidity at 3.6 ph in the finished wine. Using 3# of fruit per gallon and a box of golden raisins also helped give it more body and flavor, I think. It's still crystal clear, but I'll wait a couple weeks and bottle it up.

 

[Cellar Vader]

I just racked and backsweetened my 6 gal. of DB. I added 4 cans of frozen Berry Blend conc., 2 cans of frozen White Grape conc. and 1 1/2 cups of simple syrup. I also added Brewers Best natural flavorings - 2 oz. each of Raspberry, Blackberry and Strawberry. Really perked up the flavor. My wife tasted it, smiled and asked how much I made.
The calcium carbonate additions and reducing the lemon juice in the must kept the acidity at 3.6 ph in the finished wine. Using 3# of fruit per gallon and a box of golden raisins also helped give it more body and flavor, I think. It's still crystal clear, but I'll wait a couple weeks and bottle it up.

Sounds like things are coming along nicely for you with this batch. I’ve taken your advice and have left my 2 batches to sit another week on the Sparkalloid to clear. I am planning to test my TA tomorrow, as I have purchased some .1N Sodium Hydroxide and will use that in conjunction with my pH meter to get a value. I will most likely be adding calcium carbonate to bring that into range, and have 12 cans of that Berry concentrate to play with. Can’t wait to see how this turns out.
Keep us posted on the progress of your batch, it sounds like it’ll be a total summer “patio pounder!”

 

[beano]

Blackberry Dragon Blood. Started yesterday. SG of 1.095. Can't wait.

 

[Cellar Vader]

Blackberry Dragon Blood. Started yesterday. SG of 1.095. Can't wait.View attachment 54195

Awesome idea! Have you made a BB Dragon Blood before? How many lbs of fruit did you use for this batch?

 

[mhopkins]

The DB recipe is very versatile. Besides making a bunch of different berry batches I've used the Db recipe, with minor tweaks, for making a peach wine (using 14 lbs of peaches) and an apple wine (6 gallons of freshly pressed cider. Apple wine is still bulk aging).

I want to make a DB Peach wine. Besides 14 lbs of peaches (Frozen sliced? Fresh?), what other tweaks did you make the the DB recipe? Thanks for the help! Mark

 

[wildhair]

Yes, I believe it turned out pretty nice. The changes I made to the original recipe worked out well for my tastes. And - it should be repeatable this time, which is always a good thing when you like the result.

 

[beano]

Cellar Vader, yes I have. Many times. I used 6 of pounds frozen blackberries, 1 pound Bananas and 1- 14oz can of whole berry cranberry sauce. This is a 5 gallon batch.

Awesome idea! Have you made a BB Dragon Blood before? How many lbs of fruit did you use for this batch?

l

 

[Cellar Vader]

Cellar Vader, yes I have. Many times. I used 6 of pounds frozen blackberries, 1 pound Bananas and 1- 14oz can of whole berry cranberry sauce. This is a 5 gallon batch.

l

Great, thx! I’ve been thinking of doing a BB wine, so why not use the Dragon Blood template?!

 

[porkchopmessiah]

Ok,
Getting back into making some fruit wine.
Leaving out the lemon as it makes it too acidic and in favorable among my circle of drinkers.
However I am faced with the same issue which plagued and frustrated me when following the directions on this particular fruit wine.
I cannot fit 12 lbs of fruit, 2lbs of sugar & 5 gallons of water into a 6 gallon bucket.
How has everyone resolved this issue?

bigger bucket....use brute garbage cans from HD they are nsf rated for food....