Dragon Blood in 15 days!!!

[geek]

wow, really??

 

[wineforfun]

No worries, mate! We were all newbies at one time.

Keena did a great job of answering your questions, but let me convey what I do.

1. I use six gallon fermenters with lids. I do not snap them down, just place the lid on top and cover with a towel or blanket. This makes it easy for stirring and squeezing.
2. I make my wines in my basement/cellar. It stays a constant 65F-67F down there. Great for wine storage, but not so for quick fermentation. That's why I use the brew belt.
3. Like keena said---if you don't have a vacuum---stir but don't aerate. I have never been good at this---my ADD kicks in---so I use my super-fantastic allinonewinepump!
4. One gallon?! Like keena said, you will be sorry! Make a bigger batch! But, yes, this can be done. Divide by 6 and let her rip!

Good luck! And good wine!

Thanks Dave. Great advice from you and Keena.
Starting with 1gal. batches for now as I am trying to learn what the heck I am doing. Will definitely graduate to the bigger batches once I figure this out.
I bought everything last night for a 1gal. batch but was wondering, do I cut the energizer, yeast starter, etc. all in 1/6? That would be like a 1/6 or 1/8 tsp. on some of the ingredients. Also, do I cut the yeast down too or use a whole package for only 1gal?
Thanks.

 

[dangerdave]

wow, really??

Definately!

2 bags of fruit @ $9 each = $18
1 bottle of Real Lemon Juice = $2.00
10 lbs of sugar = $7
Total = $27

Cheaper if you can find some items on sale. The other ingredients are negligible if bought in bulk.

That's 30 bottles for less than $1.00 a bottle. The glass bottles themselves, if purchased new, are the most expensive part. If, like me, you can find a source for free bottles (most of the time), then it's cheap wine all the time!

 

[dangerdave]

Thanks Dave. Great advice from you and Keena.
Starting with 1gal. batches for now as I am trying to learn what the heck I am doing. Will definitely graduate to the bigger batches once I figure this out.
I bought everything last night for a 1gal. batch but was wondering, do I cut the energizer, yeast starter, etc. all in 1/6? That would be like a 1/6 or 1/8 tsp. on some of the ingredients. Also, do I cut the yeast down too or use a whole package for only 1gal?
Thanks.

Good questions. I haven't tried what you are doing, but I would say, yes. Cut it all down to 1/6, even if it's just a pinch. Never use more of anything than you need. Maybe someone who makes gallon batches will pipe in an varify, but I would say simply divide everything by six and follow the recipe from there.

 

[tatud4life]

Dave, as far as the allinonepump, do you jut pump the must out and back into the same secondary? How often do you degas? I have looked at them. I'm might get one in the near future.

Here's my latest bottled batch. I took the idea from Lon. It's a lemon lime pee.

 

[geek]

Definately!

2 bags of fruit @ $9 each = $18
1 bottle of Real Lemon Juice = $2.00
10 lbs of sugar = $7
Total = $27

Cheaper if you can find some items on sale. The other ingredients are negligible if bought in bulk.

That's 30 bottles for less than $1.00 a bottle. The glass bottles themselves, if purchased new, are the most expensive part. If, like me, you can find a source for free bottles (most of the time), then it's cheap wine all the time!

with the addition of the carboy, if an extra is not available.....

 

[dangerdave]

Dave, as far as the allinonepump, do you jut pump the must out and back into the same secondary? How often do you degas? I have looked at them. I'm might get one in the near future.

Here's my latest bottled batch. I took the idea from Lon. It's a lemon lime pee.

Here's what I do---unless I am making a kit that dictates differently. I have seven gallon plastic buckets with spigots as fermenters. When my wine has gone dry, I attach a tube and drain the wine into a carboy of appropriate size to which I have added the sulphite and sorbate. Then, using the allinonewinepump, I rack the wine into another carboy, then back to the first, then back to the second. Using racking canes and universal carboy caps, it is super easy. All I have to do is switch the vacuum tube over to the receiving carboy. Once the wine has been racked those three times, it is completely degassed. I then add the clearing agent(s). Being thoroughly degassed at this point facilitates rapid clearing.

My Leaping Lizard Lemon Lime is delicious. It tastes just like a magarita! Yours looks great!

 

[tatud4life]

Thanks Dave!!! I've invested in the carboy caps to help keep the dirt and dust out of them while they are not being used. I'll have to get more carboys to allow that kind of degassing, but I need more anyway. I'm up to 2 primaries now. The pump will be a purchase for the future I believe.

 

[keena]

Thanks Dave. Great advice from you and Keena.
Starting with 1gal. batches for now as I am trying to learn what the heck I am doing. Will definitely graduate to the bigger batches once I figure this out.
I bought everything last night for a 1gal. batch but was wondering, do I cut the energizer, yeast starter, etc. all in 1/6? That would be like a 1/6 or 1/8 tsp. on some of the ingredients. Also, do I cut the yeast down too or use a whole package for only 1gal?
Thanks.

Yea, 1/8th a tsp is common for small batches. But you can still use the whole yeast packet. If you start 2 dif batches at once you could split one packet for both but if you are only doin one, go ahead and use it all. You might go through primary fermentation in 2-3 days tho so be ready for some fast action. I had a few one gal batches of other stuff ferment dry in 3 days. Its not a bad thing if it does tho.


Edit: tatu, that stuff looks amazing! Looks delicious!

 

[tatud4life]

Thanks keena!!!! I cracked open a bottle last night and it tastes pretty good if i do say so myself! A nice hint of lime.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

I do like those bottles you used too, Marc!

 

[tatud4life]

I love those bottles also Dawg!!! I have to get people to empty them for me though. I can't stand beer.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

If I lived closer I'd definitely help you out with that

 

[tatud4life]

I could use the help Derek!!! I never developed the taste for beer. Liquor, yes! Other things, yes! (Not anymore though) Beer, NO!!!

 

[tucson]

Alcohol percentages

Confused on alcohol %. I know the sp before pitching yeast and everyday since. My question to get a final% do I measure the sp before or after back sweeting? Logic tells me after but I'm still a newby.

 

[tatud4life]

You take your final SP reading (when fermentation has stopped) and subtract it from your initial SP reading. Multiply the difference by 133 and that will give you your ABV%. Example: starting SP is 1.085. Sap after fermentation has stopped is .994. 1.085-.994=.091. .091 x 133=12.1. You would have an ABV of 12.1%.

 

[Dend78]

to add to it, if you add juice or water to it afterwards for back sweetening or top up that number will go down.

here is my question to that tatud what does the 133 represent? i cheat and use winecalc and the abv% scale on my hydrometer.

 

[tatud4life]

I have no idea dend. That was the formula I was given by someone here. It seems to work. I don't really have any way to dispute it. Lol

 

[wineforfun]

Ok, thanks again. It has been going for two days now so I will keep you posted. I actually added more than the 1/6 amts. Dave has posted for a 6gal batch. The wine equipment kit I bought came with a bunch of the chemicals already and it had a sheet explaining what each one does and how much you should use when making a 1gal batch(since it was a 1gal. equipment kit). Hopefully the little extra of things won't hurt. I did use the whole pkg. of EC-1118.

 

[tatud4life]

Sounds great!!! Keep us posted! I don't know a lot about winemaking, but I'll help you where I can! The real experts on here are extremely helpful as well!! Just ask a question and someone will answer it. Good luck to you!