Dragon Blood in 15 days!!!

[nate0001]

Pitched the yeast yesterday afternoon. Woke up to it fermenting pretty vigorously. Sg dropped from 1.0725 to 1.0640.

 

[dangerdave]

Ah, so I take it your two experimental batches are complete? That's 18 days so far on those batches. Not to shabby!

They were....are...clear. I didn't get to them right away, though. Other stuff came up, and I had to leave them sit a few extra days. JJ says his was clear and bottled after 14 days!

I'm proceeding tomorrow.

 

[dangerdave]

Pitched the yeast yesterday afternoon. Woke up to it fermenting pretty vigorously. Sg dropped from 1.0725 to 1.0640.

How's it coming, Nate?

 

[nate0001]

How's it coming, Nate?

Just checked it and it's at 0.996. Wonder if I should rack now or see if it gets to 0.990 for a final 11% abv?

 

[dangerdave]

That's totally up to you. I'd give it one more day if that fits your schedule.

 

[nate0001]

Guess I'll wait another day, rack, and then start another batch but with a mango, peace, pineapple, banana frozen fruit mix that the store sells...

 

[dangerdave]

Nice. I got some tropical fruit wine clearing even as we post! Mango, peach, strawberry, pineapple. It was a favorate, so it made it into my prefered recipes.

 

[southlake333]

Nice. I got some tropical fruit wine clearing even as we post! Mango, peach, strawberry, pineapple. It was a favorate, so it made it into my prefered recipes.

Oooo....do share! I'm looking for a recipe to try next and was just thinking pineapple/tropical the morning.

 

[dangerdave]

Well, JJ, my notes are at home. I'm still at work---26 hours and counting---covering for a guy whose mother is very ill. I'll try to post up that recipe for my Blue Macaw Tropical Fruit Wine soon. Thanks for asking.

 

[nate0001]

Ended up racking a bunch of lees... I have much to learn about the effective process...

 

[oldwhiskers]

Inspired by the Dragon Blood recipe and wanting to do something similar with just juices, I started a batch using 96 oz ReaLemon and 2 gallons of Ocean Spray cranberry, blackberry, and blueberry. Starting at SG 1.100 I pitched the yeast on Monday and was at 1.026 last night. Tasted at 1.050 and if that is similar to finished flavor, then this one will be put on my favorites list, it was pretty tasty. This is a 6 gallon batch with a little over.

 

[dangerdave]

I'll have to try that one, John. Using juice would simplify the process even more. However, the berries I use give the Dragon Blood a very rich fruity flavor. I'm sure the skins of the fruit affect the body as well. How did you decide on using 2 gallons of juice? Was that what you needed to get the beginning SG you wanted? Remember, when you ferment it dry (SG<1.000), it won't be sweet any more. That's why you backsweeten it after clearing out all the yeasties.

Good luck, John!

 

[oldwhiskers]

I went with 2 gallons after backing out 40 oz of ReaLemon since the SP recipe uses appoximately 20 oz per gallon. I thought that the 2 gallons would give me sufficient berry favoring, time will tell. My last batch of SP was back sweetened after stabilization and fining to 1.006. Initially after tasting one week later I thought it was was to sweet but after a few more weeks it seems perfect and very smooth. The flavor of the batch with Ocean Spray really tasted fantastic at 1.050, at 1.026 you can tell it's a lot dryer and the young alcohol taste stands out.

No hurry on this one, I have roughly 20 gallons of Apple & Skeeter Pee I need to bottle while I let this one settle down and age a bit while I am refilling my carboys.

 

[dangerdave]

I went with 2 gallons after backing out 40 oz of ReaLemon since the SP recipe uses appoximately 20 oz per gallon. I thought that the 2 gallons would give me sufficient berry favoring, time will tell.

Let us know how it turns out. I am very interested.

My last batch of SP was back sweetened after stabilization and fining to 1.006. Initially after tasting one week later I thought it was was to sweet but after a few more weeks it seems perfect and very smooth.

I've noticed that, too. A few weeks in the bottle, and this stuff is great!

No hurry on this one, I have roughly 20 gallons of Apple & Skeeter Pee I need to bottle while I let this one settle down and age a bit while I am refilling my carboys.

I feel your pain. I've got six (5-6 gallon) carboys in the Lab, and five are ready to bottle. I'm woefully short on clear bottles! I've got cookouts scheduled for next weekend, and my lovely wife is looking at me like...

I gotta get busy bottling...

 

[oldwhiskers]

LOL, better keep the wife happy.

 

[smack]

i'll have to come up with a better name

in keeping with the trend, i'm trying a variety based on your recipe. since i live in okinawa, i thought a version specific to this region would be fun. instead of lemon juice i'm using shikwasa, as it grows locally.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrus_depressa
instead of triple berry, i picked up some wax apples at the local market today. i'm not entirely certain that they grow on this tiny island, but they are a tropical fruit from this regioin with flesh like a pear and an almost floral taste, like hibiscus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syzygium_samarangense
im making 3 gallons, as i'm waiting on the rest of my carboys to arrive on the slow boat from the U.S.

dragon blood would be a great name for an asian inspired skeeter pee but that one is already taken. if it turns out well i'll have to coin a moniker even more apropos.

 

[btom2004]

Let us know how it turns out. I am very interested.



I've noticed that, too. A few weeks in the bottle, and this stuff is great!



I feel your pain. I've got six (5-6 gallon) carboys in the Lab, and five are ready to bottle. I'm woefully short on clear bottles! I've got cookouts scheduled for next weekend, and my lovely wife is looking at me like...

I gotta get busy bottling...

Question: Any reason why the SP has to go in clear bottles?

 

[southlake333]

Question: Any reason why the SP has to go in clear bottles?

To let you see the beautiful color of the pee! Since I keep mine in a wine rack in the dining room, I'm using mostly green bottles to avoid sunlight. But, I've started bottling one bottle from each batch in clear bottles so I can see the color differences.

 

[oldwhiskers]

The latest taste test is still pretty tasty and the berry flavor is moving to the front again, almost ready to move to the secondary.

 

[btom2004]

To let you see the beautiful color of the pee! Since I keep mine in a wine rack in the dining room, I'm using mostly green bottles to avoid sunlight. But, I've started bottling one bottle from each batch in clear bottles so I can see the color differences.

I thought as much. Speaking about color. How do you get your SP to retain color? Mine went from a brilliant red to a pale yellow, after adding fining agents K-Meta and Sorbate. I'm gussing the skins in primary adds the color and it sticks after fining. If you switch to juice as oldwhiskers suggested above you will lose that great color?