Dragon Blood in 15 days!!!

[dangerdave]

I'm glad you guys and gals have kept at it! I've been overwhelmed with family from out of state this week. We had a great cook-out wine-out this week end with eight varieties of my wine on hand.

You'll never guess the favorate. It was my littlemonkey lemon wine (based on Lon's original recipe), the cheapest wine I make. It was very hot outside, and everyone drank the lemon wine over ice. The ladies---encouraged by my lovelt wife---drank theirs with a splash of strawberry daiquiri mix, making strawberry lemonade with a kick! They consumed or carted off nearly an entire 30 bottle batch! I started more yesterday.

I'm sorry if I missed any important questions. Shoot 'em back at me if I did.

And, John, that stuff looks great!

 

[oldwhiskers]

Sounds like you did good entertaining with a small dent in your stores. I went ahead and drew a sample out and sweetened it tonight, it really smells good and tastes pretty good for only being less than three weeks since pitching the yeast. You can taste the berries and the lemon pretty good and it should really taste good after a couple of months to smooth out. Here's a shot in the glass. Yours is probably a darker color and a stronger berry flavor from fermenting on the fruit but this is not bad.

 

[dangerdave]

Beautiful! Looks like a blush! Good job, John.

I have noticed that, for some reason, the Dragon Blood gets very bad bottle shock. It does, however, improved significantly over the first few weeks in the bottle. This Fall, I get to try some year old Dragon Blood. I hid some from the drinkers!

 

[ShelleyDickison]

Started the Dragon Blood on 10 July. I am very excited.

 

[oldwhiskers]

Looking good.

 

[nate0001]

Racked to secondary today. Has a really odd smell. It doesn't smell like sulfer, fingernail polish, vinegar, mold, etc. Can't really put my finger on it but it's just an odd smell. It seems like all the berry aroma was just sucked away.

How pronounced should the berry flavor be? This and the other batch I have that finished fermenting, it's mostly an odd mix of fermented lemon juice with a hint of the fruit in the background. Granted I just mixed in the sugar to the berry one (but can't really taste the sugar atm).

 

[oldwhiskers]

A lot of the time the smell kinda goes a bit and comes back after some aging. Mine has a light berry smell but I think you can smell the young alcohol also. If it fermented dry SG < 1.000, you won't taste any of the sugar. If the wine has not clarified yet you will have kind of a jumbled up smell, after clarifying the smell should be a little more noticeable.

 

[nate0001]

Yeah I cleared and racked off the lees so I just put sugar in. Got down to 0.992. Have to see how it is in a few days I suppose. Just worried I screwed something up and will have to dump it

 

[oldwhiskers]

What SG did you sweeten it to, or did you just sweeten a glass of it? In my post above I have a picture of my last batch that I pitched the yeast on 6/25/12, I could smell and taste the berries but it was not an in your face type flavor, it was more mild/mellow berry flavor with the young alcohol standing out the most. My starting SG was 1.100 on it.

Just Finished

 

[nate0001]

Well I figured out it's actually my water that's causing the odd smell. Took out a clean glass and had a glass of water earlier, came back and smelled it. Smelt exactly like what the pee smelt like except not as strong.

Thankfully the berry aromas and taste are coming back up and it's tasting mighty fine. About to bottle here in next few hours.

Edit: All worries from previous gone. Had enough for 28 full bottles and a glass to try. Not bad considering I spilt a bunch trying to rack. lol. It's delicious!

 

[southlake333]

Well I figured out it's actually my water that's causing the odd smell. Took out a clean glass and had a glass of water earlier, came back and smelled it. Smelt exactly like what the pee smelt like except not as strong.

Thankfully the berry aromas and taste are coming back up and it's tasting mighty fine. About to bottle here in next few hours.

Edit: All worries from previous gone. Had enough for 28 full bottles and a glass to try. Not bad considering I spilt a bunch trying to rack. lol. It's delicious!

Looks great!

 

[southlake333]

Sounds like you did good entertaining with a small dent in your stores. I went ahead and drew a sample out and sweetened it tonight, it really smells good and tastes pretty good for only being less than three weeks since pitching the yeast. You can taste the berries and the lemon pretty good and it should really taste good after a couple of months to smooth out. Here's a shot in the glass. Yours is probably a darker color and a stronger berry flavor from fermenting on the fruit but this is not bad.

I'm definitely going to have to try a batch of this. The ease of just dumping in some concentrate is too tempting to pass up.

 

[oldwhiskers]

Well I figured out it's actually my water that's causing the odd smell. Took out a clean glass and had a glass of water earlier, came back and smelled it. Smelt exactly like what the pee smelt like except not as strong.

Thankfully the berry aromas and taste are coming back up and it's tasting mighty fine. About to bottle here in next few hours.

Edit: All worries from previous gone. Had enough for 28 full bottles and a glass to try. Not bad considering I spilt a bunch trying to rack. lol. It's delicious!

Looking pretty good Nate.

 

[Boatboy24]

Looks great, Nate! Enjoy it!

 

[nate0001]

Thanks. Brought some bottles over to my cousins for dinner just earlier. Downed them all and we all ended up passed out.

 

[dangerdave]

Careful now! That's some easy drinking stuff. I'm glad you like it, Nate. Pics are great! You got that haze handled and it worked out fine. A few weeks in the bottle, and it'll be even better!

 

[Hokapsig]

I had some haze in my Dargon Blood, but tossed 2 extra tsp of enzyme and it appears to be clearing and looking like everyone else's Blood. I have to stabilize and preserve and back sweeten. The initial tasting was a bit rough. What SG should I look for when backsweetening?

 

[nate0001]

I had some haze in my Dargon Blood, but tossed 2 extra tsp of enzyme and it appears to be clearing and looking like everyone else's Blood. I have to stabilize and preserve and back sweeten. The initial tasting was a bit rough. What SG should I look for when backsweetening?

It's to your taste pretty much. I used 60 oz of RealLemon and 5 cups of sugar for backsweeting and it came out perfect for me. My aunt, who only drinks dry wine, said it had a good flavor but was a bit too sweet for her.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

I picked up the ReaLemon juice, frozen fruit and sugar today. I'll be heading to the LHBS tomorrow or Friday so I can start a batch of this over the weekend. I could only get the strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry blend but I think it will be fine.

 

[nate0001]

I picked up the ReaLemon juice, frozen fruit and sugar today. I'll be heading to the LHBS tomorrow or Friday so I can start a batch of this over the weekend. I could only get the strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry blend but I think it will be fine.

That's what I used. Came out delicious.