Dragon Blood: Triple Berry Skeeter Pee

[Tess]

Does this sound right. It day 5 in the primary. First reading was 1.070 temp 75. Today its 1.020 and the temp is 77. Its falling fast yesterday is read at 1.042. Just need some assurance that everything is going along well

 

[Tess]

just ordered all the chemicals I need for step four last night. I hope they get here before I need to rack

 

[JetJockey]

Tess,
Sounds like it is moving along quite well. My batch's SG for the first 10 days in the primary (I waited 3 days <1 to be sure it was dry) were:
1.077; 1.059; 1.049; 1.029; 1.015; 1.008; 1.002; 0.996; 0.991; and 0.991. (These SG's are corrected for my 60*F hydrometer.)

My fermentation was at 80*-82*F with a brew belt, until I took it off on day 8. Then it dropped to 72* by day 10. The fermentation goes quickly at these temperatures. I used EC-1118 yeast.

 

[Tess]

Thanks so much Jet. Im going to wait the tree days or sure!

 

[Tess]

I reached 1.000 today. Im going to wait the tree days but Im worried my stuff will not be here by then. I know it wont it hasnt even shipped yet. Im talking about the Potassium Metabisulfite and the Sparkolloid. Should I go ahead and rack in three days and add it when it gets here. Also, I had an open ferment. Lid setting on top. Now that the ferment is done should I seal it tight these next three days?

 

[Tess]

I reached 1.000 today. Im going to wait the tree days but Im worried my stuff will not be here by then. I know it wont it hasnt even shipped yet. Im talking about the Potassium Metabisulfite and the Sparkolloid. Should I go ahead and rack in three days and add it when it gets here. Also, I had an open ferment. Lid setting on top. Now that the ferment is done should I seal it tight these next three days?

I just read it again its 1.002

 

[Tripplett]

I reached 1.000 today. Im going to wait the tree days but Im worried my stuff will not be here by then. I know it wont it hasnt even shipped yet. Im talking about the Potassium Metabisulfite and the Sparkolloid. Should I go ahead and rack in three days and add it when it gets here. Also, I had an open ferment. Lid setting on top. Now that the ferment is done should I seal it tight these next three days?

Once it's finished fermenting time isn't going to hurt it.
Snap the lid down and airlock it. You'll be fine letting it finish to dry. I think I let mine sit for a week before adding all the clearing stuff.

 

[Tess]

Once it's finished fermenting time isn't going to hurt it.
Snap the lid down and airlock it. You'll be fine letting it finish to dry. I think I let mine sit for a week before adding all the clearing stuff.

Thanks. I removed the fpack and the brew belt, snapped it down and put the air lock on. Its working. I think thats the better idea. I dont feel like opening it every day to get a reading. Im going to let it set till my stuff get here and then get a reading and continue. You have been a big help to me

 

[Tripplett]

One thing I have realized is it's kind of hard to mess this stuff up unless you really go crazy. It sounds like you are only talking a few days to a week at most. Once fermentation slows (about 1.0) the must is at risk - the important thing to do is to either 1) add K-Meda or 2) airlock. If your primary goes down to .994 under airlock and then you do step 4 I really don't think there's that big of harm. I always wait till I see three days of the same SG reading anyway.

 

[Tripplett]

Ok, DangerDave has inspired me to try a new blend for my second batch of DB. This time I am not adding any lemon (wife didn't really like it in the first batch). Instead i am adding 3-4 tsp. of acid blend (based on what I see Dave using in his other recipes). In addition to the 6 lbs. of Trader Joe's Berry Medley (raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, blueberry) I'm also adding 6 ripe bananas in their skins - cleaned and sliced as well as 1 lb. of dark raisins. Seems to me that's going to be one full strainer bag.
I also may add some or all of this quart jar of 100% "Just Black Cherry" that I found on the shelf. Depends on how it tastes.

 

[Tess]

I stopped by the winery just up the road from my house and They had everything I need. Except they didn't have Sparkaloid. They had #5 Isinglass

 

[NashChic]

Tripplett: Keep us posted how it turns out. I've made 2 (6gal) batches of Dave's original recipe... Enjoying a glass right now! The next time I make it I plan to try the bananas/raisins (and maybe a little oak). I would be curious about the addition of the cherry juice. It sounds like it would be delicious! Good luck

 

[Tripplett]

I had to take some of the liquid out and store it in the fridge. The juice was about 1 inch from the top of the pail. I would never be able to stir it and if it took off I would be in trouble. I will add it back later. I should probably start my own thread on this stuff since I'm mixing it up.

 

[dangerdave]

I have my first oaked DB in the primary right now. I'm going out of town for the week, so I'm going to rack it to a carboy under airlock and let it sit and go dry while I'm away.

I'm glad yours is going well, Tess.

 

[nbwii]

DOn't know if this has been asked and answered already but I need a quick answer.
I just racked my 6 gal batch of DB but I came up short. What can I use to top up my carboy?

 

[ShepherdQ]

I just racked my 6 gal batch of DB but I came up short. What can I use to top up my carboy?

I ran into this as well on my first batch, so I'm interested to hear what people say. I used a good 15 second blast of Winelife to fill as much of the ullage as possible with a barrier gas (Winelife is a mixture of Nitrogen and CO2).

 

[Tripplett]

To top off you can use water or (preferably) a like wine. I used a berry wine I found at the local grocery store .

 

[wildcat2013]

Wow, over the past 24 hours I've probably got an honest three hours into degassing my first batch of DB. I'm using a j'd plastic coat hanger for mechanical degassing and a medical vacuum pump for vacuum degassing (sorry Steve, it was no cost to me with Amazon points). I've still got a half of an inch of CO2 bubbles with the pump a -22mmHg. The must temp is 70f via heating pad. I've added the sorbate and metaB but not the sparkaloid.

The bottom line is that I indulged a small taste and this stuff is going to be great!. Is there anything I can do with the next batch to decrease degassing time. I was wondering if racking to degas may speed things up a bit? The image below shows current state.

Thanks for all your help, this is a fun forum to be a part of.

BC

I've got a 3 gallon batch of DB that I've been trying to degass for a week. It just seems like there is an infinite supply of CO2. I'm using a stir rod mounted on a drill and I'm doing it for about 30 minutes at a time. My SG has been at .990 for over a week and I did stabilize so I know fermentation is done. If there is this much CO2 in a 3 gallon batch I can't imagine what would be in a 6 gallon batch. It's in a plastic carboy so I can't vacuum degas. I might get a carboy heater to see if raising the temperature will speed up the process.

 

[ShawnDTurner]

Use White Zinfindel for top off.

 

[Tripplett]

Wildcat yours seems as gassy as mine was. If you look at my threads you will see a post I started on mine being so gassy. I thought I had it all and bottled. The result was a blown cork a month later. Just raise it to at least 75 and go to town. I actually used a mix-stir the first time around. However I think I'm getting more out with the spoon now. I degassed over three days and I think I got it all now but I'm going to let it sit a month and test it. You could also filter or use a pump to rack, both help degas. Sadly I have neither equipment a yet.