Some DB direction

[Ajmassa]

Well I'm addicted. Not addicted to wine. But I am addicted to making wine. In leui of some recent info that my rose might not be ready to drink this summer I'm calling an audible and starting 1st batch of dragons blood this afternoon.
Is the danger Dave recipe the standard recommended one to use? Never even had it and not sure if I'll like it but I bet others well. The Mrs. and myself both enjoy dry red wine. I'm thinking I will use a light hand when back sweetening. I'm also going to make a 5 gallon batch. Good to cut all his numbers by 1/6th?

 

[NorCal]

The DB directions are for a 6 gallon batch.

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41825&highlight=dragon+blood+recipe

The only thing that I would try to do is add more fruit. Especially since you are not going sweet, you will want more fruit flavors.

 

[wineforfun]

Well I'm addicted. Not addicted to wine. But I am addicted to making wine. In leui of some recent info that my rose might not be ready to drink this summer I'm calling an audible and starting 1st batch of dragons blood this afternoon.
Is the danger Dave recipe the standard recommended one to use? Never even had it and not sure if I'll like it but I bet others well. The Mrs. and myself both enjoy dry red wine. I'm thinking I will use a light hand when back sweetening. I'm also going to make a 5 gallon batch. Good to cut all his numbers by 1/6th?

You are correct to cut it by 1/6. Just keep in mind that this is a fruit wine, not meant to be consumed dry or around there. I, like you, am a dry red drinker but when I do have some DB, I usually backsweeten around 1.008 - 1.010.
My wife likes hers around 1.016 - 1.018, but she is a sweet wine drinker.
Also, give it a couple months in the bottle and the fruit flavors will come forward much more.
As NorCal mentioned, up the fruit too. I use 1.5# per gallon. Some on here will even use 2# per gallon.

 

[Ajmassa]

Thanks a lot. Just what I was looking for. General knowledge to point me in the right direction. I guess I'll go around 8 lbs for this 5 gal batch. And I don't intend to make it dry. I Just said we like dry reds meaning I'm out of my element with this. I just won't go crazy backsweetening. I can always add more later. Your SG numbers sound like a good reference point for me tho.
I mean this stuff is so popular on here I had to give it a whirl just out of curiosity.

 

[wineforfun]

Thanks a lot. Just what I was looking for. General knowledge to point me in the right direction. I guess I'll go around 8 lbs for this 5 gal batch. And I don't intend to make it dry. I Just said we like dry reds meaning I'm out of my element with this. I just won't go crazy backsweetening. I can always add more later. Your SG numbers sound like a good reference point for me tho.
I mean this stuff is so popular on here I had to give it a whirl just out of curiosity.

I think it will serve the purpose for what you are looking for (something to drink now). It does have a certain "twist" with the lemon juice addition so don't overdo it. I believe his current recipe has the original amount cut in half. The original recipe was a little much with all the lemon.

Try the basic DB recipe and see what you think.

@Jericurl has a version of DB that is all I make, if I make DB anymore. It has a bunch of spices added to it which really make it good.............or at least to me.

 

[Ron0126]

Double the fruit. You won't regret it. Try not to drink the must ... it's good enough to bottle alone.
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34681

Another option for a quick drinker is Welch's white grape concentrate. I use 3 cans per gallon and then back sweeten for my wife with another 1/2 to 2/3 can per gallon. Also added 4 oz of golden raisins in primary. Measure your SG before you add additional sugar and shoot for 1.08 to 1.09. Very delicate flavors can get overwhelmed by too high SG.
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3658

 

[Ajmassa]

Double???? Ok. Done.

The recipe from original post in his PDF document calls for 1 box (48 oz) of lemon juice for the 6 gal batch. Is that Old or updated?

Also, I'll be at the store within the hour picking up the fruit and lemon juice. I usually pass right over "fruit wine" threads because... well because one thing at a time I guess. I also don't drink fruit wine...yet. So I don't know anything about it. Haven't been exposed much to it. Being pro-active here.
I'm willing to throw in to the primary whatever you throw at me. Why not? I'll make a "control" batch later. Ill make this interesting. What's the link for Jericurl's recipe with the spices?

 

[Ajmassa]

Just reporting back in on a bottle of my first batch of DB. It was bottled 12-20-2012. I used the original recipe, which called for double the lemon juice we now use, and only 1lb. of fruit per gallon, to which I use 1 1/2 per gallon now.



Anyway, it is incredible. So smooth. I only used 1/2 cup sugar per gal. to backsweeten and it is what I would call a semi-sweet to sweet wine. Reminds me of a white zin with much more flavor and depth.



If you can hold onto some of your DB for a year, it is well worth it. I have a few more bottles of DB variations that I am holding onto for the year mark.

Found this. Going with it. Too much DB info out there to handle. It's overwhelming. So many variations. And every single one apparently tastes great. Here goes nothing....

Edit: Just realized the dragnette version is sans lemon juice. Still Buying the lemon juice but may not use it. Gonna shoot from the hip since I don't even know what I would like in this situation.

 

[Johnd]

Found this. Going with it. Too much DB info out there to handle. It's overwhelming. So many variations. And every single one apparently tastes great. Here goes nothing....

Edit: Just realized the dragnette version is sans lemon juice. Still Buying the lemon juice but may not use it. Gonna shoot from the hip since I don't even know what I would like in this situation.

I don't use all of the lemon juice, but add it slowly, checking the pH to make sure it doesn't go too low, FWIW.

 

[Ron0126]

Double???? Ok. Done.

The recipe from original post in his PDF document calls for 1 box (48 oz) of lemon juice for the 6 gal batch. Is that Old or updated?

Also, I'll be at the store within the hour picking up the fruit and lemon juice. I usually pass right over "fruit wine" threads because... well because one thing at a time I guess. I also don't drink fruit wine...yet. So I don't know anything about it. Haven't been exposed much to it. Being pro-active here.
I'm willing to throw in to the primary whatever you throw at me. Why not? I'll make a "control" batch later. Ill make this interesting. What's the link for Jericurl's recipe with the spices?

Double only the fruit, don't double the lemon juice. It's fantastic.

 

[Ajmassa]

I don't use all of the lemon juice, but add it slowly, checking the pH to make sure it doesn't go too low, FWIW.

Thanks. And To be honest John, I'm not even breaking out any testing gear for this one aside from hydrometer. Looking forward to a nice stress free ferment. Going with 10 lbs of fruit (5 gal batch). And maybe 24 oz of the lemon is all.
I'll worry about the rest when it's time to backsweeten.
And yet another ill-prepared nonresearched impulse batch about to commence! Correlates well to my life. She calls me a dreamer, impulsive and at times irresponsible. I say I'm fun and exciting, always keeping our lives interesting.
I have straight "yeast energizer" but Is fermaid K a substitute for "yeast nutrient"?
*already on it Ron. Thanks i'm using the first recipe you posted with a touch of lemon juice.

 

[Johnd]

Thanks. And To be honest John, I'm not even breaking out any testing gear for this one aside from hydrometer. Looking forward to a nice stress free ferment. Going with 10 lbs of fruit (5 gal batch). And maybe 24 oz of the lemon is all.
I'll worry about the rest when it's time to backsweeten.
And yet another ill-prepared nonresearched impulse batch about to commence! Correlates well to my life. She calls me a dreamer, impulsive and at times irresponsible. I say I'm fun and exciting, always keeping our lives interesting.
I have straight "yeast energizer" but Is fermaid K a substitute for "yeast nutrient"?
*already on it Ron. Thanks i'm using the first recipe you posted with a touch of lemon juice.

Yes, fermaid k is fine for your nutrients. I mention the pH because with blueberries (low pH) and lemon juice (low pH), you can have low enough pH to stress your yeast. its just too easy to check.....

 

[wineforfun]

@Ajmassa5983
Correct, you don't need any testing gear for this wine other than a hydrometer.
Yes, the 48oz. of lemon juice is the "half version" which you will want to use.
Definitely make it as is to start with and then, as you have noticed, the variations are endless.
As far as the Dragonette version, when we made it, we didn't find it very appealing. Seemed flat.
You will find your way on how much fruit to use. I have made it with the 1lb. per gal. recipe, 1.5lb per gal. and 2 lb. per gal., all are good and all are fruity. You just need to give it a couple months in the bottle for the fruit to come forward. When I do make it, I have settled on the 1.5lb. per gal. ratio.

 

[Ajmassa]

I'm definitely gonna err on the side of caution and check the pH today anyway. I think I was lying to myself that I would be able to just look at SG . Just to make sure I'm not way off balanced. It's also nice to know for understanding why the finished product came to be, and how to change it in the future. I'm Letting everything chill out together all day until time permits me to check/adjust if needed/pitch.
I kinda screwed up the recipe, combining the regular and dragonette. I doubled the fruit but then realized I had no acid blend left, so I tossed in 32 oz of lemon juice. No clue how this will go.

5 gal batch
-10.5 lbs triple berry
-32 oz of lemon juice
-~17 cups of sugar bring SG to 1.080 (hope it
doesn't raise an absurd amount from fruit)
-The tannin, energizer, nutrient(fermK), & enzyme

I have about 6 diff yeasts to choose from. Though I doubt It would make a huge difference. Seems like d-47 and EC-1118 are the most used for this.

 

[willie]

If I remember correctly I believe Danger Dave liked making the Original Dragon Blood with 6 lbs of Wyman's Triple Berry frozen mix because he believed it was easier on the stomach. Acid Reflux was less of a problem using only 6 lbsl for himself and his wife an still gives the wine a nice fruity flavor. We make it with 6 and 9 lbs. and as far as Lemon juice goes we use 32-48 oz. per 6 gal. batch. Come's out tasting just great after 2-3-4 months. The wonderful thing about Dave's recipe is you can modify it any way you like to suit your taste. You can go through the thread and get all kinds of good ideas people have posted on here.

Will

 

[Ajmassa]

If I remember correctly I believe Danger Dave liked making the Original Dragon Blood with 6 lbs of Wyman's Triple Berry frozen mix because he believed it was easier on the stomach. Acid Reflux was less of a problem using only 6 lbsl for himself and his wife an still gives the wine a nice fruity flavor. We make it with 6 and 9 lbs. and as far as Lemon juice goes we use 32-48 oz. per 6 gal. batch. Come's out tasting just great after 2-3-4 months. The wonderful thing about Dave's recipe is you can modify it any way you like to suit your taste. You can go through the thread and get all kinds of good ideas people have posted on here.



Will

I just added a bottle of Mylanta to the primary. Should do the trick