Dragon Blood help.

[wineforfun]

Potassium Metabisulfite (K-Meta) same thing as the campden tabs just no binders holding it together so its a powder form and requires 1/4tsp per 6 gallons instead of like one tab per gallon or whatever your tabs say.




if it were me i would try to add as little water in the end as possible just enough to top up try to add straight juice, the more liquid you add at the end juice or water will dilute ABV, and nobody wants that

dend,
Thanks again. I didn't realize K-Meta was same as campden. Hopefully I don't screw this up.

 

[Dend78]

nah you will be good just follow what he has there and you should do just fine

 

[allenfloice]

I cracked open a bottle last night. Was soon asleep taste still getting better has a dry wine bite to it but the berries and sweetness come through in the end.

 

[dangerdave]

Glad you're enjoying it, Allen. It does make a good night cap. You should try a six month old bottle. The bite disappears completely, leaving a smooth, berry-lemon flavor. It's very nice. I stash a couple of bottles from each batch, just to enjoy later.

 

[allenfloice]

Glad you're enjoying it, Allen. It does make a good night cap. You should try a six month old bottle. The bite disappears completely, leaving a smooth, berry-lemon flavor. It's very nice. I stash a couple of bottles from each batch, just to enjoy later.

It's three months old now and getting better gonna have another bottle tonight. And put half of the rest up for a few months.

 

[barryjo]

Awesome. It will be sitting on carpet. I am going to get a batch going this weekend. Sorry for the what may be elementary questions, but I am just trying to learn my way into your world.

It will be sitting on carpet??? I hope this is a piece of carpet sample or leftover carpet. Some of these wines have a habit of going "volcanic".
Not good to have wine stains on the "good" carpet!
Trust me!

 

[wineforfun]

haha yeah, it is on a old sample piece.

Just racked it Friday night, added Sparkloid and Sorbate. Already after 2 days it is really clearing up. Very happy with how things are going so far.

Question for those of you that have made it before......why does this ferment so quickly(1 week) when most others take 3-4weeks?

 

[barryjo]

Because Dionysis, God of wine, wants us to enjoy it sooner????

 

[Dend78]

its all about the yeast strain and the sugar content, some are made to take forever so the more sugar you have the longer it will take, others like EC-1118 seems to be really speedy up to about 14-15% it hits a wall for me after that

 

[wineforfun]

ok, thanks, that makes sense.

 

[wineforfun]

I just racked my DB again and added some sugar to it. However, I had a lot of residue, etc. in the bottom of my carboy after adding Sparkloid, Sorbate, etc. from the last time, and did not have enough to fill my new carboy to the top. It is lacking about 2"-3". Is it ok to leave it or should I add some 100% fruit juice I have? I don't have any wine to top it off with.
Thanks.

 

[allenfloice]

I just racked my DB again and added some sugar to it. However, I had a lot of residue, etc. in the bottom of my carboy after adding Sparkloid, Sorbate, etc. from the last time, and did not have enough to fill my new carboy to the top. It is lacking about 2"-3". Is it ok to leave it or should I add some 100% fruit juice I have? I don't have any wine to top it off with.
Thanks.

I was told to top up with water but to me it made my wine seem watered down. Ddave and others know best though. It's still good and I'm almost out so its time for another batch

 

[barryjo]

I have to agree that topping off with water seems counterproductive. Especially with a lighter wine.
But at the risk of causing much outcry, I don't top off. I use 5 gallon water bottles for secondaries and have had no problems with 3 and 4 gallon batches going bad. Once the airlock is in place, oxygen and "bad things" will not enter. Once fermenting has ceased, the only time outside air can get in is with a change of outside air pressure. And I use cheap vodka in the locks.
If a larger airlock is needed, due to the headspace, convert a 3-piece lock with a piece of tubing and a larger reservoir. Slip the tubing over the inner part of the lock and stick the other end in a small (375ml) bottle filled with water or a vodka/water mix.Beer makers use this method.
BTW, the vodka is to kill any mold that might be present. K-meta doesn't work as well. And getting mold out of an "S" lock is a pain! Trust me.
Again, this is just one persons opinion.

 

[wineforfun]

Thanks for the input. I let my impatience get the best of me and topped it off with 100% fruit juice. Hopefully this won't mess it up. Sounds like I would have been ok to just have left it alone.
barryjo,
that was my thought with the airlock, that once it was on, oxygen wouldn't be an issue. I am too new to know that though.

 

[barryjo]

There is one other thing that will cause the airlock to "breath". That is temperature change. Probably not an issue with most because the process is usually done in the house.

 

[barryjo]

Thanks for the input. I let my impatience get the best of me and topped it off with 100% fruit juice. Hopefully this won't mess it up. Sounds like I would have been ok to just have left it alone.

Never admit to messing up a wine. Just tell them that it is "an interesting combination I came up with".
And the day you stop learning new things about this hobby is the day you should sell your equipment and find another hobby.
Rack on!

 

[Dend78]

fruit juice is fine to top up with anything aside from more alcohol will water it down/dilute it, juice or water is no matter. glass marbles are a good way to top up if you dont want to add liquid.

here is one way to fix this though on your first batch save back 3 or 4 small bottles for top-up on your next batch, which you might as well start after you bottle or if you have carboy space right after fermenting

 

[wineforfun]

Ok, hopefully last question on DB for awhile. I backsweetened 2 weeks ago, per instructions, and it has cleared up real nice. My question/concern is that there is a hazy, cloudy type of thing going on on the bottom. I don't know if this is ok, fine lees, or what. I was thinking about bottling down to that point of the carboy but am afraid I may rack some of that into the bottles. I could rack it again to try and get rid of the "thing" in there but I thought I read too much racking is bad. This all happened after I racked and backsweetened with sugar. It was about 4 days after. Wine is very clear though.

 

[dangerdave]

You've got some very fine lees down there, it seems. If you want, you can carefully siphon off the clear wine and bottle it. I've done that before. Don't pitch the rest, though. Put it into another bottle or jar and let it sit until it's clear again. You'll get anothe half bottle or so that way.

 

[wineforfun]

Thanks Dave. So you would recommend not racking it again and just bottle it?