DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[cdevrard]

Val,

I LOVE the sound of the Christmas wine. The thought of adding figs, cloves and star anise sounds divine. When and how much did you use? Started my DB yesterday and I wonder if it isn't too late to play with it a bit!

Thanks,

CE

Just curious what different types of Dragon Blood everyone has made? What has been your favorite? So gar I have made:

• Triple Berry
• Tropical
• Plum-Berry
• Huckleberry
• Elderberry
• Blueberry
• Blackberry (still clearing in the carboy)
• Christmas Wine (this has figs, triple berry blend, tropical blend, cloves and star anise) (just started on Thursday)

I don't know if I have a favorite so far...they have all been wonderful

 

[willie]

Val,

I LOVE the sound of the Christmas wine. The thought of adding figs, cloves and star anise sounds divine. When and how much did you use? Started my DB yesterday and I wonder if it isn't too late to play with it a bit!

Thanks,

CE

If you just started your ferment yesterday I would say you can add what ever you want right now to flavor. I have even added raisins in the secondary and turned out just fine. Experiment is the name of the game.

Will

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Val,

I LOVE the sound of the Christmas wine. The thought of adding figs, cloves and star anise sounds divine. When and how much did you use? Started my DB yesterday and I wonder if it isn't too late to play with it a bit!

Thanks,

CE

I found the recipe online (maybe here on the forum...it's called Christmas 2013 Wine). Anyway, I used 1 lb of figs, 3 cloves, and about 4 star anise. The recipe actually called for licorice sticks but I didn't have any so substituted the anise. I don't know how it will end up but I can tell you that it smells divine in the fermenter!

 

[willie]

Just curious what different types of Dragon Blood everyone has made? What has been your favorite? So gar I have made:

• Triple Berry
• Tropical
• Plum-Berry
• Huckleberry
• Elderberry
• Blueberry
• Blackberry (still clearing in the carboy)
• Christmas Wine (this has figs, triple berry blend, tropical blend, cloves and 4. star anise) (just started on Thursday)

I don't know if I have a favorite so far...they have all been wonderful

DB batches I have made.

1. Triple Berry
2. Quad Berry And back sweetened with Bacardi frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Mix and Sugar.
3. Wyman's Triple Berry Blend with added Strawberries
4. Tropical Blend with added 2 cans Welches 100% frozen White Grape Juice and Added a box of white raisins in the secondary. The wife loves this one.
5. Blue Blood, 12lbs.100% Wyman's Wild Blue Berry's. This will be our Christmas wine.

Will

 

[freqflyer]

PS. the starting PH was 2.97 which really surprised me. Seems pretty acidic (yes only 1 bottle of 48oz lemon juice). Is this in line with other batches?

I haven't test the ph but this stuff is tart. I didn't like it at first. Since I had 30 bottles of it I decided to start drinking it anyway. I added two teaspoons of sugar to each bottle. This on top of the 3/4 cup per gallon of sugar I added when back sweetening. After a few bottles, it has grown on me.

I currently have a batch of dragonette without any acid blend in it. I'm going to mix the two in different ratios to find what I like.

Dave has come up with a really good simple wine recipe, but rather than being nonoffensive to most people, it seems to be taylored to his liking and a lot of others.

You may like it as is or you may need to experiment to find what suits you. Be sure to age some for a few months. It makes a big difference.

 

[MrsJones]

DB Not Clearing

Did you thoroughly degass? If you haven't, that can cause clearing issues. I believe I have also heard that if your temperature is too cool, it can delay clearing. That being said, I believe that I have had an original DB that took 4-5 days to clear completely.

Hey Val,

I did; but it took me three days to get it to degass completely. I racked (waited for stable SG, and temp was pretty constant at 21C), added the Potassium Metabisulfite and Potassium Sorbate as per directions and then spent three degass stirring and using my vacu vin alternatvily.

On the third day I add Sparkolloid as per directions - today will be the fourth day since then; and it's still super, super dark. There is some sediment on the bottom that looks pinkish in colour.

I have bung/airlock on it; and it's just hanging out in my closet undisturbed; but I'm thinking that taking three days to degas instead of adding Spark. when I added the potassiums was maybe the wrong thing to do?

 

[dangerdave]

Yes, the wine is acidic. Sweet, tart, and fruity. Balance is the key. Mine comes out right around pH 3.00

 

[geek]

Yes, the wine is acidic. Sweet, tart, and fruity. Balance is the key. Mine comes out right around pH 3.00

have you checked the PH when making it with other fruits like peach for example?
I just made a peach mango and added 1 32oz lemon juice, PH was around 3.50 or so.

 

[dangerdave]

No, I have not, Varis. Thanks for the info.

 

[dangerdave]

Val was asking about my concord grape version of the Dragon Blood Recipe, so I'll post it here. Notes follow:

Batch #82: "Baptist Hill Concord Grape Wine" (the nice lady who gave me the grapes lives on Baptist Hill Road)

9-23-13 To primary, added: 20 cups sugar; 48oz Real Lemon Juice; 2 tsp tannin; 3 tsp yeast nutrient; 1 tsp yeast energizer; 4 tsp pectic enzyme; 1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite; ~25 lbs of fresh concord grapes in two mesh bags (12.5 lbs each); water to six gallons. SG = 1.085 @ 72F (no brew belt applied for longer, cooler ferment)

9-24-13 Pitched EC-1118 yeast

9-26-13 SG = 1.065 @ 72F (squeezed fruit bags and stirred daily)

9-29-13 SG = 1.000 @ 72F

10-5-13 SG = 0.992 @ 68F Racked and added 1/4 tsp sulfite and 3 tsp sorbate; degassed thoroughly; added Sparkolloid per directions.

11-9-13 Racked and added 4 cans of Welch's Concord Grape Concentrate

11-14-13 Filtered and bottled.

It came out perfect! Those who tasted it commented how it was just like eating a concord grape off the vine.

 

[geek]

Hmmm, that sounds good Dave....


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making

 

[geek]

Oh, do you know if Super Kleer expires?
Although added recently to my peach mango, this batch doesn't show signs of dropping much sediment.
I bought the SK packets over a year ago....


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making

 

[dangerdave]

I was told by the manufacturer that it's shelf life in infinite. No experation.

At the risk of sounding like a parrot again... Varis, peaches are high in pectin. Most of the wines I have made using peaches have needed an extra dose of pectic enzyme to clear. Pectin haze is the number one cause of cloudy wine, and adding it (or more) will not affect the wine. So, if it doesn't clear quickly with SK (which it should), you should dose it with three tsp of pectic enzyme (for six gallons). Stir well. It will clear up shortly.

 

[geek]

Ok, I will try.
Per recipe, I added pectic enzyme at the start.
The carboy has some sediment already (but wine is very cloudy..!!), so I will rack off those lees and then add 3 more tsp of pectic enzyme and stir well.....let's see how it goes.....

Thanks,

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Val was asking about my concord grape version of the Dragon Blood Recipe, so I'll post it here. Notes follow:

9-23-13 To primary, added: 20 cups sugar; 48oz Real Lemon Juice; 2 tsp tannin; 3 tsp yeast nutrient; 1 tsp yeast energizer; 4 tsp pectic enzyme; 1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite; ~25 lbs of fresh concord grapes in two mesh bags (12.5 lbs each); water to six gallons. SG = 1.085 @ 72F (no brew belt applied for longer, cooler ferment)

9-24-13 Pitched EC-1118 yeast

9-26-13 SG = 1.065 @ 72F (squeezed fruit bags and stirred daily)

9-29-13 SG = 1.000 @ 72F

10-5-13 SG = 0.992 @ 68F Racked and added 1/4 tsp sulfite and 3 tsp sorbate; degassed thoroughly; added Sparkolloid per directions.

11-9-13 Racked and added 4 cans of Welch's Concord Grape Concentrate

11-14-13 Filtered and bottled.

It came out perfect! Those who tasted it commented how it was just like eating a concord grape off the vine.

So you did use lemon juice for this batch? When you originally responded, I was thinking you said you didn't use any for the concord grape.

Thanks for posting this, Dave!

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Hey Val,

I did; but it took me three days to get it to degass completely. I racked (waited for stable SG, and temp was pretty constant at 21C), added the Potassium Metabisulfite and Potassium Sorbate as per directions and then spent three degass stirring and using my vacu vin alternatvily.

On the third day I add Sparkolloid as per directions - today will be the fourth day since then; and it's still super, super dark. There is some sediment on the bottom that looks pinkish in colour.

I have bung/airlock on it; and it's just hanging out in my closet undisturbed; but I'm thinking that taking three days to degas instead of adding Spark. when I added the potassiums was maybe the wrong thing to do?

I degas before adding the clearing agent, though I use SuperKleer instead of Sparkaloid. I wouldn't think that the timing of your Sparkaloid addition would be the culprit.

 

[MrsJones]

I degas before adding the clearing agent, though I use SuperKleer instead of Sparkaloid. I wouldn't think that the timing of your Sparkaloid addition would be the culprit.

Thanks Val. I guess I'll just keep watching and waiting. I was reading about pectin haze; maybe that's what's going on.

 

[MrsJones]

Oh! Question; would it hurt to add a different clearing agent like the one you suggested; or should I continue to wait it out?

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Thanks Val. I guess I'll just keep watching and waiting. I was reading about pectin haze; maybe that's what's going on.

Check out Dave's replies to Geek above regarding pectic haze...

...Pectin haze is the number one cause of cloudy wine, and adding it (or more) will not affect the wine. So, if it doesn't clear quickly with SK (which it should), you should dose it with three tsp of pectic enzyme (for six gallons). Stir well. It will clear up shortly.

So this might help in your case as well if you are suspecting pectic haze with yours.

Oh! Question; would it hurt to add a different clearing agent like the one you suggested; or should I continue to wait it out?

As for adding a different clearing agent, from what I've heard/read/been told, it won't hurt anything.

If it were me, I might try a bit of pectic enzyme, give it a few days and then if it's still not clearing, try some SuperKleer.

 

[dangerdave]

Val gives good advice.

And yes, as it turns out, I did use lemon juice. Something makes me want to turn everything into a DB version. Please stop me if I ever talk about adding lemon juice to a nice merlot! Please!