DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[G259]

With (fruit) wine, you have to allow for age. Can it be drank young? Absolutely! Will it improve over time? Absolutely! (isn't wine great!)

 

[RocketBee]

Edit: Found my answer in this thread from a few years ago.

@Aeludor would be able to note the message # or post the link to what you found?

Also, as the bottles from my first batch are magically disappearing off the rack, what I noticed is that the sugar taste was well into the foreground in the bottles we opened first, now it is still there but has moved into the background. A lot of the early feedback I received was that it was too sweet, but now, at about 2.5 months after bottling, everyone seems to like it as is. Same batch, just a little time. Going from memory, I believe @dangerdave said to back sweeten with 2-6 cups of sugar (for a six gallon batch), depending on taste. I chose 4 cups...right in the middle. On my second batch, I'll probably back sweeten with less, but I probably won't reduce is by as much as I thought I would.

 

[Aeludor]

@Aeludor would be able to note the message # or post the link to what you found?

Also, as the bottles from my first batch are magically disappearing off the rack, what I noticed is that the sugar taste was well into the foreground in the bottles we opened first, now it is still there but has moved into the background. A lot of the early feedback I received was that it was too sweet, but now, at about 2.5 months after bottling, everyone seems to like it as is. Same batch, just a little time. Going from memory, I believe @dangerdave said to back sweeten with 2-6 cups of sugar (for a six gallon batch), depending on taste. I chose 4 cups...right in the middle. On my second batch, I'll probably back sweeten with less, but I probably won't reduce is by as much as I thought I would.

I found the answer in this reply, DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

Post 4,324

I don't like a super sweet wine so I did 1/2 a cup per gallon. I added it to the gallon that I had seperated to test until I had an amount I liked. Then I put the same amount per gallon in the main carboy. If I find it's not quite sweet enough, I'll go with 3/4 cup per gallon next time. Trial and error until I get a flavour I like.

 

[Ambugaton]

Started 2nd batch of DDDB last week. Clearing out our freezer because we are about to move across the country... so odd fruit combination of 12# salmonberries, 8# spruce tips, and 11# pineapple (didn't add the lemon juice as this has plenty acidity). I know 31# of fruit for 6 gal is a bit much, in the past 4-5# per gallon has been the ticket, anything less tastes a little watery to me.

Ferment was fast (although I used expired EC1118 that didn't take initially) I followed up with a packet of K1-V1116 (closest thing I could find). Took off quickly, starting SG @ 1.086 (expected to rise a bit from extraction from fruit) and within 3 1/2 days it was SG 0.994.

Will rack today and begin clearing.

Has a great color (dark blush) which I attribute to the berries/pineapple combination obviously, but the spruce tips offer a deep pink/red as well.

 

[G259]

Wow, that should be a full bodied wine, with all the fruit! 3 1/2 days is also impressive (YAY 1118!) I don"t know any of those fruits, except the pineapple, but good luck, tell us the results!

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Hi all! Just reading through some recent posts. I've been making DP since I started making wine 6 years ago. For those wondering about different fruit options, I've tried almost every one you can think of and they all turned out great. Just a few examples include a peach/apricot, a huckleberry, one I call Backyard Bounty because I throw in whatever fruit is growing in my backyard, a Concord grape (very popular with my family), a plum/elderberry, and a host of other combinations. As a side note, I always use 12 pounds of fruit.

In the last couple years, I've gotten my hands on tons of grapes and so I use them a lot in different versions. I've made a grape/triple berry version that I call a pink "Moscato" because of the color. I've done lots of grape only batches, some using all green grapes, which results in a lovely white wine, and others using a combination of whatever ones I have (and I honestly have no idea what varieties of grapes I have but some are just a table grape). Actually, most of my recent batches have been a combination of some type of fruit along with grapes since I have so many (last year it was about 120 pounds). I usually go with a 1:1 ratio but it all depends on how much fruit I have to throw in with the grapes.

One of the current favorite wines is more of a Skeeter Pee spin-off using half lime juice and half lemon. After it's fermented, I backsweeten with sugar and a can of limeade concentrate. Then I add a homemade mint infused lime rum, plus some mint and rum extract.

I guess my long winded post is to just let everyone know that any combination of fruit pretty much works so be creative or just clean out the freezer. I have yet to make one we didn't like so you won't be disappointed no matter what!

 

[Medic8106]

Bottled my tropical blend dragon blood yesterday. Naturally, I had some left over. Placed it in a regular glass and in the refrigerator. Went to drink it some time later and noted a heavy haze in the glass. The wine was perfectly clear in the bottle. Anyone have this occur with the tropical variety before? Pectin haze? The fruit was a mixture of pineapple, peach, mango, strawberry, banana. Used sparkalloid to clear, left sit for about 2 weeks to clear and another 2 after sweetening. Not a big deal, know its good to drink and tastes wonderful. Just inquiring.

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Bottled my tropical blend dragon blood yesterday. Naturally, I had some left over. Placed it in a regular glass and in the refrigerator. Went to drink it some time later and noted a heavy haze in the glass. The wine was perfectly clear in the bottle. Anyone have this occur with the tropical variety before? Pectin haze? The fruit was a mixture of pineapple, peach, mango, strawberry, banana. Used sparkalloid to clear, left sit for about 2 weeks to clear and another 2 after sweetening. Not a big deal, know its good to drink and tastes wonderful. Just inquiring.

So, is the wine in the bottle still looking clear? Does it only get cloudy when it's chilled?

 

[Medic8106]

So, is the wine in the bottle still looking clear? Does it only get cloudy when it's chilled?

Yes. Wine is very clear in bottle until chilled.

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Yes. Wine is very clear in bottle until chilled.

Sorry...I see now that you included that info in your original post and I missed it!

I've never had this happen personally but from what I'm reading, if it's dropping more of a crystal like sediment, it's tartaric acid. If it's just cloudy, it could be protein haze. Neither affects the taste of the wine.

Pectin haze is a possibility too but I thought that that was visible when the wine was room temperature too. Peach is definitely known to be a culprit.

I use a product called Lallzyme in addition to my regular pectic enzyme. The product description says it helps break down pectin in reds and rosés but I use an eighth of a teaspoon in all my fruit wines. I think it helps anyway.

Did you use some type of fining agent to help clear it? (Sorry if you mentioned that previously and I missed it)

 

[G259]

OK, The first thing I thought of was kind of funny, but I'll say it anyway. Are you sure it's not the glass fogging up from the cold?(!)
Please don't take offense, but sometimes the easy explanation is closest to the truth. When troubleshooting, I have learned to take
out the easy stuff first (is the fuse blown, power switch on, cord plugged in?)

 

[Medic8106]

OK, The first thing I thought of was kind of funny, but I'll say it anyway. Are you sure it's not the glass fogging up from the cold?(!)
Please don't take offense, but sometimes the easy explanation is closest to the truth. When troubleshooting, I have learned to take
out the easy stuff first (is the fuse blown, power switch on, cord plugged in?)

Yeah definitely not just the glass. I'm going to place a full bottle in the fridge tonight and see if I get the same results. It certainly doesn't effect the taste and it doesn't create any "texture" to the wine.

 

[hounddawg]

@Aeludor would be able to note the message # or post the link to what you found?

Also, as the bottles from my first batch are magically disappearing off the rack, what I noticed is that the sugar taste was well into the foreground in the bottles we opened first, now it is still there but has moved into the background. A lot o,f the early feedback I received was that it was too sweet, but now, at about 2.5 months after bottling, everyone seems to like it as is. Same batch, just a little time. Going from memory, I believe @dangerdave said to back sweeten with 2-6 cups of sugar (for a six gallon batch), depending on taste. I chose 4 cups...right in the middle. On my second batch, I'll probably back sweeten with less, but I probably won't reduce is by as much as I thought I would.

i back sweeten using a hydrometer to 1.040 and age for 8 to 10 years,
Dawg

 

[RocketBee]

So, on my second batch of DDDB, the wine doesn't appear to be clearing as quickly as the first batch. I probably got a little lazy on the degassing phase when I stabilized. In my first batch I degassed twice daily when under active fermentation, I only did it once per day in this round. Also, this batch I added an extra three pounds of fruit and didn't adjust the pectic enzyme level. I have stabilized, but have not yet back-sweetened. Is there anything to do besides wait?

 

[winemanden]

i back sweeten using a hydrometer to 1.040 and age for 8 to 10 years,
Dawg

Why would anyone disbelieve you Dawg? Some of the sweet wines in Germany (Trockenbeerenauslese etc.) aged twenty or thirty years.
Höpler 2017 Trockenbeerenauslese White (Burgenland)

• Musky botrytis and zesty, candied grapefruit peel take equal attention on the nose, which is made all the more vivid by glorious white-pepper spice. The palate reprises this intriging interplay of intense, almost tooth-breaking sweetness and splintering freshness—an intense experience on a pure concentrated essence-like palate. Very powerful. Drink until 2045. ANNE KREBIEHL MW.

I would have thought that the amount of wine some of you chaps make, you'd have to age it for years, either that or sign up with AA. Anyway I was taught that education is not a sign of intelligence. Life is too short, refill your glass, ENJOY!!!

 

[hounddawg]

Why would anyone disbelieve you Dawg? Some of the sweet wines in Germany (Trockenbeerenauslese etc.) aged twenty or thirty years.
Höpler 2017 Trockenbeerenauslese White (Burgenland)

• Musky botrytis and zesty, candied grapefruit peel take equal attention on the nose, which is made all the more vivid by glorious white-pepper spice. The palate reprises this intriging interplay of intense, almost tooth-breaking sweetness and splintering freshness—an intense experience on a pure concentrated essence-like palate. Very powerful. Drink until 2045. ANNE KREBIEHL MW.

I would have thought that the amount of wine some of you chaps make, you'd have to age it for years, either that or sign up with AA. Anyway I was taught that education is not a sign of intelligence. Life is too short, refill your glass, ENJOY!!!

elderberry in my area foothills of the Ozarks has always been aged that long, sadly all the oldtimers are gone, but now when i look into the mirror and my hair is still black but beard and moustache is all but snow white, i reckon that means now i'm becoming the old timer,,, and thank you, over the years i've lost most of my temper , but where i'm from calling a man a lair, well here we do more than just mouth,
Dawg

 

[sour_grapes]

elderberry in my area foothills of the Ozarks has always been aged that long, sadly all the oldtimers are gone, but now when i look into the mirror and my hair is still black but beard and moustache is all but snow white, i reckon that means now i'm becoming the old timer,,, and thank you, over the years i've lost most of my temper , but where i'm from calling a man a lair, well here we do more than just mouth,
Dawg

That accusation (from the other user) was uncalled for, IMHO.

 

[hounddawg]

That accusation (from the other user) was uncalled for, IMHO.

thankyou, but i still should of controlled my temper, when i was young and partied the police called me honest rich, they pull me over ask if i'd been drinking if i said no they left, but if i said nothing and looked at my own feet, hehe, you know being honest with a police officers got me off more times then i could count, being called a liar dose send me ballistic, and i must get a better handle on it, i thought i was getting better lol that is what i get for doing my own thinking, and thank you very much,,,,,
Richard

 

[DizzyIzzy]

That accusation (from the other user) was uncalled for, IMHO.

sour_grapes.....Course I don't know what IMHO stands for, but I agree that the accusation, and most importantly, the disparaging remarks to Dawg were mean-spirited and uncalled for, completely!!

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

So, on my second batch of DDDB, the wine doesn't appear to be clearing as quickly as the first batch. I probably got a little lazy on the degassing phase when I stabilized. In my first batch I degassed twice daily when under active fermentation, I only did it once per day in this round. Also, this batch I added an extra three pounds of fruit and didn't adjust the pectic enzyme level. I have stabilized, but have not yet back-sweetened. Is there anything to do besides wait?

Hi there! I've made so many DB batches, I've lost count First off, I never degass during fermention. I vigorously mush the fruit bag, but I don't take it out and stir the heck out of the must. Second, I always use around 12 pounds of fruit and never add extra enzyme. Well, I take that back, I use a product called Lallzyme in addition to regular pectic enzyme but only put a pinch of it in. So, that being said, what did you use for a fining agent? And what kind of fruit did you use?