DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[bakervinyard]

Thanks everyone for the quick feedback. I'm going to let it bulk age for a month then try it again. I do have 750ml. over that I may try working with. Thanks again, Bakervinyard

 

[jojabri]

OH-MAH-JEEZY! Thank you Jamesngalveston and Danger Dave for encouraging me to do a Blackberry DB! I bottled 3 Gallons last night and it is friggin' EPIC!

Now I'm really sad the other half of the batch flopped on me. Oh well, guess I can always take another trip on the Merry-Go-Round.

 

[ckvchestnut]

How much fruit did you use Jojabri? Can't remember now...


Carolyn

 

[ckvchestnut]

Thanks everyone for the quick feedback. I'm going to let it bulk age for a month then try it again. I do have 750ml. over that I may try working with. Thanks again, Bakervinyard

Let us know if u have positive changes!


Carolyn

 

[kXb]

I need help ASAP! I pitched my yeast two days ago and gravity is down to 1.042 (from og of 1.068). Everything is going as planned right now but starting Friday it won't get stirred for two days. I can pick up again on Sunday. Fermenting at room temp (~72F) right now. My only thought is to slow it down a bit by decreasing fermenting temp OR not worry about the stirring for two days.

THOUGHTS???

Thanks in advance!

 

[sour_grapes]

Enjoy your weekend! Don't worry 'bout stirring. Don't worry, be happy!

 

[StoneCreek]

David, except for the quad vs tri berry blend did you stick to the DB recipe? How much sugar did you use for back sweetening?

Thanx...

Pretty much. I only used 32oz of lemon juice since its the largest size my wally world carries and I added 12oz of raisins to the fruit bag in the primary. Way back in this thread or the other one, Dave said he added raisins for added body and I enjoy full body wines, so I gave it a shot. Next batch I'll still add the raisins and probably a whole banana or two. I back sweetened right before bottling with a simple syrup using 4 cups of sugar. I added some syrup tasted, added some more, tasted, added some more, tasted. liked the result, drank a glass then drank another during my bottling session. During lunch I called the wife and told her how excited I was. lol I started the tasting and bottling around 10 am! It's good stuff. I'm sure you'll love yours Bill. BTW, my abv is just under 13%.

 

[jojabri]

How much fruit did you use Jojabri? Can't remember now...


Carolyn

I think it was 8LB

 

[jamesngalveston]

as the guy with the mean grape avatar said....dont worry bout stirring.....you will be fine....

 

[ckvchestnut]

I think it was 8LB

Per gallon or the whole batch?


Carolyn

 

[jamesngalveston]

use 4 lbs per gallon on a straight blackberry.....let sit on the pectin for a day before you start adding sugar for your sg.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Thanks James... I'm going to try it for sure. I'm going to see if my costco has straight frozen blackberries... What about the lemon amount? I would think if the blackberries if tart would not need as much lemon?


Carolyn

 

[jamesngalveston]

correct, i use just 16 ounces of lemon juice on my blackberry.....
also....if you start it at 1.130 and let finnish in the primary, you will not have to add sorbate, backsweeten, are flavor..and should be at the right abv you like, should be around 12.5 abv depending on the yeast you use.....

 

[ckvchestnut]

16 oz of lemon for a 6 gal batch right? I think the lowest tolerance yeast I have in the fridge is 1122... I may have to get another kind? Let me check!


Carolyn

 

[ckvchestnut]

71B-1122 tolerance is 14% I could live with that it's a bit high... But not too bad


Carolyn

 

[jamesngalveston]

it probably would not finish at 14.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Carolyn, I agree, unfortunately fruit wines do not benefit from high abv%, it seems to almost strip the flavor, and obviously you'll have to age it longer so it doesn't taste like rocket fuel.

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Wine Making mobile app

 

[ckvchestnut]

My blueberry/peach port finished over the 18% abv and alcohol tolerance level for that yeast type - k1v1116 so you just never know? I think those are just guidelines for the yeast alcohol tolerance levels.

On the other hand honestly I didn't end up with tasteless rocket fuel on that batch nor on a DB batch that I accidentally brought up to 1.120. Had a bottle of that 16% abv stuff last night very fruity. So I'm on the fence about the high abv ruining fruit wines all the time. Yes I'm sure it happens all the time but not to me yet. Lol

So far from a port making perspective it has been fine for me as long as it doesn't go dry? My DB didn't either, it stopped at 1.010... But didn't spend much time in the bottle and didn't have a referment at the 16% abv level.




Carolyn

 

[jojabri]

Per gallon or the whole batch?


Carolyn

I used 8 for the whole batch.

 

[Rosa321]

Just reading some posts about alcohol by volume and fruit wines...........
I had an old DB recipe (somehow I found an old one....don't ask me HOW!) and it said to get closer to 1.085 - 1.090
to start. So I did!
And now my jet blue will have an abv around 13.4%. Is that high for a fruit wine?
Should I try adding an f-pack/extract to lower the alcohol level?
I don't mind waiting for it to age, but I'd really like the fruit flavor to come through........