DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[user 31015]

Thought I would provide an update on my Blackcurrant Dragonsblood. This was a 2kg of fruit to 5lt carboy version (twice the recommended fruit, basically). Took it to a local wine club I have joined and they all agreed it was quite drinkable and even "good" (they aren't shy with their criticism, which is good)!

My plum and my feijoa didn't fare as well in their estimations. Awww.

Anyway, I was quite pleased with this feedback. When I bottled it and then tried I felt it had ended up too sour and I was quite disappointed. Looks like few months in the bottle really helped it along.

 

[bkisel]

That's gutsy taking a DB variant to a wine club for tasting. Don't think my ego could handle that. Glad your Black Currant DB faired well.

 

[user 31015]

Thanks. Well, wine makers club, so they are all about tasting each other's wines and critiquing them. The main guy is a wine judge for amateur competitions!

For what it's worth, my plum has fussel alcohols and my feijoa was oxidized. Aww!

 

[funjoh]

I started my version yesterday, pitching the yeast today. It has half lemon and half pineapple juice. I used 12 pounds of raspberry, blackberry, blueberry and strawberry. Then in another bag there is 24 ounces of raisins and 3 whole bananas cut into one inch pieces. Three ounces of French medium roast oak is in a third bag. Now, I patiently wait for it to take off!

 

[bkisel]

I started my version yesterday, pitching the yeast today. It has half lemon and half pineapple juice. I used 12 pounds of raspberry, blackberry, blueberry and strawberry. Then in another bag there is 24 ounces of raisins and 3 whole bananas cut into one inch pieces. Three ounces of French medium roast oak is in a third bag. Now, I patiently wait for it to take off!

No water? Base is truly half lemon juice and half pineapple juice?

If I'm following you I think what you're making is much more than just a DB variation.

Please keep us up to date on how your version progresses.

 

[MrsJones]

Question on the three day to confirm stable SG rule. I would much rather rack today when I have lots of time then do a rush job Monday afterwork. Is there harm in transferring to secondary when SG has only been constant for two days?

I started my DB following the recipe exactly except for an extra 1.5lb fruit.

sg was 1.072 on start on Oct 17th, 1.0 on the 24th and .994 for the last two days.

Temp has fluctuated between 20-22c

 

[bkisel]

Question on the three day to confirm stable SG rule. I would much rather rack today when I have lots of time then do a rush job Monday afterwork. Is there harm in transferring to secondary when SG has only been constant for two days?

I started my DB following the recipe exactly except for an extra 1.5lb fruit.

sg was 1.072 on start on Oct 17th, 1.0 on the 24th and .994 for the last two days.

Temp has fluctuated between 20-22c

With two days at that SG you're likely done or I feel at least close enough that the sorbate in the next step will inhibit further fermentation. You could rack but not stabilize so that you can check SG again tomorrow. If not done you're pretty close and I don't think you'd get much more falling out that you'd need to rack again before stabilizing.

 

[funjoh]

No water? Base is truly half lemon juice and half pineapple juice?

If I'm following you I think what you're making is much more than just a DB variation.

Please keep us up to date on how your version progresses.

Sorry, I meant half and half of what the DB juice called for. I did use water to bring the must to the full level.

The fermentation started at the 8 hour mark.

 

[MrsJones]

With two days at that SG you're likely done or I feel at least close enough that the sorbate in the next step will inhibit further fermentation. You could rack but not stabilize so that you can check SG again tomorrow. If not done you're pretty close and I don't think you'd get much more falling out that you'd need to rack again before stabilizing.

Thank you for the advice!! I've finished racking and will hold on adding the next chems until I confirm sg tomorrow

 

[RaymondoChin]

Bill, thanks for the info on squeezing the peaches. I figured there would be lots of sediment with the peaches from what I've read. I have had really good luck with my berry versions as well. Although the concord grape I helped my wife make did have some sediment in the bottles. That's my fault though. We racked back to primary to backsweeten and then after bench trials decided to leave it dry. So I said we could go ahead and bottle and we did. After I saw the sediment it dawned on me that if we had sweetened it would have gone back in the carboy for a week or so then back in the bucket for bottling. We missed a racking ! I get alot more sediment in bottles from actual wineries though so all is good ! Thanks again. Mark

 

[funjoh]

report on Day 2
- SG=1.050 ) OSG=1.080
- fruit bag (12+ pounds at start) has been reduced in size by 2/3's
- bananas appear to be totally dissolved, skins and all
- raisins are plump and need to be squeezed to mush
- the smell is wonderful
- the taste is highly fruit forward and fresh, just the beginning hint of alcohol

This is a very fun wine to make. I thought the lid might blow off the fermenter so I transferred 1/2 gallon to a jug.

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Has anyone tried a Concord Grape version? My cousin picked some for me and is bringing them tomorrow so I am trying to locate some recipe ideas. Jack Keller's recipes take lots of grapes and I really don't know how many pounds she is bringing me so I was looking for other options.

So if you have made a DB version with grapes, did you freeze them first? Thanks in advance!

 

[dangerdave]

Yes, freeze all your fruit---if you can---before making wine from them. It helps them break down during fermentation. Saying that, most wines are made without freezing. I don't have my notes here at work with me, but I have made concord from fresh fruit, using the same method as the DB, minus the lemon juice. The grapes had their own tartness, so I didn't want o overdo it. If you give me until tomorrow, I will post the recipe I used. The wine came out perfect. I used, if I remember right, Welch's conord grape juice to back sweeten.

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Yes, freeze all your fruit---if you can---before making wine from them. It helps them break down during fermentation. Saying that, most wines are made without freezing. I don't have my notes here at work with me, but I have made concord from fresh fruit, using the same method as the DB, minus the lemon juice. The grapes had their own tartness, so I didn't want o overdo it. If you give me until tomorrow, I will post the recipe I used. The wine came out perfect. I used, if I remember right, Welch's conord grape juice to back sweeten.

Thanks, Dave...I really appreciate it!

 

[funjoh]

So...am I getting senile? My batch is SG 1.012, pulled a sample after a nightly squeeze and stir. Took it upstairs, placed it on ice and offered my wife a taste. Mind you, this is 3 days old. She really liked it and we split the glass. Our wine taste is heavy oak Chardonnay and bold Cabernet's, so this is way off course for us. She loved it! Right now it tastes very fruity and has a grapefruit flavor (maybe the mix of lemon and pineapple?). Enough alcohol to know it is an adult beverage. The senile part? Drinking 3 day old wine and loving it???

 

[vernsgal]

1 st dragon blood hitting the 2 year bottled mark in 2 months!

 

[willie]

1 st dragon blood hitting the 2 year bottled mark in 2 months!

Hey Kim. I cannot believe you have a bottle of DB that is going to 2yrs old in two months. Our 1st batch of which we have only one magnum bottle left is 8 Months old now. I was just tonight thinking of drinking it but now I think we will wait to see what you have to say about the taste of your 1st batch if an when you post it. We think our DB what ever the variation we are drinking at 3-4 months old is just great.

Will

 

[bkisel]

1 st dragon blood hitting the 2 year bottled mark in 2 months!

Do you plan to open it sometime soon? Will you post back on how it now tastes? I do hope so.

Thanks...

 

[dangerdave]

I went to the store the other day to get some fruit and for the first time ever, they did not have the Wyman's Triple Berry Blend! WTH? And there were other frozen fruit blends with kale in them! Are you kidning me, KALE?!

So, I grabbed what I could get, which was the Wyman's Blueberry/Strawberry/Mango Chunks

This is a totally new version for me, so it's got a new name. I've made Dragon Blood, Dragonette, Dragon Port, Dragon Lady...and now...Dragon Lord. With a new label, of course...

We'll just see how this one turns out.

 

[stanfkd]

Racked off my first DB today. SG stable at. .990 for three days. Beautiful even before clearing. Thanks Dave!