DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

[calvin]

Dave. Does your LHBS carry untoasted oak? Do you put it in the primary or later on. I've been using medium toast French oak in the primary and like the results.

 

[MrsJones]

Bottled my first DB today, and it's beautiful! Thank you to everyone who help me over the last few weeks.


30 Bottles and half a jug.


...and half a glass

Cheers!

 

[beano]

Dragon Blood Variation

This is just another variation of the most famous Danger Daves Dragon Blood. I hope it comes out well, but as always, I'm sure it will. It is for 6 gallons.

This recipe contains:

4 lbs. frozen quadberry mix (strawberrys, blueberrys, red raspberrys and blackberrys)
1.5 lbs. fresh cranberrys, frozen then thawed.
32 oz. Welches concord grape jelly
1 big banana, frozen then thawed, sliced thin.
8 oz. red raisins
32 oz. lemon juice concentrate
Invert sugar to SG of 1.110 (my taste)

Other than the fruit ingredients, I followed the standard Dragon Blood recipe as far as the chemical additions go with the exception of an extra 1/2 tsp peptic enzyme because of the jelly. The jelly seems to add alot more flavor to the DB. I get it when its on sale at the Dollar General @ $2.00 a quart.
Just thought I'd share and I will update in a day or two on the progress of this ferminte.
I just pitched my yeast a few minites before tacking this pic. It looks good and has a great taste. We'll see what happens, yup!!

Beano Joe

 

[SwampDog35]

I'm on my 5th day of DB in the primary. Currently at 1.034 sg. Am I right on track? Wife and I chose not to put the lemon juice in the recipe. Should I add anything to replace the acid of the lemon juice?

Thanks

 

[willie]

Bottled my first DB today, and it's beautiful! Thank you to everyone who help me over the last few weeks.

View attachment 19047
30 Bottles and half a jug.

View attachment 19048
...and half a glass

Cheers!

Congrats and enjoy MrsJones. I remember my first DB batch when we bottled it. I was amazed I could even do such a thing.

Will

 

[willie]

I'm on my 5th day of DB in the primary. Currently at 1.034 sg. Am I right on track? Wife and I chose not to put the lemon juice in the recipe. Should I add anything to replace the acid of the lemon juice?

Thanks

Your right on track there SwampDog with your SG reading. Its coming along quickly I believe. And as for not using any lemon juice I have never made any DB without lemon or lime juice. Usually about 30-40 ounces or so. I have Acid Blend but have not used it yet. I believe Dave has said the lemon juice helps to balance the wine.

Will

 

[MrsJones]

Congrats and enjoy MrsJones. I remember my first DB batch when we bottled it. I was amazed I could even do such a thing.

Will

Me too!! One week you have a bucket of water and some frozen fruit and the next you have closet hootch!! and my husband is so impressed I turned water into wine he's calling it Holy Jones

 

[willie]

This is just another variation of the most famous Danger Daves Dragon Blood. I hope it comes out well, but as always, I'm sure it will. It is for 6 gallons.

This recipe contains:

4 lbs. frozen quadberry mix (strawberrys, blueberrys, red raspberrys and blackberrys)
1.5 lbs. fresh cranberrys, frozen then thawed.
32 oz. Welches concord grape jelly
1 big banana, frozen then thawed, sliced thin.
8 oz. red raisins
32 oz. lemon juice concentrate
Invert sugar to SG of 1.110 (my taste)

Other than the fruit ingredients, I followed the standard Dragon Blood recipe as far as the chemical additions go with the exception of an extra 1/2 tsp peptic enzyme because of the jelly. The jelly seems to add alot more flavor to the DB. I get it when its on sale at the Dollar General @ $2.00 a quart.
Just thought I'd share and I will update in a day or two on the progress of this ferminte.
I just pitched my yeast a few minites before tacking this pic. It looks good and has a great taste. We'll see what happens, yup!!

Beano Joe

Hey Beano that's a nice looking primary you have there. I never heard of using grape jelly before. I will keep it in mind. Thanks.

Will

 

[bkisel]

... he's calling it Holy Jones

Holy Jones Lemon Berry Wine... I like the sound of that!


Or... Holy Jones Elixir?

 

[beano]

Willie, That is a 6-1/2 gallon bucket that I got for free. It once contained rock salt. HDPE 2 with a rubber gasket sealed lid. Great find!!

Jelly...full of flavor, full of sugar, or actually fructose and dextrose and I think lactose. And cheap if you get it on sale. You can make wines out of just jellys, jams, or preserves if you want. I have made a spiced apple wine using apple butter once. Was great. I have lately been adding a quart of grape jelly to most of my fruit wines just for the flavor and the body it adds. To me, it gives a better mouth feel to my wines. Whole Berry Cranberry sause is a great one to use also. For flavor or as a base. Anything with fruit in it needs to be put in a strainer bag. Preserves, jams, whole berry cranberry, etc.
I just use my imagination, so many things in the pantry.

Beano Joe

 

[beano]

I'm on my 5th day of DB in the primary. Currently at 1.034 sg. Am I right on track? Wife and I chose not to put the lemon juice in the recipe. Should I add anything to replace the acid of the lemon juice?

Thanks

I have made DB without lemon or citrus and added 3 tsp acid blend to the mix. Came out ok but had a bit of a bite so I added 2 more tsp of acid blend and it was great. My 2.0! Others may know better than I.

Beano Joe

 

[SwampDog35]

Thanks Beano, I appreciate your advice.

 

[beano]

New pics of DB must 4 hours later. I love my RedStar Premier Cuvee. Bout all I use, starts fast, last long time! Oh, what was her name...? Oops, sorry. Just kidding ya'll.

Beano Joe

 

[willie]

Willie, That is a 6-1/2 gallon bucket that I got for free. It once contained rock salt. HDPE 2 with a rubber gasket sealed lid. Great find!!

Jelly...full of flavor, full of sugar, or actually fructose and dextrose and I think lactose. And cheap if you get it on sale. You can make wines out of just jellys, jams, or preserves if you want. I have made a spiced apple wine using apple butter once. Was great. I have lately been adding a quart of grape jelly to most of my fruit wines just for the flavor and the body it adds. To me, it gives a better mouth feel to my wines. Whole Berry Cranberry sause is a great one to use also. For flavor or as a base. Anything with fruit in it needs to be put in a strainer bag. Preserves, jams, whole berry cranberry, etc.
I just use my imagination, so many things in the pantry.

Beano Joe

A lot of good info. Beano. Thanks. One of the Flavored ingredients I have added that friends said they liked from a particular batch I have made was Bacardi frozen strawberry daquari mix that I got from one of Gina's posts That she said she used to back sweetened along with sugar. I also have been using Red Star Premier Curvee yeast.

Will

 

[beano]

Just a couple of pics to show what is going on after about 24 hours. This primary sounds like fish frying when you walk into the room. I hope ya'll don't think I'm being anal for showing the blow by blow pics, but it excites me to see this natural process in action, if you know what I mean. I sometimes sit and watch the fermentation and it is just mesmerizing as it has a life of its own.
I'm just rambeling now.

Beano Joe

 

[bkisel]

Started my fifth batch this morning...

Aside from Dave are there any other DB "pentagenarians" here?

 

[calvin]

I've bottled 12 gallons of original
6 cherry lime
6 blackberry
6 strawberry
And have 12 more of original in production

 

[bkisel]

I've bottled 12 gallons of original
6 cherry lime
6 blackberry
6 strawberry
And have 12 more of original in production

Wow! That's impressive. My guess is that you give a lot of it away. Is that the case?

 

[calvin]

I give lots away but I drink a lot too. Between the wife and I we go through at least 5 bottles a week

 

[Jocelyn]

Yesterday I bottled my Dragons Blood, me and the hubs were looking at it and noting how no matter how it tastes we would give it away as our Christmas wine because it cleared perfectly and is pretty. So as he got it started he had the first taste. Its really good! he said. I like wine. I do not like sweet wine, and I dislike the mist type kits. My assumption was dragons blood is a mist kit you can make on your own (I made it for everyone else as everybody else likes those mist kits). As we finished bottling and got an exact number of bottles all that was left was what was in the siphon. Richard said try it. I tried it then began frantically looking around at my freshly bottled blood. Good God it's like some sort of ambrosia of the Gods! It is by far the greatest wine I have ever tasted in my life. And I made it! So first of all wow THANKS DAVE! Secondly damn it Dave now I never want to make any other wine and I want to drink everything and give none away for Christmas. So if no one gets Christmas gifts that is on YOUR shoulders Dave.
And of course I didn't listen when everyone said get your second kit started as soon as the first is in the secondary. Alas I know what I am doing tonight.