DangerDave's Dragon Blood Wine

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I made a triple berry DB last year from Costco's Kirkland triple berry fruit. I bottled it in March of 2021. We opened a bottle yesterday at Thanksgiving dinner and it was delicious! The aging definitely smoothed it out.

I used 12 lbs of fruit for 6 gallons, which is about 1.5 times the amount of fruit in the original recipe, if I recall correctly. I made my first batch according to the recipe (tweaked to make 3 gallons instead of 5) and it was a bit light on fruit for my taste.
 
Last edited:
So I recently made a triple berry very similar to @Jovimaple, had let is sit post fermentation (no move in SG >3 days) , moved some things around (time got away from me) and just went to check it. Maybe it has been a few weeks (month and a half) and it looks like it's undergoing MLF... has anyone experienced that with their DB? Very active tiny tiny bubbles...
 
@dangerdave, I want to thank you for the outstanding recipe. Yours is the second batch of any kind of wine I have ever made and the first I have ready for drinking. It is fantastic and your directions are easy to follow. I have definitely got the "bug" and have a new one (tropical - Blackberries, Peach, Mango, Pineapple and Strawberries) in the carboy clearing. Can't wait to see how it turns out!
 
I've made 4 batches of berry DB, 1 of them was triple berry and 3 of them were quad berry. I love quad berry version and it's my wife's favorite. My last batch was 10 lbs of Berry Medley from Aldi, plus 4 lbs of wild blueberry and 3 lbs of raspberry. It is the best DB so far. Amazing! Wild blueberries made a huge difference.
 
I've been toying with the idea of making some Dragons Blood. The only ingredient I don't have is "yeast energizer". Can I give it a shot without it?
 
I've been going through the Dragons Blood recipe and would like to ask a few questions.

After pitching the starter, Dave specifically instructs to stir vigorously. That is the opposite of gently pouring the yeast colony along one side of the bucket. Is there a specific reason for the vigorous stir instructions in this recipe?

It's mentioned that higher fermenting temperatures will yield a sharper tasting, more colorful wine. Is he saying it will be more acidic? I suppose those temperatures hold true for any red.

I don't have Sparkoloid. Can I substitute bentonite during primary?

I typically don't use Potassium Sorbate for fear of off flavors. Is K-sorbate specifically used because of the additional sugar (2-6 cups) added directly into the carboy? Will these sugars ferment out or is he referring to back sweetening.

As this discussion moves forward, I may think of a few more questions.

Thanks
 
Hmm, that’s not promising. If you use a drill mounted whip, you’re done in 10 minutes.
Yeah...boy am I glad I found your post. Ive never heard of degassing for two days. I use a drill and am done in 6-10 minutes for kit wines or juice buckets. Is there something different about Dragons Blood that requires more degassing time?
 
Yeah...boy am I glad I found your post. Ive never heard of degassing for two days. I use a drill and am done in 6-10 minutes for kit wines or juice buckets. Is there something different about Dragons Blood that requires more degassing time?
If you are going over 3 minutes with a drill, it's too much. Degassing is not an instant process. I stir for 1 minute, which expels a lot of CO2 and jump starts the process. The wine finishes degassing over the next few weeks.

Not stirring the must after inoculation is based upon newer research. You'll get a quicker start.

You can use any fining agent you want.

I haven't read the recipe in a long time and don't recall the details. However, if you add sugar before the sorbate, it will ferment.

If you backsweeten, you will use sorbate. It's a quick drinking wine, so letting it age 9 months before back sweetening isn't recommended.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top