Dragon Blood in 15 days!!!

[jamesngalveston]

I have made a lot of variants of db...the original is by far the best for a summer wine..hands down.
Mine usually looks like daves, I get more comments on the color then the wine...they just drink it till its gone...
all hail to dave....

 

[dangerdave]

I'm just glad you guys/gals like it. That makes all the difference.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Looks awesome Jeri! What does the prickly pear wine taste like? I've never tasted prickly pears either! Well thanks to creative people like Dangerdave and this Mr. Lon creator of skeeter pee I wouldn't have been lucky enough to find the recipes! This is right after my first racking. I sure hope I degassed it enough. I used my stirring spoon and then a degassing rod before adding sparkalloid. I sure hope this will clear nicely. I'm not in that much of a rush to bottle though. If it needs time it needs time!

Call me a lush but I think it tastes great after degassing and straight out of the carboy lol! I did a small bench test initially in 1 cup with 1tbsp of conditioner/sweetener. Way too sweet didn't test it! Diluted it to 1tbsp to 2 cups ok but still a tad... I mean a tad too sweet at 1.003. Diluted further to 1tbsp ton3 cups. Came out with an agreeable sweetness and an SG reading of 1.000. Will this flavor profile or balance change after a week in the carboy and my 2nd racking? I know the "hotness" will subside but to be honest, after backsweetening this test batch it's pretty decent! Not too acid nor sour or what! Obviously I'll do another mini batch test after 2nd racking starting with the same SG level. Maybe because I did less lemon juice - 40oz in 7-gal, it could taste relatively flat or thin after aging? The body is there now that's for sure!

What is everyone's take on bottled conditioner/sweetener? I didn't even know it existed but I got 2 large unopened bottles free with my last purchase on Kijiji of winemaking supplies. How does backsweeteningn with it differ from regular simple syrup ratio wise? This one I have is potassium Sorbate/sugar syrup as the only ingredients. How long does this last in the opened bottle? I don't know how long the guy we got it from had it. Doesn't go bad? Well I made an extra gallon or 1.5 gallons of DB forgetting that I wouldn't have much loss in racking... Not sure what to do with it? Apart from drink it Darn don't have a 1 gallon jug - just the 3 gal! Will have to find one or always just make a tad more than 6 gals or make a full 9 gals!

 

[LoneStarLori]

Thanks so much for posting the recipe, Danger. I think going to start with your tried and true version of DB. But I may be tempted to add more blueberries.
I'm also thinking of something for a holiday version. Probably cranberry/orange/spice. What's the average wait time for best flavor?

 

[Jericurl]

What does the prickly pear wine taste like?

A mouthful of gasoline with a wee hint of cat piss.

It finished out at just under 15%. I'm not near the level of you guys yet because ALL I can taste is the alcohol. Someone with a more developed palate might be able to pick out the flavor but heck if I know.
I'll be sealing it up in the carboy around Dec and letting it mellow out a little.


Interesting reading on the wine conditioner. I didn't know such a thing even existed. I was planning on ordering some sorbate anyway, but finding an additive in a stabilizing/backsweeting one step solution is worth reading up on.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Lori! That combination sounds wonderful! Let us know if you do it!

Cat piss and gasoline! Jeri! Nasty lol but I know what you mean... That's what my dandelion wine tasted like but add to that mix some vinegarish sour maybe acid taste?? It was way too young and I sadly dumped it. Don't know my palate seemed to fit me well when I'm tasting well made commercial wines - then when I taste my own u think - don't know what I'm looking for or what to expect and how to fix! But haven't had many experiments or scenarios which forced me to need to tinkle with things too much. Yours however should turn out great given time! Lol

Also would love to know more about wine conditioner. Sweetener and stabilizer in one. I've never been a big additive type but if its a "must" then I 'do' I have had organic wines and while i don't taste a difference I know it's better for me but... Much shorter shelf life obviously.

 

[jamesngalveston]

jericurl, after your wine clears, etc draw off a two are three bottles , date them and tag with 15percent abv...
fill the remaining space with water and a simple syrup made from strawberries., that would make it more drinkable, but after a month are two, go back and sample the one that u labeled...you will be surprised at how much smoother it is..

 

[dangerdave]

Also would love to know more about wine conditioner. Sweetener and stabilizer in one. I've never been a big additive type but if its a "must" then I 'do' I have had organic wines and while i don't taste a difference I know it's better for me but... Much shorter shelf life obviously.

The "conditioner" has potassium sorbate in it. If you have already added sorbate to the DB, don't use the conditioner. It doesn't need any more sorbate, and you don't want to taste wine with too much sorbate in it, unless you like drinking geraniums. Yuck!

If you have not added sorbate, then the conditioner would be fine. Unfortunately, in the small amount you would be using to get the SG you want (from back sweetening), you would probably be coming up short on the needed sorbate. Better, I would think, to stick with adding sorbate and sugar separately, so you know just what you are getting. But it's up to you.

Potassium sorbate is no worse for you than table salt when used properly. Used in the right quanity, it will keep your wine from refermenting in the bottle, and it's a source of potassium in your diet.

 

[jamesngalveston]

Potassium sorbate is no worse for you than table salt when used properly.
The other choice would be sodium benzonate, but its just about like sorbate, both do about the same thing..both you probably consume everday, if you use deodarant, drink a soda, are eat fast food.
If your wine is completely clear, meaning no sediment at all, and your abv is 12 percent are better, there is no need for sorbate.
Wine can only ferment if there is yeast present, in a completely clear wine, there should not be any yeast left, and if its high alcohol the yeast cant live. and make sure it is degassed.

 

[wineforfun]

Bottled up my DB Choco-Lime. Not real sold on it right now. The lime and chocolate aren't playing well together. I will let it sit for a couple of months and give it a try and see if they have blended better.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Thanks Dave and James! I already put the potassium Sorbate in as I was following instructions. So I won't be using the conditioner after all. It's good to have this info though.

While I try to avoid certain ingredients most of the time I know they're hidden in practically everything and it's near impossible to be 100% organic. I've come to a resolution on the matter. But I don't drink soda, eat fast food or use chemicals in any form on my body. But.... I did use the bottled lemon juice in my DB recipe and that has sodium bensoate in it. I suppose I could use real lemons but I'm too lazy!

 

[jamesngalveston]

lol, actually thats funny...lime are lemon are even grapefruit and chocolate together....

thats like beets and rice. ugggh.
hope it taste better after it ages...at least your experimenting.

 

[hawk022499]

Here is the final product for my 1st batch of DB. It has a ABV of 13.3 which is a little higher than I had intended. This is only my second attempt at wine making so I need to work on that beginning SG a little, lol.

This pic is day 15 and ready to bottle.

 

[dangerdave]

Very nice, Hawk! The color is perfect!

How does it taste with the extra kick?

 

[hawk022499]

I have actually held off until the wife comes home from work.

Been tempted...

So I put them back in the bottle box and took them to the basement so I wouldn't have to look at them for a few hours!

 

[jamesngalveston]

excellent hawk. hide them away, the will disappear before you know it.
best thing to do....start another batch , immediately
did i say make more,,,,,make lots more.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Wow! Looks beautiful! Did you filter or just rack?

 

[jamesngalveston]

I have never had to filter any batch of dragon blood. I do however use super kleer, and not sparkoloid....mine is always a gorgeous color/ with clarity.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Aha... In have read that super Kleer works better than sparkalloid? Or faster? I used sparkalloid but that's all I had on hand... Will this take considerably longer than a week to clear?

 

[jamesngalveston]

super kleer usually clears my wine in 24 to 36 hours, one batch made from fig took almost 50, but figs make a wine that is very high in lees..about 35 percent.