Dragon Blood in 15 days!!!

[LoneStarLori]

Lori, a wine conditioner is a sweetener and stabilizer all in one----usually potassium sorbate and sugar. I much prefer to control each one separately. You wouldn't want to add too much sorbate (yucky!) while trying to get the sweetness you want, nor come up short on the sorbate while holdong the sugar back. You would be lucky, I think, to find the balance of personal taste plus security in one bottle.

Thanks Dave. I have never used it and was wondering about it. I didn't realize it had a stabilizer. Makes perfect sense not to use it. Sugar it will be.

 

[sour_grapes]

That was an early indication of things to come. I have never broken a bone (knock-knock), but I had nearly 1200 stitches before I was 18 years old. My doctor used to joke that they were going to build a suture wing on the hospital with my name on it.

I see! I had probably in the hundreds, but never had a big cut -- just 10 or so stitches at a time. 1200 is a big number!

 

[jamesngalveston]

I agree with dave, the wine stabilizer sounds good, but its more sorbate then sugar...
If my wine is above 12 percent, i never use sorbate.
I you want to test your wine for referment, add some wine to a glass and add a pinch of sugar. If it is capable of refermenting, you will know in about an hour
always add a simple syrup, never raw white sugar.

 

[dangerdave]

Good advice, there, James.

 

[Tripplett]

I racked to secondary yesterday; looking good the top 2-3 inches is clearing. I'm degassing (vacuum) like crazy; drawing close to 25Hg about 6 times today (sore hands)... how much should I keep doing? What I'm asking is, when is it enough; I don't know what signs as I'm used to degassing by leaving in the carboy for a year or 2 lol. I'm getting big bubbles as opposed to tiny; and they still cover the whole surface if I pump like crazy; the top 2-3 inches is still clear despite the vacuum degassing. I haven't added the finings yet, is it good to add them now do you think or degas for another few days?

I read somewhere on here that if you can vacuum to 25Hg and it's still holds above 15Hg after sitting for 20 minutes then you are done. I vacuum to 25, let it fall back to 15, and go back to 25 and repeat till it is holding over 15. This has always worked for me. I try not to go much over 25 on anything. If I have a batch that is stubborn I let it go to 10 before killing my hand pumping again. When I get an allinone degassing will be so much easier.

 

[iVivid]

When I get an allinone degassing will be so much easier.

What's an allinone?

 

[jamesngalveston]

http://allinonewinepump.com/

one of our sponsors here, and a great guy to talk with, and he is numero ono in customer service and makes a great wine making tool.

 

[Jericurl]

I think I'm going to let my Dragon's Piss age a bit longer but I did stabilize, clear, and backsweeten it. I snuck a taste of it today....wow....this is really pretty good. It is overwhelmingly a strawberry taste but the color is bright magenta. I'm guessing the strawberries flavored it and the prickly pear took over in the color department.

 

[jamesngalveston]

tropical db clearing, and spiced peach fortified with everclear test batch..
kind of like apple moonshine, but better...ino....

 

[wineforfun]

I agree with dave, the wine stabilizer sounds good, but its more sorbate then sugar...
If my wine is above 12 percent, i never use sorbate.
I you want to test your wine for referment, add some wine to a glass and add a pinch of sugar. If it is capable of refermenting, you will know in about an hour
always add a simple syrup, never raw white sugar.

Why no sorbate if over 12%? Is that enough alcohol to kill off any refermenting?

 

[iVivid]

http://allinonewinepump.com/

one of our sponsors here, and a great guy to talk with, and he is numero ono in customer service and makes a great wine making tool.

OK, I want one!

 

[Jericurl]

You guys, I did it! I made wine!

I drew out a bit for pictures...I'll be bottling this weekend.
I'm waiting on my corker to get in.
Super easy process and it tastes good! Thanks Dave!

 

[LoneStarLori]

Woo hooo Jeri! That looks spectacular. How does it taste? My first batch is still clearing and I haven't even tasted it.

 

[LoneStarLori]

OK, I want one!

I have been drooling and dreaming about one for the last two months. I was going to ask Santa, but he never tells my husband the right thing to buy.
Being the kind sole that I am, I did them both a favor and ordered it yesterday.

Can't wait to try it!

 

[Tess]

Dont taste it till it done Lori, Good Job Jeri. Love the pics!! wait till its a couple months old!

 

[jamesngalveston]

Congrats, jericurl...welcome to the db club, where we snob the wine makers that think that wine has to age for a few years to be good,are drinkable...wine looks great, now...
if you have a truck...better get some more carboys...LOL

 

[Tess]

hey Im doing my first 20 gallon brute batch this week!! lol

 

[cmason1957]

Why no sorbate if over 12%? Is that enough alcohol to kill off any refermenting?

12% is probably not enough to gaurantee no refermenting. Sorbate is generally considered to be the way to keep the yeast from reproducing and starting to referment. It does depend somewhat on the yeast used, but I had a yeast I wax using for a port take sugar all the way to 22% even though the specs said it would stop at 18%.

 

[dessertmaker]

Sample early sample often! The more you sample the less you share.

And the easier it is over time to tell if something is slightly "off."

It tastes like acid and rocket fuel at first. But it's a beautiful journey to take your tastebuds on. From rocket fuel to red wine!!!

 

[wineforfun]

Being the kind sole that I am, I did them both a favor and ordered it yesterday.

haha
That is awesome.