Dragon Blood: Triple Berry Skeeter Pee

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dangerdave

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I think I have neglected to add the Dragon Blood Recipe the recipe section, so here it is. PM me if you have any questions.


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Here's the newest version (v3.0): Please read recipe completely before beginning!


"DRAGON BLOOD"
*Silver Award winner at the 39th Annual Cellarmasters Amateur Winemaking Competition*

FROM DANGERDAVE'S EASY PEESY (SKEETER PEE) RECIPE

Ingredients: For a six gallon batch:

Step 1: To a cleaned and sanitized seven gallon primary, add---in this order:
1 bottle (48 oz) 100% Lemon Juice (ReaLemon in the green bottle): if you want to recude the acid level use less.
Water to about five gallons
20 cups of white granulated sugar (you will be looking for a SG of around 1.075 after filling to 6 gallons below*): use more/less sugar for high/lower desired final ABV. Stir sugar until completely desolved.
1 tsp. tannin (stir)
3 tsp. yeast nutrient (stir)
1 tsp. yeast energizer (stir)
3 tsp. pectic enzyme (stir)
Top water to six (6) gallons* and stir well
Test SG (looking for a SG around 1.075) Note: The natural sugars from the fruit will slightly increase the final ABV, so be careful how high you drive up the SG at this point!
6 lbs. of Triple Berry Blend (raspberry/blackberry/blueberry--available in most grocery store freezer sections), frozen then thawed, in a nylon fine mesh bag (tied shut), placed in primary (add any extra juice from the fruit as well): Give the bag a couple of squeezes to work in pectic enzyme. May also toss fruit directly into primary, but this makes for a "messier" fermentation and subsequently will require more clearing time and racking.
Cover primary
Place brew belt: Keep temp in 70F-80F range.
Let sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours...

Step 2: To the primary fermenter, add:
1 packet of EC-1118 Yeast (starter, per yeast directions): Sprinkle yeast into one cup of warm water (100F), let sit for 15 minutes (no longer), stir and add to primary. Other yeast strains may also work well.
Stir Primary Vigorously!

Step 3: Each day, do the following, in this order:
Check temp
Check specific gravity
Squeeze juices from fruit pack into fermenter---remove friut pack: Temporarily place in sanitized bucket.
Stir primary vigorously: To introduce oxygen into must.
Replace fruit pack
Cover primary

Step 4: When specific gravity (SG) reaches <1.000, do the following:
Squeeze juices from fruit pack into fermenter---remove fruit pack: Discard fruit.
Note: Some wine makers suggest three consecutive days with SG below 1.000 to insure the wine is finished fermenting. I encourage this if you are not in a hurry to finish your batch. In addition, leaving the wine undisturbed (don't stir) for this time, will allow the sediment to settle out and facilitate more rapid clearing.
Rack the wine to cleaned and sanitized six gallon carboy, leaving the gross lees (the stuff in the bottom) undisturbed.
Add 1/4 tsp. Potassium Metabisulfite (stir)
Add 3 tsp. Potassium Sorbate (stir)
Degas very thoroughly: I cannot emphasize this enough!
Add Sparkolloid* (or other cleaing agent): *1 tbs in one cup of water simmered for about 5-10 minutes. Add hot mixture to carboy.
Allow to clear undistrubed for no less than 1 week

Step 5: When wine is clear:
Carefully rack off of lees into cleaned & sanitized six gallon carboy
Add 4-5 cups of white granulated sugar (stir until sugar is completely disolved). This will give a SG of around 1.010: Add more or less sugar to taste. Remember! The sugars will blend with the berry flavors over time, and the sweetness will come forward. Do not over-sweeten!
Allow wine to clear free of all sediment: This may or may not require more racking over the next few weeks.

Step 6: When wine is completely clear:
Filter if desired
Bottle in clear bottles (because it's beautiful)
Note: Never bottle cloudy wine! NEVER!
 
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This sounds like a good quick wine. Being one who loves med-heavy bodied,dry wine though ,how would this fair? If it is light bodied , how much sugar would you recommend to keep it dry?
 
This sounds like a good quick wine. Being one who loves med-heavy bodied,dry wine though ,how would this fair? If it is light bodied , how much sugar would you recommend to keep it dry?

Well, versgal, that's kinda like asking how to make your bicycle ride like a Harley. LOL! This recipe is designed to be a light fruity easy-drinker.

However, any recipe can be modified. Add extra sugar in the primary for more finishing ABV. Someone suggested using honey and making it into a Dragon Mead. Toss in a bag of raisins for body. Don't back sweeten if you like it dry. It's really not bad dry. My wife (whom is my biggest fan abd consumer) likes her wines sweet, so that's how I make it.

Experimentation is encouraged! :dg
 
This is JMO but this wine isn't drinkable dry. Between the bite of the lemon and no residual sugar I didn't enjoy it at all, but different strokes for different folks.
 
Lol, that was a newbie mistake. New to the site and never saw the post for "skeeter pee". Understanding now- I don't believe I will make it dry, will certainly add it to my "to do list"
 
This is JMO but this wine isn't drinkable dry. Between the bite of the lemon and no residual sugar I didn't enjoy it at all, but different strokes for different folks.

Correction. The Dragonette (without the lemon juice) was not bad dry.
 
Am I reading this right? I don't add any k-meta at the start of my fermentation? And I don't have any yeast energizer... Will I be ok without, or should I hold off on starting this batch until I get some?
 
Am I reading this right? I don't add any k-meta at the start of my fermentation? And I don't have any yeast energizer... Will I be ok without, or should I hold off on starting this batch until I get some?

No sulphite in the primary, correct. The high acid content of the lemon juice will adequately protect the must. That is another reason for the energizer. I'm not sure if it will get going without it. It's up to you. Try it or wait until you get some.
 
No sulphite in the primary, correct. The high acid content of the lemon juice will adequately protect the must. That is another reason for the energizer. I'm not sure if it will get going without it. It's up to you. Try it or wait until you get some.

Thanks! ... I went ahead and pitched the yeast without the energizer, more out of curiosity than laziness... but a little bit out of laziness too. I may be back asking for more help if nothing happens within the next day or two. ;)
 
Day number 3 and it's bubbling along nicely, no energizer added... Here's hoping it doesn't stall out halfway through.
 
Day number 3 and it's bubbling along nicely, no energizer added... Here's hoping it doesn't stall out halfway through.

Awesome! I am down to using just one tsp of energizer with 3 tsp of nutrient. Glad it got going. Good luck!
 
Dave, i have started the dragon blood skeeter pee on 0ct 25 and i am into clearing now for 6 days. my question is exactly how long did you clear you batch b4 bottling? Mine looks like it did on day 1 of clearing, seems to have stopped. i used Super Kleer, does that matter, wine store guy said it was a better product and would hasten the process but he has never cleared a batch as quick as you did and recommends atleast 1 month clearing . i read and re-read you articles on this so i thought i would give it a shot. looks like i'm not as lucky as you got. have you done anymore batches that quick? and if it appears my clearing has ceased is there anything i can do to kick start it again, thanx for any input, Loddie aka Cheesehead
 
Loddie!

I always use sparkolloid---if you haven't noticed. I leave mine to clear for a week. Usually, it is nice and clear by then. The sparkolloid works very quickly on well degassed wine. The 15 day batch was a test, and the fastest batch I have ever done. Now, I leave it a little longer, just to be sure there is no sediment left.

I haven't tried Super Kleer, so I can not advise you on that. If it says it will take a month, then it will probably take that long. If the wine is not degassed thoroughly, that can delay clearing. Anything else you do besides wait will stir the sediment up again.

If I were you, I'd give the Super Kleer it's prescribed time to work, and not give up on it until then. Get some sparkolloid (it's cheap!) and try it on your next batch. That stuff works great on fruit wines!

Dave
 
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