Dragon Blood: Triple Berry Skeeter Pee

[CBell]

Tom you certainly can. You can age for years before backsweetening if you want. Just add sorbate at backsweetening time

 

[jamesngalveston]

I am going to try mine next week...if it is good as all says.
I am buying a 3 gallon bulk frig dispenser and filling it up.
I may buy some box wines, empty them and fill with dragon blood for the 4th of july party I have ever year.
Thanks.....

 

[JimC]

Finally Got my labels in and on

 

[CBell]

Enjoying a glass, or two (okay, so a bottle but it's pretty low APV) of my Dragon Blood! Needed to do some bench tasting at 3 weeks. At room temp it is a little astringent and acidic, but with a cube of ice, it's a great gulper. Absolutely delicious! Thanks again Dave!

 

[dangerdave]

I am, as always, very glad everyone enjoys the recipe. As for the sediment problem. If you employ a (relatively) cheap filter system, sediment in your bottles can be eliminated. Wait until the wine appears clear, then filter before bottling. It makes the wine sparkle!

CBell, I agree, chilled is best.

Jim, the label looks great on the bottle!

James, you are right. Bulk storage and dispensary is best for mass consumption.

JetJockey, I have used raisins (one pound) and oak (one cup of toasted French oak) and bananas (six ripe sliced bananas) in the primary in various configurations. I have tried all variations side by side after time in the bottle, but I have found little if any value to adding extra ingredents to the primary. With raisins, we are looking for the addition of body to the wine through the skins of the grapes used in the raisins. While such use of raisins may benefit wines made from straight juice, that is not what we are doing with the DB. We already have a wealth of skins in the primary with the blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Give this, I don't think the raisins lend much extra value. It seemed so in the beginning, but after a short time in the bottle, I could not distinguish it from the original in blind tasting. Ditto with the bananas. Up front, they seemed to lend a hand, but later, all things became equal.

The oak, on the other hand, has promise. The only error I made was in placement. While application of oak in the primary did give some flavor and smoothness to the DB, I have since become a fan of Joeswine's method of post (or secondary) application of both fruit and oak. I have made several reds and whites this past spring using his recommendations with wonderful success. The raisins (or fruit) and oak are used either upon racking to seconary, or after the wine has cleared. Tomorrow, I will start a triple batch of DB (18 gallons), and apply Joe's methods---in varying degrees---to two of the batches. the first batch will be the original without variation---for comparison. Batch two will have untoasted oak (probably a lot!) added to the wine after it clears. To the third batch, I will add an extra 3lbs of blackberries/raspberries/blackberries and some toasted French oak to the wine once it's cleared. The latter two batches will sit until the taste appeals to me---likely several weeks.

Watch Danger's Lab for this uncoming trial.

 

[gird123]

I tried to readfull 29 pages but could not make it. Has anyone added banana for body? How is the body of the standard? Starting this today! Going to throw it on top of a cc merlot lees.

 

[jamesngalveston]

out of primary...so I used an igloo cooler.

I was out of all primary buckets of any size. I had a 3 and 2, 1 gallon carboys empty...I do not like empty..lol
I wanted to start more db.

I drilled a 4 inch hole in the top of a 30 quart igloo, then added all ingredients and covered hole with muslin. I figured at this early stage it wouldnt matter much what it was in.
When sg gets to 1.000 I will open spigot and add to the carboys.

Thanks for this stuff...My first taste of my first batch was excellent.

 

[dangerdave]

I tried to readfull 29 pages but could not make it. Has anyone added banana for body? How is the body of the standard? Starting this today! Going to throw it on top of a cc merlot lees.

Thanks for trying, gird!

Like I have said (somewhere in those 29 pages), the bananas may actually add some body to the wine, however, in this case I'm not convinced that's a good think. After some time in the bottle, I couldn't tell much of a difference with the use of bananas anyway. The DB is designed to be a light summer (or anytime) wine. My wife has convinced me to lean back closer to the original recipe.

She does very much enjoy the enhanced flavor achieved with oak, so I'm sticking with that, I think.

I just brewed up my 18 gallon batch yesterday. The whole house is smelling awesome!

James, you are the man! Innovation is the brother of motivation...or something like that...

 

[gird123]

Started 6 gallons. I added 6 lbs of bananas. Did not see your post soon enough.

How much oak do you add?

 

[dangerdave]

I have had great success with both untoasted oak powder (1/2 cup) in the primary and medium toasted French oak chips (one cup) in the secondary (after clearing). If you are in a hurry, and have some handy, you can try putting the oak in the primary---yes, you can still add it now. If you don't mind waiting later on, and/or you don't have oak on hand at the moment---get some---and add it to the wine once it's cleared. Then, you let it sit until it tastes as oaky as you want...usually several weeks.

Thanks for trying the recipe. Good luck, and if you have any more questions, fire away.

edit: Did you get the cuurent version of the pdf file (above, in post #415)?

 

[gird123]

I looked in the recipe section. Did not see the PDF. SG was 1.080. I have made a lot of sp so I pitched on a merlot like I would with pee.

The wife picked up the triple berry and it is strawberry raspberry blueberry.

I saw your bentonite vs no bentonite and I was wondering if you had tried gelatin? Makes the lees very solid in my experience. A little slower than other things.

 

[dangerdave]

I do not reuse yeast for the Dragon Blood, but that's a personal preference. The merlot addition sounds great!

That berry blend also sounds nice. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Gelatin, I have not tried. I know, from others, that it adds body to the wine. For reference, how much do you add to a six gallon batch, how is it applied, and when do you add it?

 

[gird123]

I use .5 tsp in warm, not hot water, .5 cup water. 5 to 10 days from racking. It removes tannin so you have to keep that in mind.

I hope some one that knows more about gelatin would add their two cent. I recently used it in a pear and rhubarb and was pleased with the results.

 

[dangerdave]

Removes tannin. Duely noted. Thanks, my man.

 

[Geronimo]

Gelatin doesn't add body, it's just another "sticky" clarifier. It makes particles stick together to precipitate faster. It will soften the tannins for sure, but it's not huge difference depending on where you start and how much you use. Not very good for whites from what I understand because they lack tannins. Personally, I used to use it a lot in beer but prefer Kieselsol, Isinglass, or Sparkolloid in wine. That is to say, if I used a clarifier.. and I do not. I find the good old fashioned aging works better than anything.

 

[dangerdave]

Ah, you are correct, Geronimo. I thought someone had mentioned using gelatin to add body. I was mistaken. I think I'll stick to my sparkolloid.

 

[GEM]

Just a quick question. I have not made DB but I am getting the ingredients together to do so this weekend. On the question of adding oak, it is my understanding that adding oak at fermentation tends to soften tannins,etc, at least in regular wine. Adding oak after ferm. will tend to add the oak flavor. Is this correct, or doesn't it make any difference with DB or SP?
Cheers, Gary

 

[Elmer]

The lemon I use is per recipe. It is the Real Lemon with Sodium Bisulfite and Sodium Benzoate. The directions on the site say to add the lemon and give it a good stir over several days to dissipate the preservatives. I whip to add oxygen and release preservatives at the same time right before pitching.

I know the receipe calls for 1 bottles (48 oz each) 100% Lemon Juice (ReaLemon in the green bottle): if you want to
reduce the acid level use less lemon juice.

I have a green grocer/organic store down the road. They sell pure Juice IE: 100% lemon juice. Only ingredient is lemon.

Is there a reason to use the "real lemon" green/yellow bottle over 100% pure organic lemon juice.

Aside from the fact that the organic store only sells in 16 oz bottles?

I know I am a noob to DB, but I do believe this is going to be next on my list.

Also can anyone suggest an age time to bulk age or in bottle, before I drink?

 

[wineforfun]

Either lemon juice will be fine. It is ready to drink once done but will improve greatly if you give it 2-3 months. It tends to smooth out and the berry flavor become more pronounced.

 

[jamesngalveston]

danger Dave,
I started a 6 gallon batch two days ago. Mixed Pasteur red yeast per instructions..no fermentation after 12 hours.
I pitched another packet of Pasteur red and about 3 hours later, i had fermentation going.
JS wordy posted an article today about a wine brochure.
In it was a supplement called super food. To enhance yeast production.
I ordered some.
Do you think this will help in the fermentation process with db.
Yeast and all that Lemon do not mix well.