Let’s make Dragon Blood Wine! Here, Dragon, Dragon!
While researching all things Winemaking, I came across some discussion about Dragon Blood wine. Wow, I thought! How does one find a Dragon and get one to give some blood, willingly? I would never want to harm a Dragon, after all! Seriously, what was this mysterious wine that I never heard of before, and was it any good?
Dragon Blood Wine is the creation of a gentleman named David C. Land, AKA DangerDave in a wine making forum. He is an amateur winemaker who is also a firefighter in Southern Ohio. Danger Dave set out to make a cheap wine (under $2 a bottle) that would be made extremely quickly and drinkable early. He wanted to have a good drinkable wine to have while waiting for his kit wines to age. What he ended up creating was a medal winning wine that people rave about. He called it Dragon Blood Wine because of the beautiful translucent red color it develops.
While I don’t know Danger Dave, I admire him for a few reasons. First off, he is a firefighter. Secondly, how do you not like a dude named “Danger Dave”. Just too cool! Like the Evel Knievel of wine making. But what I admire most about Dave is his attitude. He openly shared his successful methods with the world in wine making forums and posted his recipe. He must be part Sicilian.
Dragon Blood Wine is made using easily available Triple Berry Blends that are available in most freezer sections and big box stores. The standard one he uses is a Raspberry, Blackberry and Blueberry blend, but he also states that you can do a vast multitude of variations. It has a beautiful red color that he likes to bottle in clear bottles.
While I was talking about this wine in some wine making forums, some folks said that they would make it if I would make it. I thought, “Wow, how cool would it be to try something new with a bunch of folks at the same time?” I just needed to bottle some wine to free up a carboy, which is you saw my Chocolate Raspberry Port video, you saw that I did just that! So, I am ready to prepare to make Dragon Blood Wine!
The first thing I did was read the forum posts on Dragon Blood Wine, which was hundreds of pages of posts. After a few hours of research, I devised a plan to make this recipe. I don’t know how this will turn out, but I am always up for a challenge and besides, it’s fun! I am going to post this as I make it, with my deviations from Dave’s recipe. If you want to follow along with me and we can make this wine together, that would be really cool!
From what I read, it seems like it could take as little as two weeks to make. That is a little hard to believe, so I am planning on it taking about month. Perhaps it takes Dave only two weeks because he uses a special heating pad, called a brew belt , to keep the Primary Fermentor at a specific temperature, around 75 degrees. I will not be using a brew belt as I don’t have one. So, my Dragon’s Blood Wine may take an extra week or so.
For those of you wanting to make this with me, it is time to gather your supplies. This recipe makes 6 gallons.
What Ingredients Do I Need For Dragon Blood Wine?
By all means, check out Danger Dave’s post here
EDIT: After posting this, Danger Dave contacted me via E-Mail. I think this guy is so awesome. He let me know that the most current version of his recipe has only 1 bottle of lemon juice. I already started making mine with 2 bottles, but my bottles were only 32 oz. So, I am somewhere in between. I have updated the recipe on my blog below to have only 1 bottle of lemon juice based on Dave’s recommendation. I also updated the recipe below to reflect my addition of two additional lbs of sugar to kick up the ABV. Whooo Hoooo! You can see the video of me making this on my YouTube channel!
Here is my shopping list for Dragon Blood Wine:
- 6 Lbs of Frozen Triple Berry Blend (Raspberry, Blackberry and Blueberry)
- 1 48 oz bottles of 100% Lemon Juice
- 12 Lbs of white Cane Sugar
- 1 tsp of grape tannin
- 3 tsp of yeast nutrient
- 1 tsp of yeast energizer
- 3 tsp. pectic enzyme
- 2 tsp. Bentonite
- EC-1118 Wine Making Yeast
We will also need for later on some Potassium Sorbate, Campden Tablets ( or Sulfite Powder ), Sparkolloid and some additional Sugar, if you decide to back sweeten.
I would also recommend getting a nylon bag to hold the fruit. In addition to these ingredients, you will of course need your standard wine making equipment.
Like I said, I don’t know how this Dragon Blood Wine is going to turn out, but it is going to be a whole load of fun to do this together with my global community of friends and compare notes. I think it is going to turn out great.
From what I have read on Dragon Blood Wine, it is drinkable at bottling and improves dramatically in a month or two of aging… Which translates to possibly being a great surprise come the holiday season and for new years.
So, what are you waiting for? Go shopping, get your supplies and let’s get this thing started! Check back in about a week or two for the start! I will be posting videos on the making of Dragon Blood Wine and notes along the way!
Cheers!
How did this turn out?
I am in the process of making it. I am publishing the video of the primary today. Stay tuned to see how it turns out.
Having made several batches of Dragon Blood, I can say that it is easy to make and quite drinkable at bottling. I make mine in my walk-in closet which sits near 72 degrees and mine clears and is ready for bottling in almost exactly 2 weeks as well, no special equipment needed.
Make sure you are using the latest recipe. The current recipe only calls for one 48 oz. bottle of lemon juice.
The wine does mellow over the next month or two, so I usually wait to give bottles to friends until 2 months from the beginning of fermentation. DangerDave has found that there is no real improvement after the 3 month mark, but since it is such an easy to drink wine mine really do not end up lasting that long.
Thank you Michael. Dave contacted me and turned me on to the newest version of the recipe. So far, this has been really fun. I just got finished making the video of the Primary.
You know I’m watching…
Of course, Dave! An honor to have you watching!
Where does the Bentonite come into play? I generally use that in the primary fermenter but I don’t see it used anywhere in Dave’s recipe.
I used it in the primary! Check my video on YouTube. I mix it and add it in a specific way and timing.
I believe DangerDave used it in some trials, but it didn’t appear in his recipe. I have read hundreds of pages of posts on Dragon Blood. I forget exactly where I saw him saying that he was using it. But he said it somewhere.
I am still in the process of making it, and so far it looks lovely!
Can someone post the current recipe please. Getting back into home brewing and this sounds like a confidence builder.. Thanks!!!
Making a new post now.
You talked about making bintinite, if I don’t have any, can I skip it? Or make it, and is sparkiloid something else I have to get before back sweetening?
Sure, It is Optional.
Hi I just went through your 1st video of making dragons blood. My current SG is .10080 I believe anyway my question is how long after adding the yeast should i see bubbling in the airlock? Its been 12 hours and haven’t seen this yet. Also on your second video you are degassing and racking. When does the back sweetening come into play?
Thanks and love your videos
Mike
You should see bubbling in about 2 days… Backsweetening is before filtering and bottling.
I’m on my 3rd 3 gallon batch of this wine. I’m looking for a label. Thought I’d use the “Dragon-Soulmates” image on this page if the artist doesn’t mind. Do you know how I can contact them? It would be personal use only.
How is taste difference between using 1 bottle and 2 bottles?
I like 2 better
Who much water, 5 or 6 gal recipe?
6
At what temp do you recommend to keep the wine process at?
Most people say 75 degrees. I do anything from 65 to 75
I can only assume this is for a 5 gallon recipie….I want to do this in about a gallon as that’s all I have for an open fermenter right now…I’m fairly new to home wine making….is there an easy way to scale this down into a single gallon?
it is a 6 gallon recipe. Divide everything by 6 except the yeast ….
I wouldn’t waste my time with 1 gallon.
Will a 6.5 gallon fermenter work or do I need to purchase a 7 gallon?
I like the larger ones
Your tutorial for this was my first batch of wine a few years ago. Everyone loved it! One person complained that it was too strong. I never offered him any more wine, lol.
Thank you for taking the time to put the videos and the website together.
My Pleasure
If Dragons Blood is a mead, and mead is a honey wine, an I missing the honey in the shopping list? Just starting out in making mead, so forgive me if I am missing something here.
It is not mead