# Things I will not do in 2014.



## Thig (Jan 2, 2014)

I have been making wine for about 15 months now and learned a lot because of this forum. I also learned some things from experience.

Things I will not do in 2014:

1. Make a bunch of 1 gallon batches. I know I was just getting my feet wet and was excited about every wine I read about but 1 gallon batches are too much work for so little wine. It is just as easy to go ahead and make 3 gallon batches which will be my minimum from now on.

2. Don't make every wine you read about just because it sounds good. I had some winners last year, my apple and the coffee port. And I had some duds like the blueberry/banana. It is drinkable but I wouldn't buy it. The cinnamon tea wine is borderline as is the fruit cocktail.

3. Put off bottling because it scares me. Actually after bottling 85 bottles last weekend I thought it went really smooth.

4. Buy every new gadget that comes out just because I think I need it.

5. Check this forum 10 times a day for new post, heck I still have to work.

6. Other things I am sure, I am still learning.


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## jamesngalveston (Jan 2, 2014)

I will not make julie mad....(maybe).....


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## Thig (Jan 2, 2014)

jamesngalveston said:


> I will not make julie mad....(maybe).....



Can't promise that, I think my Apple Pie Moonshine thread got a little close.


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## jamesngalveston (Jan 2, 2014)

yelp yelp, i remember that.


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## fabrictodyefor (Jan 2, 2014)

I will not follow a recipe blindly....I'll always check my sg before just dumping in all that sugar! 

And I was thinking not to bother with 3 gallon recipes....we seem to have no problem drinking up 5 gallons without blinking an eye.

OK, I will not check this forum 10 times a day....I could hold it down to 5 or 6.

I will not think I will remember what I did, I'll be a better note-taker with how I have made my wines!

I am sure there are more do's and don'ts but I've already used up my allotted time!


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## olusteebus (Jan 2, 2014)

I will not use 5 jars of blackberry jam with SP. Too much acid.

I will not pick up a 5 gallon carboy by the handle in close proximity to another - full or not. 

I will not, and I know this is sacrilege, oak any wine I make this year. No, I ain't gonna do it. If I want oak, I will snap off a branch and chew on it!

There are some other things I will not do, I gotta think about em.


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## Julie (Jan 2, 2014)

jamesngalveston said:


> I will not make julie mad....(maybe).....



Glad you said maybe. 



Thig said:


> Can't promise that, I think my Apple Pie Moonshine thread got a little close.



Lol, yes you scared the crapped out of me on that one, I thought for sure someone was going to come on and discuss distilling but I was very pleasantly surprised.

And I pretty much agree with what you won't do in 2014, I'm thinking you must be getting a pretty good wine collection.


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## Boatboy24 (Jan 2, 2014)

I will not over oak! 

I have a few that I took too far. Fortunately, they are coming around with time. But I'm drinking a somewhat young Aussie Chard right now that I fear won't be able to come far enough.


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## Runningwolf (Jan 2, 2014)

I WILL harass Julie to my fullest ability, I will not go in my wine room alone with her again (she kicked my as$).


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## Julie (Jan 2, 2014)

Runningwolf said:


> I WILL harass Julie to my fullest ability, I will not go in my wine room alone with her again (she kicked my as$).



You are dam right you will not be going into your wine room with me, I'm taking Jeannie, we get more wine out of there when you are not around!!!!!!


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## Thig (Jan 2, 2014)

Julie said:


> I am thinking you must be getting a pretty good wine collection.



Yeah I have hit 400 bottles, maybe I need to begin drinking more than I am making.


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## dralarms (Jan 2, 2014)

I will not bottle before a wine is fully ready.


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## Julie (Jan 2, 2014)

Thig said:


> Yeah I have hit 400 bottles, maybe I need to begin drinking more than I am making.



Well you don't want to be draining that cellar where you will have to do what you say you will not do this year.


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## the_rayway (Jan 2, 2014)

I will not lick the burning honey for my next bochet

I will not check on my wine every 10 minutes (unless it's a port)

I will not forget to check my TA

I will not promise not to check this site 10x per day 
(see how I did that?)


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## JohnT (Jan 3, 2014)

I will not go to the corner unless it is redecorated, 
I will not use a primary as a drum, 
I will not use two hydrometers as drumsticks, 
I will not stand in front of a vcss tank when dumping the lees, 
I will not forget to check the spigot before filling a vcss tank, 
I will not drop my wine thief while pulling a sample,


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## olusteebus (Jan 3, 2014)

JohnT said:


> I will not go to the corner unless it is redecorated,
> I will not use a primary as a drum,
> I will not use two hydrometers as drumsticks,
> I will not stand in front of a vcss tank when dumping the lees,
> ...



Talk about telling on oneself. There are some things we should just keep to ourselves.


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## vernsgal (Jan 3, 2014)

I will not doctor my kits "as much" this year
I will not bottle because I want the carboy
and I will not stop making 1 gal fun wines (especially since I'm in the wine of the month club!)


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## JohnT (Jan 3, 2014)

olusteebus said:


> Talk about telling on oneself. There are some things we should just keep to ourselves.


 

Common olustybus, Tell me you have not experienced any one of those list items!


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## Boatboy24 (Jan 3, 2014)

vernsgal said:


> I will not bottle because I want the carboy



Great advice!


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## olusteebus (Jan 3, 2014)

JohnT said:


> Common olustybus, Tell me you have not experienced any one of those list items!



No, not those things exactly. something very close on all of em


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## dangerdave (Jan 3, 2014)

I will not buy another carboy---after my second 3 gallon carboy is delivered today.
I will not avoid washing bottles until my lab is overflowing.
I will not become offended by offensive posts.


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## olusteebus (Jan 3, 2014)

I will not NOt keep records this year.


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## terroirdejeroir (Jan 3, 2014)

I will not drink more than six bottles of each kit batch until it is at least one year old.

I (hopefully) will not inadvertently whiff the SO2 solution in my corkador when removing corks.

I will not attempt to make strawberry wine that is drinkable :~( as I have failed enough already.

I will not manually degas my wine - yea AIOWP!

I will not use a double-lever corker - yea floor corker!

I will not fail to measure pH, TA, and SO2.


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## seth8530 (Jan 3, 2014)

I will not over sweaten another batch of 1yr+ old mead.


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## Runningwolf (Jan 3, 2014)

JohnT said:


> I will not go to the corner unless it is redecorated,
> I will not stand in front of a vcss tank when dumping the lees,
> I will not forget to check the spigot before filling a vcss tank,



John you're my hero today. This post couldn't of been posted on a better day. Lots of racking and blending today and the very first racking I have the cellar rat clean a tank and start racking another one off bentonite. A minute after starting the pump I see wine running by my feet. He forgot to shut the second spigot on the vct.

So at what point do you decide your tank had enough cold stabilization? This is one of numerous tanks that looked like this when I came into work this morning. This is 1200 gallons of Chancellor.

Note where air lock and bung landed on manway.


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## jamesngalveston (Jan 3, 2014)

omg runningwolf..how in the hell to you maintain composure...I would just cry if that happened to me....You must have patience of a saint .....


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## Runningwolf (Jan 3, 2014)

James, it is what it is. Next week if we get a break I'll hose off the tank and put the air lock back on. Today there is not a thing you could do. The 2" port for the bung is solid ice so no worries. I have over 15,000 gallons of wine sitting in tanks outside while I'm dealing with another 40,000 inside right now.


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## jamesngalveston (Jan 3, 2014)

dang man..thats a lot of wine....I swear if i have to go to chicago this year, im going to add a few days and come see your everything, (wine related..)


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## jensmith (Jan 3, 2014)

Its going to be -15 tonight. Single bottles of wine freeze solid at 4 degrees in just an hour or so. I think with my tiny five gal jugs and your wonderfull example I will NOT cold crash any jugs tonight


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## GaDawg (Jan 3, 2014)

Runningwolf said:


> I have over 15,000 gallons of wine sitting in tanks outside while I'm dealing with another 40,000 inside right now.



You going to drink all that by yourself


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## LoneStarLori (Jan 3, 2014)

Runningwolf, don't get mad, but I think that is a beautiful sight. A photo of nature at her finest. Both inside and outside the tank.


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## Runningwolf (Jan 3, 2014)

LoneStarLori said:


> Runningwolf, don't get mad, but I think that is a beautiful sight. A photo of nature at her finest. Both inside and outside the tank.



Not mad at all. I have come to expect this over the years, Tanks are filled to the brim and liquid expands as it freezes. Beats the heck out of a volcano in your wife's kitchen with white tile and counters as some have experienced.


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## knockabout (Jan 4, 2014)

I will not go over my wine budget...but reserve the right to change the wine budget at any time


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## dralarms (Jan 4, 2014)

I won't create a wine budget.


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## Jericurl (Jan 5, 2014)

Wine budget?



_crap_


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## vernsgal (Jan 5, 2014)

Jericurl said:


> Wine budget?
> 
> 
> 
> _crap_



I was like you Jeri . I had no idea this was to be done or how to do such a thing


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## the_rayway (Jan 5, 2014)

vernsgal said:


> I was like you Jeri . I had no idea this was to be done or how to do such a thing



What means this word *budget?!?*.

Never heard of such a thing either.


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## Winenoob66 (Jan 6, 2014)

the_rayway said:


> I will not promise not to check this site 10x per day
> (see how I did that?)



It's easy to fix this just do it like me and never leave


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## knockabout (Jan 6, 2014)

In my house budget is a word often accompanied by husband!


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## sensacorp (Jan 7, 2014)

I will not be lazy in my note-taking and I will not fill up the fermenter without first making sure the spigot is closed!


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## reefman (Jan 7, 2014)

I will not leave a carboy empty for more than 24 hrs.
Driving to work this morning, the outside temp. gauge on the dashboard read 1 degree F.


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## jswordy (Jan 9, 2014)

jamesngalveston said:


> I will not make julie mad....(maybe).....



Now THERE'S a moving target!


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