# slow going in the new winemaking area



## Wade E

Due to high mileage on our vehicles and a good sale on used vehicles my
wife and I decided to go and trade both our vehicles in for much newer
vehiclesbut without creating monthly payments. So we traded in my truck
with a bad tranny that the dealer didnt notice and got good money for a
newer car for her and will be trading in her truck with a transfer case
that we relaced twice already in 10 years for my vehicle on Wednesday
which took up a lump out of our savings but not much more than it ould
have been to fix them both and they both had 120,000 miles + on them. I
have 2 choc/rasp kits on order and have almost enough rasp for a
melomel which I will buy the rest frozen from BJ's and do it soon as my
wife wants the room in our freezer anyway. That will probably be it for
a while but I do have 30 gallons bulk aging. Probably have to make some
trim myself for the wine cellar to get that finished.


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## geocorn

You have to keep your priorities in order!


Just gave my 16 year old daughter my 2002 Volvo and I inherited a 1995 Dodge Dakota pickup with 37,000 miles from my father-in-law. The pickup will work well for the store and since I drive about 500 miles per month, it should hold up well. Besides the price (free!) was hard to pass up.


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## Angell Wine

I'll do 500 miles in a week*Edited by: Angell Wine *


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## Wade E

A 1995 with only 37000 miles on it, I put that on our Cherokee in 2 1/2 years!


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## Waldo

I beat that Wade, I just recently purchased a 1992 Plymouth Voyager van that was equipped with a wheel chair lift so we have something to get Kat's Mom around in and it has only 23, 400 miles on it. I was skeptical until I did a carfax check and had my mechanic check it out.VAn looks almost new.


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## Wade E

Wow, and I thought the 2002 Grand Prix that I just bought for myself with 34,000 on it was remarkable.


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## Grant

I guess I am going the wrong way, my 2005 pickup has 210,000 kms on it. I am about to pass my wifes 1997 Taurus


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## Wade E

Doesnt look to slow in there now!



Just started the La Bodega Port there on the floor.





*Edited by: wade *


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## lockdude

If it runs,and its paid for,then its ok in my book!I drive 400 miles a week in town.My 99 windstar has 150,000 and its still going strong.I will probably put another 50,000 on it,then buy another used one.Im a locksmith,and do lots of in town driving.Nice looking collection Wade!


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## NorthernWinos

Just traded off my old Caddy...183,000...she runs good...but could start getting expensive...I hope someone gives her a good home.


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## Wade E

From left to right.
RJS Winery Series Cal. Syrah, RJS E.P. Amarone, RJS Winery Series Super Tuscan, Ancient Orange Mead, RJS Brew House Cream Ale in front, Crab Apple in back, and Raspberry Melomel. $ bottles of Plum wine along with 2 cases on the floor that Im about to put labels and shrink wraps on and insert in cellar.


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## Joanie

Wade, your AO looks incredible!! I guess you weren't kidding when you said it was crystal clear! It's especially purdy!


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## Waldo

Looks great buddy.....Be bottling time before long


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## Wade E

Yea, it almost glows in the dark!



After racking the Crab Apple the other day it clouded back up though. Not sure that I stirred up a little sediment. I racked very carefully and added sulfite and with the hose at the bottom of the carboy I dont think that I added much chance of oxidation and my S02 levels are decent but I know apple wine is very prone to browning. Hopefully I just hit a little sediment and I will filter this when I back sweeten probably in a few weeks.


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## Wade E

Racked my RJS wines today from clearing stage to bulk aging stage.. From left to right is Cru Select RQ Tannat/Merlot and added the heavy American oak spirals. Next is the Winery Series Cal. Syrah that has been bulk aging a few months already. Then we have the Winery series Cab. Sauv. Then is the Winery series Old Vine Zin. On the end is the Chocolate Strawberry that is a Jack keller recipe that Cornfield made and it sounded so good I had to try it. In a few weeks its Mulberry picking time from a person who i have a side job from and my room will be very busy, then some more of those crab apples that I found last year in front of a Church and the Father there loved the wine and told me to pick as many as I want. 





*Edited by: wade *


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## Wade E

This is whats going on as we speak here. From left to right is Black Currant-6, Orange Chocolate port-3, Peach Ice Wine-3, Blackberry-3, Peach Ice-3, Orange Blossom Muscat-3. What a wonderful smell there is in this room, kinda like a compote! All these wines will surely get the chance to bulk age as my wine cellar is full to the rim! I think I have a little over 800 bottles in there.





*Edited by: wade *


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## hannabarn

WOW! 800 bottles.! I thought I was bad with about 300! Of course I only started a little over a year ago!


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## Rocky_Top

Hannabarn, -- At that rate you will pass Wade in no time. You will have to add on to your house. Think of the cost! You might need to send some my way. I will help keep your numbers controllable.


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## Wade E

Here's the view tonight. Left to right is Black Currant, Orange
Chocolate Port, Peach Ice wine, Blackberry and whats left of the Orange
Blossom Muscat that I didnt have corks for but needed the 3 gallon
carboy for the OCP. Got 100 corks today.


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## RkyMtnWine

Looks awesome Wade... gotta get me some of those tags.. I am getting lost just with the few jugs I have in the secondarys.. Staples.. here I come. And they have GPS navigators on salenext door.Time to dust off the plastic*Edited by: RkyMtnWine *


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## NorthernWinos

Wade...your room is so neat and tidy....

Wines look good too!!!!!


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## Wade E

Cant help it, Im a neat freak. Wish the rest of the family was even 50% as neat as me!


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## gaudet

Wade,

What is that red device on the left side of your counter? It looks like it could be something to assist with labeling your bottles.

*Edited by: gaudet *


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## Wade E

It is a 
<h2>



Horizontal Thermocapsuler</h2>


Electric (110 volt) heat source for use with PVC shrink 
capsules. Adjusts to any size bottle. George sells it but doesnt show a picture so i copied and paseted from another site. Works awesome and really fast. You rest it on the side and insert it and remove it that fast as its done. 

<t>
</t><table width="410" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0">
<t><tr valign="top">
<td width="50">
</td><td width="160">Horizontal Thermocapsuler </td><td width="45" align="right">
</td><td width="50" align="right">

</td><td valign="top" width="90">
</td>
</tr>

</t></table>




*Edited by: wade *


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## Jack on Rainy

Wade,
I have an equipment question? I think I see speakers on the wall above your table. What kind of music is played for your wines? Do you select music based on wine making stage? How does music selection affect bouquet, balance, fruit etc.?Perhaps apoll is in order....



!


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## Wade E

A little heavy metal when yeast is added to wake them yeasties up, some good "ole" fashion rock&amp;roll to keep them going and some classical while they are bulking to keep them calm. Im very eclectic!


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## grapeman

I think Wade played the "William Tell Overture" or what the heck ever it is called where there is lots of booming and banging like a "Volcano" I have seen his eruption there posted a lot of times!


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## Wade E

Naw, I played a little thrash metal and the fermented wine got really mad at me and threw up!


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## Ieatrice4dinner

wade said:


> Naw, I played a little thrash metal and the fermented wine got really mad at me and threw up!



pantera


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## Wade E

Love it! Walk!


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## AlFulchino

Wade, just watch that machine, i did see a small fire start once from that type of machine...nothing serious, afterall it is just the shrink cap...but it did make a smoky scene and a sticky mess that could only be...yep you guessed it...burned off


w dilgence this will never happen wink wink....but i wasnt dilgent.....as Marion Coutllard says in "A Good Year"...."Just so you know!"


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## Wade E

Just saw this post Al. I can see it happening as that tool gets very hot!!!!!!! It heats up the room pretty quick. Heres what is going on lately. From left to right is 3g Mulberry/Marionberry, in back of that is a 5g Chilean grapes blend of Zin/Cab, back is 6g of Banana/Pineapple Voignier, in front is 6g Crab apple with a small bottle of top up next to that that looks like Pepto, 2 6g's of Raspberry in the back and then 3 gallons of Dandelion on the extreme right.


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## Wade E

Not so slow going at the minute.


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## Wade E

I think I need more room! Oh and some more carboys as Im out!!!!!!!!!


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## AlFulchino

you may have an addiction 

in the upper middle of the page, am i seeing an intravenous bag?





you probably put wine in there right?


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## Wade E

That is a flattened out Pinot Grig bottle supposedly for cutting cheese on.


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## xanxer82

They sell those at craft fairs. I use a butane torch. Oxyacetlyne gets too hot and scorches the label.


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## ibglowin

Holly molly! Yep you need a longer work bench!


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## nursejohn

Someone, explain to me exactly how you flatten out a wine bottle. I would like to try that some weekend. It would make for a good conversation piece I think.


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## ibglowin

I find one of these to be quite useful!


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## xanxer82

nursejohn said:


> Someone, explain to me exactly how you flatten out a wine bottle. I would like to try that some weekend. It would make for a good conversation piece I think.




Just stick it in a kiln or oven. OR use a torch from the inside as to not damage the label. keep the flame moving if you use the torch. The bottle sinks in the middle but not the top or bottom.


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## rrawhide

i like Mikes method better!!!

heeheheheheheheeeeeee boy toys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yeah~~~

bottle flattners ----- heheheheheheheheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

as Waldo would say

"bawwbabawwbaaaaaaaaaaaawaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaahaaa!


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## grapeman

Yep, Mike's idea is a good one. Wade can buy one of those for flattening the bottles and then he will be able to haul in the black currants when they get bearing good. That truck should just about hold one picking at a time, if he picks every few days. heheheheheheheheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee






bawwbabawwbaaaaaaaaaaaawaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaahaaa!


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## Bartman

xanxer82 said:


> nursejohn said:
> 
> 
> 
> Someone, explain to me exactly how you flatten out a wine bottle. I would like to try that some weekend. It would make for a good conversation piece I think.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Just stick it in a kiln or oven. OR use a torch from the inside as to not damage the label. keep the flame moving if you use the torch. The bottle sinks in the middle but not the top or bottom.
Click to expand...

My wife was flattening bottles before I started making wine. She did some interesting "experiments" with different types of bottles and different colors. The blue bottles typically seen in German white wines were some of the most popular. The trickiest part was getting the metal ring melted into the mouth so you can hang the flattened bottle on the wall like Wade has done - that's not easy to do in a 1500 degree kiln. 
I can get you some if you like, I think we still have a half dozen or so - the fad came and went in about one year's time.


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## Runningwolf

Holy cow Wade. Your room is spotless. Do you normally keep the carboys uncovered or was it just for the picture. I keep t-shirts over all of mine. You must have a big work table behind you that we're not seeing.Looks good!


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## Wade E

There are no windows in that room so the only time they get any light is when Im working in there and I try and do a lot all at once. Yesterday i racked 5 wines off their sediment and then racked my peach wine out of primary into carboy. That leaves me with nothing to do but wait till the 2 grape batches finish MLF. Im ready to bottle the Chilean Malbec form Graoes though and sweeten a few batches as they are almost ready.


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## Brewgrrrl

Every time I think my little wine hobby is getting out of hand (currently 66 gallons fermenting downstairs + several bottled batches) one of you guys puts things in perspective...


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## Wade E

Okay I just racked many batches off their lees and hope to have enough energy to sweeten some of these up and bottle them, Some of these I just racked where the wines from grapes which I just racked onto some oak Ill let that sit for about 3 weeks and then play around with some tannins before bulk aging, they basically just finished Malo about 2-3 weeks ago.


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## AlFulchino

pictures?


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## Wade E

Sorry was to busy between doing the laundry and still cleaning house also from Thanksgiving. My wife is finally starting to get better from her surgeries but not able to do much in the way of cleaning.


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## grapeman

Hey Wade, I hope she gets feeling better. I didn't know she needed surgery. I hope it all went well. It can be very stressfull to all of you involved- even the kids. I know what you mean about racking wines- I've done around 40 carboys this week alone. Of course they are all small ones- yeah, that's it. I'm sticking to that story.............


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## admiral

40 carboys! I can only dream.


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## AlFulchino

understandable Wade....buona fortuna


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## Wade E

Rich, she had the surgery awhile ago and it went well, then, it somehow got infected and they gave her heavy duty anti biotics which didnt work either so they gave her an IV which she had to put the anti biotics in and something afterwards. She has very weak veins so after 2 days of doing that the vein would give out and they would send a niurse to the house to find another vein. This went on for about 1 1/2 weeks and then they couldnt find any more veins and it wasnt working well either so they had to open her back up, drain the knwe and keep it packed and open for about a week and also put 2 ports into her direct to do the antibiotics. They fiannly took all the packing out right before Thanks G. She is able to walk on it now.


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## xanxer82

Hope your lady is doing better. 
How is the wine room coming along?


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## Wade E

Wine room is totally full, wife is getting better but cant wait till things are back to normal so i can take a rest!


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## Wade E

Here is a recent pic of my wine making area or as my wife likes to call it "The Lab"


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## vcasey

What does the bottle of JD help with?


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## Wade E

My sanity!!!


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## Scott B

Very nice. Love the drawer Pulls. Where did you get them?


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## K&GB

Nice looking setup Wade.


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## Wade E

They arent really drawer pulls, they are really just decorative appliques. The draw pull is actually part of the drawer face underneath.


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## Robert123Carr

Great looking setup Wade! One day when I am a big boy maybe I can have something like this.


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## Wade E

Thanks Robert, it took quite some time and quite some money! It also took a lot of blood, some sweat, and a few tears!


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