# My 2014 Crush



## JohnT (Sep 8, 2014)

Last year, I started a thread detailing my 2013 fall crush. Seems that a lot of folks liked it, so (unless someone protests) I am doing it again this year.

I spent all of last weekend getting ready for crush. This year, I am expecting around 80 people. 

Crush is a "two front war". We have the actual winemaking, but also it is a big party. Both ends of the event needs attention. For food, I organized the troops and have convinced 20 people to bring some sort of dish. I spent yesterday cooking meatballs (in sauce) and Sausage-n-peppers from scratch. They are resting nicely in my freeze until the day. Most importantly, my brother is making the traditional chicken paprikas (Hungarian chicken stew) and my mother is making the goulash. I promised to make the spaetzle (next week). 

My cousin is bringing 10 gallons of his home made beer (to make a good wine, you start with a great beer). Others are bringing stuffed cabage, Perogies, Turkey, pulled pork, and assorted baked goods. Many others have simply promised to "bring something". 

Also spent a lot of time this weekend getting the yard in shape. The area in front of the winery doors was a trampled mud slick last year so I spread about 2 tons of new gravel. I hope this helps. Also, organized my sun deck and set up the large buffet table. 

Finally, I spent a significant amount of time scrubbing tanks and checking out the lid gaskets. Darn things are now so clean they look brand new! Also started to prepare the press by cleaning the baskets and bottom pan. Also spent a lot of time reorganizing everything (tossing out old chemicals, cleaning shelves, etc.) and tinkering with my new pump. 

Next week, I begin to pull out the crusher, the crusher stand, and primaries for a good check out and pressure cleaning. Only two weekends left before crush. Part of me can't wait to get at it, while another part of me wishes I had more time.


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## GreginND (Sep 8, 2014)

Oh boy - wish I could join you - for the FOOD! 

Hope your crush goes well.


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## Kraffty (Sep 8, 2014)

I really enjoyed your posts last year, looking forward to following along again this year, best of luck.
Mike


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## Boatboy24 (Sep 8, 2014)

JohnT said:


> This year, I am expecting around 80 people.



Make that 81.  Like Greg, I'm coming for the food!

One problem though: You haven't told us WHAT you're crushing. Or have you not decided yet?


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## Winenoob66 (Sep 8, 2014)

Remember lots of pictures to go along with the story.


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## ibglowin (Sep 8, 2014)

Looking forward to all the deets!


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## JohnT (Sep 8, 2014)

You all can consider yourselves invited!


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## 4score (Sep 8, 2014)

Sounds like a lot of fun. I'll have to go back and read about last year's.

Interesting to hear about all this crushing coming up in a couple weeks in the future as I've been crushing and pressing like a madman lately. Wow...80 people to help! Have fun! Looking forward to the pictures and story!


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## Enologo (Sep 8, 2014)

You are the man John! I can't even imagine such an event.


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## pjd (Sep 8, 2014)

JohnT, I would really love to be there for that event! Sounds like a lot of fun and great food!


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## Boatboy24 (Sep 8, 2014)

I have to say I really admire the fact that you can pull this off. Entertaining 80 people is enough, but I'm sure you'll probably be crushing 1,000 pounds or more of grapes in the process. Pulling off the logistics of a crush like that, and having that many people at the house to be fed and watered is no small feat. I have romantic dreams of doing this someday (on a smaller scale, mind you). But it is a way off. Make sure your niece takes plenty of pics.


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## ibglowin (Sep 8, 2014)

Boatboy24 said:


> Entertaining 80 people is enough, but I'm sure you'll probably be crushing 1,000 pounds or more of grapes in the process.



80 people for 1000lbs! 

I crush 900lbs just me and SWMBO. LOL

If he has 80 people coming to help he better have 3-4 TONS!


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## Boatboy24 (Sep 8, 2014)

ibglowin said:


> 80 people for 1000lbs!
> 
> I crush 900lbs just me and SWMBO. LOL
> 
> If he has 80 people coming to help he better have 3-4 TONS!



Methinks they are there for the food and last year's wine.


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## LoneStarLori (Sep 8, 2014)

I would love to join in but since I live so far, I guess I'll have to settle for pictures and dreams of great food. Good luck John!


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## JohnT (Sep 9, 2014)

Boatboy is correct. Many come just for the party. Of the 80, I would say that there are, perhaps, 30 people helping. A few of the folks just come for the morning, while others may come after noontime. 

With so many folks, we usually start crushing by 8am and are done by 2 or 3pm and the after-party usually winds up around 1 or 2am.

I like to avoid assigning jobs to people. Most have been to crush many times and know all of the specific tasks involved. I prefer that the folks do what they want and for as long as they want. People HATE being told what to do and be ordered about (especially volunteers looking for a good time). In the end it all always gets done, from sorting the grapes, lugging them into the winery, directing which grapes go where (normally my job), pressing the whites, and even busting up the grapes and tossing them into the dumpster. There is also the "party patrol" that takes care of setting out the food, setting up chairs and tents, empting garbage cans, setting up beer, cleaning, and pouring out some wine for the folks.

We do go through a lot of wine at crush. It is, after all, a party. We have a good time, but we are also responsible. I always tell folks that there is plenty of room, even if it is floor space. May make for a bad night for sleeping, but it is sure better than a bench in a DWI jail cell.

Last year, we went through about 6 cases of wine and about a half keg of beer. For those that are big helpers, I always make sure that they go home with a couple of bottles. That would account for about another 4 cases. 

The thing about this, it is only the crush. There is the pressing a week later. Pressing is always a much smaller crew. I expect perhaps 12 to 20 people that will arrive and help out. The pressing is always more subdued and having fewer people means that there is a lot more room to move around. Any more would be a hindrance. The best part is that they will help eat up all of the left overs from crush.


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## Rocky (Sep 9, 2014)

Boatboy24 said:


> Methinks they are there for the food and last year's wine.



Jim, shouldn't that be "I thinks?" (Sorry, I am an old "Cheers" fan)


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## JohnT (Sep 9, 2014)

Just in case anybody wants to read about last year's crush, here is the link....

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f19/2013-crush-report-long-one-40799/


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## berrycrush (Sep 9, 2014)

JohnT said:


> You all can consider yourselves invited!



Now I wish I was still living in Edison.


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## JohnT (Sep 15, 2014)

*Update*

Well spent most of the weekend preparing for crush again. 

This time I cooked a large lasagna and a big pan of spaetzle. The spaetzle is needed for the goulash, lecho, and chicken paprikas that people are bringing. 

With that done, I did a little work on the press to make sure it is in order, cleaned and sanitized the large primary fermenters, and organized/cleaned my wine racks and wet bar. 

I am starting to get excited now. The food is mostly taken care of and the house and winery are both in good order. Next weekend my brother is going to help me with a few things and then all should be ready.


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## GreginND (Sep 15, 2014)

Pictures, John. We need pictures or it didn't happen!


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## JohnT (Sep 15, 2014)

Here is the spaezle and lasagna. The other picture shows the 3 trays of sausage and 2 trays of meatballs.


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## JohnT (Sep 19, 2014)

Crush is fast approaching. One week remains to get everything ready. 

This is the period of time that is the hardest. I tend to worry about each and every detail.

A good example would be yesterday. I had ordered some sixtles of beer (1/6 keg) from a place just up the hill from me. I ordered it on Wednesday and I got a "let me check with my salesman and we will call and let you know. A day goes by, and I get no call. So, last night I stop by a second time. 

The place is empty except for one old man with a VERY thick accent. I explain that I never got a call back, not sure if anything I said registered with him. He looks it up and says "keg". As he says this, he began eating a piece of fruit, squirting juice all over the counter. He then says "if there is a problem, we will call you". 

This worries me. If there is a problem, and I find out too late, there will not be time to order beer from anywhere else. I know that this is not the end of the world, but I still hate to disappoint the folks at crush. I fret about crap like this to the point where I get very little sleep. 

I can think of many other things that I worry about this close to crush... Here is just a short list on the top 12 concerns...

1) what if it rains?
2) what if there is a problem renting the truck?
3) will the dumpster be dropped off on time and in the right spot?
4) what if there is a problem picking up the grapes? 
5) what if the truck breaks down on the way back to the winery?
6) what if the truck gets stuck?
7) what if the supplier runs out of yeast? 
8) what if the crusher/destemmer breaks down?
9) what if the hydrolic press breaks down? 
10) what if the kitchen oven breaks down? 
11) what if there is a problem picking up the beer? 
12) what if I forget something vital? 

Planning/executing the crush is not all sunshine and roses. The closer I get to crush, the less and less sleep I get. Welcome to the "Pre-Crush Freak Out".

Tonight, I think that I will take two cabernets and "call you in the morning".


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## Boatboy24 (Sep 19, 2014)

JohnT said:


> 1) what if it rains?



Out of curiosity, what DO you do when it rains? The crush must go on, I guess it just gets a little messy?


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## JohnT (Sep 19, 2014)

We have several of those "pop-up" awnings, we work out of the truck, and we also have "blue tarp" that we can use as another tent. 

It does not get messy, just really muddy.


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## JohnT (Sep 22, 2014)

This weekend, I made my final cleaning of all equipment and also tested out the press and crusher/destemmer. SPENT HOURS simply scrubbing things (was still at it at 1am on Saturday). I managed to check off several of the remaining items on my master checklist and now have a better feeling on our preparedness. My two brothers come by to lend a hand on Sunday, and we managed to finish up just in time to watch the Giants win against Houston. 

With only 5 days to go, I am about as ready as I will ever be. 

People (the Florida, Georgia, and Virginia contingents) will begin to arrive on Wednesday, and by Friday our house will be full. The MRS is doing more than her share in getting the house ready for visitors.

I will probably order some pizza for Thursday night dinner, and make a big pot of chili for Friday night dinner.


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## ibglowin (Sep 22, 2014)

Out of curiosity John, How many lbs/tons are you getting this year? Are they all California? 

I would come help just for the food!


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## JohnT (Sep 22, 2014)

ibglowin said:


> Out of curiosity John, How many lbs/tons are you getting this year? Are they all California?
> 
> I would come help just for the food!


 
This year it is 70 crates (or roughly 1.25 tons). This should yield approx 166 gallons of wine. 

All of the grapes are sourced from California.


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## JohnT (Sep 26, 2014)

so today was all about picking up the grapes. had 8 people come with me. sucess! made it back in one piece, munching on cheese, salami, and bread all the way back. all prep work is done. time to have some fun and party!


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## Boatboy24 (Sep 26, 2014)

Have fun, John! I think you're weather is much the same as ours here in DC for the weekend, and that is absolutely perfect! Looks like you will have a great crush. I'll drive up to NJ on Sunday just to sample some of the food leftovers!


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## JohnT (Sep 27, 2014)

Well folks. It is just after 10pm and the party is still raging. I will post all of the details later but the day began (for me) at 4am and gee, my lower back really likes the chair am now sitting in. 

Both lunch and dinner are over. I think i won't eat again for 2days. we are now singin Bruce springstien songs. we are hungarian, but also from jersey.

all i can say folks is that we had a LOTof hard work, and the best of times one could ever expect. This is not a hobby. It is a way of life.


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## LoneStarLori (Sep 28, 2014)

I can't way to see the pictures and find out of the keg place came through. Or if the truck broke down, or any of the dozens of other things that kept you awake.


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## JohnT (Sep 30, 2014)

*My Crush - Friday*

Well, another crush for the books! 

I am very glad to say that it all went very smoothly and none of the imagined disasters occurred. We all had a wonderful time with not even a hint of controversy or drama.

On Friday, the grape pick up day, I normally ask for a volunteer to ride along with me. It is a big truck (24 foot) and having someone else go with me calms me down while driving. In typical style, I ask for one volunteer and I get four. Nice to see that I have such a willing and enthusiastic group of people. So the volunteers were…

My Older Brother
 Uncle Charlie (he supplied the chase car) 
 My buddy Joe 
 My Dad

I am happy to say that one of the volunteers was my Dad. He has alzheimer’s and is beginning to decline. He can still get around, but can no longer drive and had a big need to get out of the house. What a treat for him! He was so excited to go and see all of the wonderful things that the supplier has. 

So we had the big truck and a chase car. Riding in the truck with me was a very long time friend of mine, Joe. He realized that we had a truck and a chase car and just had to start singing… 

 “East bound and down, loaded up and trucking. We’re gonna do what they say can’t be done”… (Smokey and the Bandit theme song). 

Had that stupid song stuck in my head for the entire drive down!.. 

Picking up the grapes went smoothly. They had everything that I ordered (including the riesling)! Like every year, while waiting to get loaded, my brother and I go “browsing”. Jimmy (my supplier) knows that I am always a sucker for the impulse purchase. Jimmy took me into a secluded area of the warehouse to show me his latest great find, a Super Cabernet. These grapes were incredible tasting and measured a solid 26 brix on my light refractometer. They were sourced from a rather prestigious grape growing region of California (which escapes my memory) and came at a very steep cost of $58 per 36lb lug. 

So, of course my order was changed to include a batch of super cab. I will let you folks know how it turns out. 

Loading took forever, a good 4 hours. As they were loading, my brother went over to the Italian market across the street for some bread, cheese, and salami. It was good, but what I really wanted was some good Hungarian kielbasa. This has a very distinctive flavor and is my form of crack. Just 10 short minutes from my supplier is the Hungarian Meat Center, so the chase car made a pit stop on the way back to the winery.

During the drive back, I kept thinking about the super cab. My friend Joe started to sing …

*SUPER-CAB-*ifragilisticexpialidocious. 

Great! Yet another stupid song stuck in my head. 

When we got back, the truck ran right over the ground without any problem. It tad rained on Thursday and I was worried that the ground might be a big mud pit. Once the truck was parked in position, it was time to open a bottle and enjoy our goodies. When the volunteers finally left, it was about 5pm. I ended up having plenty of time to do those last minute things. Managed to get about 3 hours sleep and was up at 5:30am.


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## ibglowin (Sep 30, 2014)

Definitely interested in the SuperCab! That's actually not all that bad a price IF:

A) The fruit is noticeably higher quality (cluster wise fruit just looks beautiful)
B) Brix is close to perfect
C) Acid close to perfect

How did the numbers compare to the poor old NormalCab?


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## olusteebus (Sep 30, 2014)

looking forward to photos. Do you have a volunteer photographer?


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## Boatboy24 (Sep 30, 2014)

ibglowin said:


> Definitely interested in the SuperCab! That's actually not all that bad a price IF:
> 
> A) The fruit is noticeably higher quality (cluster wise fruit just looks beautiful)
> B) Brix is close to perfect
> ...



I agree. I pay $53 for "Gold" lugs (Amador Gold or Lodi Gold). The others are a buck or two less. I'm thrilled with the wine they produced last year though, and am hopeful I get a repeat this year.


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## JohnT (Sep 30, 2014)

*Saturday - morning to 2:30pm*

Crush day began at 5:30 am. I managed to keep busy puttering indoors. No matter how hard I wished, I simply could not get the sun to come up any sooner. 

Once it was light enough to see my hand in front of my face, I set up the crusher, set up a sorting bench in the truck, and gave the primaries another shot of k-meta. Once finished, I poured myself a cup of coffee and enjoyed the calm. 

I had told my brother to come at 8am, but told everybody else to come at 9am. This gave us an hour to start things off before the crowd arrives. 

This year, we were fortunate to get our hands on some Riesling. I use a “whole cluster” approach where I simply sort the grapes, dump them into the press and add low pressure over a long time. As the press settles, and the juice is extracted, the grapes in the press gets stirred and additional grapes are added on top. This whole process is very time consuming and takes all day. Lucky for me I had my nephew Taylor. As soon as he woke up, I gave him instructions and left manning the press to him. To his credit, he did a fantastic job with not a single complaint that his hands got sticky!

My cousin Matt arrived just before 9am with 2 toddlers and 2 kegs of beer in tow. He made 2 five-gallon kegs of beer, one was an english ale, and the other was an American ale. His beer impressed all that tried it and there was only a little of the American ale left in the end.

By 9:30am we were in full swing! The process went like this. Grapes are taken off the pallet and sorted (leaves, bad clusters, and sticks removed) into bussing trays. Empty crates are tossed out the side door of the truck, where they are broken up and then carted to the dumpster. Most of the time, we had 5 or 6 people sorting. My brother managed the truck and whenever a space at the sorting table open up, he would simply yell “we need a sorter here” and the space was quickly filled. 

The grapes are then sent into the crusher/destemmer which is set up at the back of the truck.. We had built our own stand that is the perfect height for the truck and minimizes the amount of bending and lifting required to load the hopper with grapes. The stand also is high enough to accommodate a brute container used to catch the crushed grapes. 

When 3 lugs of grapes have been crushed into the brute container, they are carried into the winery by two “humpers”. The grapes are then lifted and dumped into the appropriate primary (at the direction of Uncle Charlie). Humping is not for the light of heart. Over the years I learned that the best candidate for this position is a young lad trying to show off for the girls.

Each time a load of grapes is dumped into a primary, k-meta/yeast nutrient are added and mixed in using a punch down tool. 

In total we had about 50 attend the crush. At each station we always had plenty of help. We managed to finish up at about 2pm, just in time for lunch. I must have been working these people hard, because it was very quiet and an amazing dent was put in food in no time at all. 

On the buffet table we had.. Meatballs, lasagna, sausage and peppers, stuffed cabbage, pulled pork, mushroom goulash, spatzle, 2 different chicken paprikas, Hungarian Lecho, Baked Ziti, chicken/noodle casserole, and potato soup. Nobody went home hungry!

Once lunch was over, we set about cleaning up. The truck needed to be swept and hosed out, the crusher needed to be pulled apart, cleaned, and put away. Once the clean up was complete, it was time to gather under the tent and PARTY!!!! 

I had several folks taking pictures. I have not bee able to collect them all, but here are some so far.. 

1 - Here is the sorting line. only 3 working this? 
2 - My Nephew at the press. He stuck with it all day!
3 - My cousin's daughter. I never seen such a cut cellar rat.


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## ou8amaus (Sep 30, 2014)

Wow what a day! Sounds like everyone had a great time.


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## JohnT (Oct 1, 2014)

*Crush day, 2:30pm up to the wee hours*

As we were cleaning and putting away equipment, I enlisted a couple of the kids to set up the tent and bring out the chairs. People had been sipping beer in the morning, and wine since noontime, but only in very small amounts. Now that all of the work is finished, it was time to sit back and really enjoy a glass. 

To get us started, I had the kids bring the cooler of soft drinks to the tent and also a mixed case of wine I pulled out from the cellar. Corks started flying and the noise level rose to the appropriate “post crush” level. The first bottle officially opened was a 1995 cabernet sav that I had in reserve. It held up well and was soft and delicious! 

At this point, it was time for one of our most popular traditions. While sorting grapes, all of the little loose berries rolling around at the bottom of each create were collected into a wide bucket. Each year, one person is chosen to strip off shoes and socks and process these orphan berries the old fashioned way. Yup, it was time to christen a new member of the “purple foot club”. This year, a good friend of mine, Pat, was selected. In no time, and before Pat even had a chance to object, her husband was stripping off her footwear, placing her into the large tub, and having her stomp the grapes while the rest of us hummed the “chicken dance”. I have to hand it to Pat, she sure was a sport. As is the tradition, the wine from these grapes will be fermented separately and will go home with the “stomper”. This should be great source of dinner party entertainment for years to come. I imagine the spit take as Pat explains to her guests that “I stomped the grapes with my own feet”. Pictures (and plenty were taken) will prove her not a liar!

After the laughter had died down, we had some visitors, a momma black bear and her two cubs. They were a good distance away, but the tent was abandoned for the upper sundeck as a precaution. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to use my famous “Bear Grylls” impression, I let out a lecture on how loud noises usually scare black bears away, Had everyone in stitches, but they took the suggestion and started shouting at the bears. Thankfully, they simply ran off.

With the wildlife portion of our program over, it was time to resume the party. Gradually, everyone gathered at the tent again. More wine, another case, singing (Bruce Springsteen songs were very popular), another case… 

Dinner was set out around 6 pm. Before the sun went down, people were once again well fed.
Back at the tent, I joined my buddy in enacting the Monte Python skit where some old men were complaining (outlandishly) on how tough they had it as a child. This skit is perhaps the only truly funny thing that Monte Python ever made. What a hoot! People were rolling on the grass! Yet another case comes up from the cellar. Our song choices got to be simpler and simpler (by the light of the silvery moon was a hit). 

By 10pm, it was time to move the party in doors. Our numbers had dwindled down to the die hards. It was so great to get caught up with folks that I have not seen in a while. By 1am a handful of overnighters were put to bed and I, myself, collapsed for the first good night sleep in days.

*Epilogue*: The crush went well. There was no drama, no arguments, or any other negative energy. It was very easy to tell how everyone had a great time. The real “aww-gee” moment came when I woke up in the morning. I normally go straight for a cup of coffee and then tour the battle field to gravely assess the damage (or see what kind of mess we have). To my surprise, before turning in, several of the women banded together and cleaned up. There was not a single dirty dish in sight. I got goose bumps and thanked God for giving me such wonderful friends! 

Pressing is this Saturday, which is a much more subdued affair. Usually, there are only about 10 folks that show up for that. By the sound of things, however, I may have a larger than usual turnout. 

In the meantime, I will do my punch downs and try to keep calm. It is so easy to panic when there is only 360 days left until crush!!!!


Note: folks, I will post more pictures as soon as I can collect them.


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## Kraffty (Oct 1, 2014)

Well Done John, thank you again for sharing this year’s crush story. Like last year your writing is so descriptive that I found myself grinning like I was listening to a friend tell me about his great weekend party. I could almost hear bottles and glasses clinking and voices and laughing building as the evening went on.

Sounds like another year of great memories for a lot of people, better get planning for next year and please update from time to time on the Super Cab.

Mike


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## JohnT (Oct 1, 2014)

Winemaker's log... supplemental.. 

last night's punch down showed the distinctive up-shoot of temperature and a very firm raft of skins. Fermentation is progressing nicely on all batches.. BTW, we made the following... 

100% merlot (lodi) 
100% petit sarah - lodi
Blend of 20 parts old vine san gio to 7 parts cab franc
super cab 
Riesling (johannisberg) - whole cluster press. 

Used RC212 on all reds and D47 on the Riesling.


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## the_rayway (Oct 3, 2014)

Thank you for sharing again this year JohnT! I love reading your stories and feeling like I'm part of the crew.

Sounds like you are a very blessed person with so many good friends, memories, and new wine to make!


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## JohnT (Oct 3, 2014)

the_rayway said:


> Thank you for sharing again this year JohnT! I love reading your stories and feeling like I'm part of the crew.
> 
> Sounds like you are a very blessed person with so many good friends, memories, and new wine to make!


 
Thanks Rayway! 

That reminds me that I was negligent in mentioning my older brother. Through the entire event, he remained at his post in the truck managing the sorting crew. From about 7:30 to 2:00pm, he was at it. What a job he did! simply unbelievable! I need to figure a way to get him off the truck next year so that he can enjoy himself. He sure earned it!


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## JohnT (Oct 3, 2014)

Well folks, pressing is this weekend! Hope to have around 12 - 20 people helping. Once the wine is put to be, it will be time to battle with fruit flies!


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## JohnT (Oct 6, 2014)

*.. and then there is pressing!*

Folks, 


Saturday was press day. 


I managed to sleep in until 6am, got up, showered, poured myself a cup of coffee and sipped it until the cobwebs in my head went away. The night before, Friday night, I planned to share a bottle of wine with my uncle Charlie who had has been staying with us since before crush and been doing the AM punch downs. Just a little reward, mind you, to thank him for his effort. 


Unfortunately, my plan went awry and we ended up splitting 3 bottles. I did not feel too bad Saturday morning, and had gotten plenty of sleep, but Charlie looked a little slow at the starting line. Ahhh, the price we must pay for a good time! After a cup of coffee, I was ready for action.


I started by cleaning and then sanitizing the press, carrying tubs, and other equipment with k-meta. Then I set about to pressing. The process is rather simple. A flat head shovel (one that had been coated with ez-do food grade polyurethane) is used to take the dry, top layer of the “raft” off of the fermenter. Once down to the wet portion of the raft, a giant sieve is used. The skins are deposited into a “carrying tub” (or a small brute garbage can) and then carried over to the press and dumped in. 


When the press is fully loaded, It is closed and allowed to drain. It is quite amazing how much wine will flow out of a press without having to apply any pressure. Just the weight of the grapes themselves will yield quite a bit. I let this wine flow for a while until it is down to just a trickle, then begin adding slight pressure. It is hard to be patient when we have so much to press, but as I keep telling people every year… Gradual pressure and time is how gems are made.


From the press, the wine falls through a sieve and into a 5 gallon bucket. Once about ½ full, the bucket is swapped with an empty one and then carried to the appropriate tank and emptied. This process continues all day. 


When the flow of wine is again down to a trickle, the press is opened up and the skins are stirred. More skins from the fermenters are added to the top. The press is then closed again, and the pressing continues.


Each varietal is pressed separately. For each varietal, the press is opened up, broken down, emptied, and the hard pack skins are dumped into a pile (in the woods) to compost. I find that composted grape skins are perfect for growing tomatoes!

Meanwhile, back at the fermenter…


After the raft is removed the standing wine is pumped through a sieve into the appropriate tank. The empty primary is then taken out of the winery, cleaned, and put away. Before anyone else had arrived, I managed to get 2 primaries out of the winery and had the press actively working. With 2 primaries gone, there was finally enough room to move!
In all, I had 12 people show up to help. They arrived throughout the day which worked out great. As more and more fermenters were taken out of the winery, and more and more space opened up, there were more and more people to help. 


We finished pressing be 3pm. The press was finally broken down, hosed, scrubbed, and put to bed. All equipment was washed and neatly stacked to dry. With all of the wine sealed up, the winery was swept, hosed down, and mopped. With the exception of the customary stains on the concrete floor, one would never tell that a crush happened only 1 week ago! 
Then the celebration began. Chairs were set up in a circle (in the winery). Out came the Cohiba cigars and, once again, some of the better wines in my cellar. By 6pm, we were down to just 5 or 6 of us. 


When I had a chance to finally sit down and relax, I realized that I was STARVING! I had been at it for the better part of 11 hours and I only had a small slice of pumpkin bread that I managed to sneak in the morning. I had missed out on lunch. With everyone out of the winery and eating, I skipped the meal and swept up instead. 


Hunger drove the conversation. The topic of food is always a common discussion point, but as fate would have it, the other folks were hungry too. One thing lead to another and in no time we were on our way to this local steak joint that is famous for its BIG 24 ounce Delmonico steaks. We had 2 sober drivers, so we played it good and safe. 


Boy did we eat! When you are first seated, buckets of pickles, cherry peppers, and green tomatoes in kraut great you at the table. We all devoured them. As far as dinner, all of us had the same thing! French Onion Soup to start, 24 ounce Delmonico steak with home fries, followed by carrot cake and coffee (I swear they have the best coffee I ever tasted). 


When the bill came, there was the customary argument. I must admit that I am a check grabber, and come from a long line of check grabbers. My two brothers are the same way. I could tell you of all the creative and sneaky methods we have employed to obtain the check, but I digress..


I was able to quickly grab the check and managed to keep it by declaring that this meal was the close out of a crush and it is my right to pay!


When we got back to the winery, we resumed right where we left off, gabbing, sipping, laughing. The party broke up around 10pm and I once again I crawled into bed and slept soundly. 


Right now, I feel the same way I did as a kid on December 26th. It is that same let-down or depression you get when you realize that a big event is all over and it is time to return to normalcy. Having had such a good time, however, I can look at my wine stained hands and smile.


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## JohnT (Oct 13, 2014)

*Remove that gross lees!*

Well folks, this weekend was a jam-packed one for me.  On Saturday, I grocery shopped, went to the bank, and got a haircut. By 10am, I was back at the winery, ready to begin that all important first racking. 

I would like to say.. I HATE the gross lees. I feel that prolonged exposure is the root of all evil. So, a week after pressing, I give the wine its first racking. 

I started out grabbing a vacuum cleaner and sucking up as many fruit flies as possible. I HATE those little buggers! Just a regular vacuum cleaner works well. Just use the hose attachment, sneak up behind them, and send them to OZ! 

On crush I had about 54 people, at pressing, I had a dozen or so. On Saturday, I was down to myself. The hard part (other than lifting the tanks on and off of their stands) is replacing/resealing the tank lids. Putting a lid on a 500 liter tank requires two hands to hold the lid in place and level, and two hands to pump up the gasket to seal it tight. By my count, I have only two hands. 

So here is what I do.. I pump up the gasket as much as I can before I insert it into the tank. I then use one hand to hold the lid in place, one hand to hold the pump, my thigh to push against the pump's plunger, and my teeth to draw the plunger back. I find that after just two or three pumps, the lid will hold in place and I can then use two hands to pump the gasket up the rest of the way.

Other than that, it is a lot of cleaning. Cleaning the tanks out when empty, cleaning out the Demijohns when empty, cleaning the pump and hoses after each wine is racked, etc. 

Racking gives the first opportunity to do a tasting. By smell, the wine is going to be fantastic. The merlot and the petit sarah are already far along in clearing and have great aroma. All of the wines were rather tart and tannic, but considering the wine was is only 2 weeks old and has yet to undergo MLF, it was exactly as I hoped it would be. 

The true stars are going to be the reserve sangio/cab franc blend and the super cab. The super cab is already very drinkable at only 2 weeks! Well worth the extra money for the expensive grapes. 

Whenever I rack I take the opportunity to inspect and (if need be) replace any gasket, pump, or hose that is showing any sign of age. I always have spares and simply replace the spares when they are used. One of my fears is to have a tank gasket fail and not be able to seal the wine. I ended up replacing 1 500l gasket, 1 hand pump, and 4 of the hoses that run from the pump to the gasket. 

Just about an hour before I was finished, my wife reminded me that we were having company for dinner and "shouldn't I start cooking?". Got to say that even when my wife is nagging, she is still incredibly cute! This is where things got hectic.... 

Since it takes about 20 or 30 minutes to rack a 500 liter tank, I checked that all valves were closed (I am NOTORIOUS for forgetting to close the spigots at the bottom of tanks), started the pump, noted the time and ran up to the kitchen to prepare a quick shrimp cocktail platter and some "pigs in a blanket" (PIAB) for appetizers. This took about 10 minutes because I like to make my own cocktail sauce. I then ran back to the winery to check the progress of the racking. It was doing fine and only half complete, so I ran back to the kitchen to season the steaks, wrap the potatoes in tin foil for baking, and slice/prep 16oz of mushrooms. 

This done, it was back down to the winery with about 30 seconds to spare. I Rinsed out the last tank, rinsed and cleaned all hoses, the pump, and all other equipment. I Had it all put away and was just sweeping up when my first dinner guest arrived. Talk about timing! 

Once all of the guests arrived, I tossed the potatoes into the oven to bake. We then sat, ate the shrimp and PIAB appetizers and cracked open some wine (just so happened that I had a spare bottle of wine laying about). I then had one of my guests grill the steaks (the man is a certifiable grill master). While the steaks were cooking I sautéed up the mushrooms while the wife set the table. We had a good time, but the party broke up early (about 9pm). Fifteen minutes later, I was back in the winery.

Once all wine is racked, all lids serviced, and all wine is sealed, I like to do a "Deep Cleaning". I wash and wipe all surfaces, hose down the outside of the tanks, and pressure wash the winery's concrete floor. I then mop the floor dry. I use a solution of 8 gallons of hot water and just the smallest splash pine-sol (chlorine free) to wash everything. Since my dinner guests left early, and since I had an excess amount of energy from the steak dinner, I did the deep clean. Got to bed around 1am.

By Sunday, when the winery had a chance to dry out, there was not even the slightest aroma of any fermenting fruit or wine in the air. AHHHHH, neat and clean, just the way I like it. It was clean enough that even the fruit flies had decided to seek elsewhere for food. 

I inoculated the wine with my MLB which arrived on Friday. Once done, I set about cleaning up from last night. I then picked / canned another two jars of cherry peppers, and managed to complete a number of other small chores. By noon, I tossed the saurbraten into the oven that I had marinading since Thursday. I also made some fresh spaetzle and had that ready to be sautéed in butter for dinner. I then lit a fire in the fireplace, poured myself a nice cold beer, sat in a recliner, and settled in for a nice afternoon of football. I was fast asleep between the first and second sip of beer.

Well folks, that about sums up the 2014 crush. There is still a lot that I do during the year, but nothing that I what I call a "big event". It was a lot of work and it sometimes got the better of me. All I can say is that it is all well worth the effort. 

What most people do not understand, but most members here do understand, is that wine is not just art, not just science, not just hard work, it is a way a life. Bees collect honey, salmon swim upstream to spawn, and I make wine.. 

johnT.


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## Boatboy24 (Oct 13, 2014)

And now you get to 'entertain' again this weekend for the contest! No rest for you, young man!


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## JohnT (Oct 13, 2014)

Yes, I have the competition next Saturday, but that is all I have going. It should be like a vacation!


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## Enologo (Oct 13, 2014)

JohnT said:


> Well folks, this weekend was a jam-packed one for me. On Saturday, I grocery shopped, went to the bank, and got a haircut. By 10am, I was back at the winery, ready to begin that all important first racking.
> 
> I would like to say.. I HATE the gross lees. I feel that prolonged exposure is the root of all evil. So, a week after pressing, I give the wine its first racking.
> 
> ...



You need to change your name from John T to La Machine. I got tired just reading your report.


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## JohnT (Oct 31, 2014)

This weekend it is time to "Barrel-up" the 2014 reserve (blend of sangio and cab franc). I got my two brothers coming over to help. 

While we are at it, we may very well rack all of the other wines too. 

We will then settle in and watch the Giants ruin yet another Sunday with bad play. All I can say is this... it could be worse, I could have been a Jets fan too.

This week, I had some more pictures sent to me... Here is another picture of the "sorting room", AKA the truck...


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## JohnT (Nov 6, 2014)

Well last Sunday was a bust.. 

Just as I got all of my Sunday chores completed, the power went out at 9:30am just before people arrived at 10am. 

The power outage was preceded by the lights dimming twice. It looked just like someone getting "the Chair". Whenever this happens, for whatever reason, the power is out for a long while. 

No power means no water for washing (I am on a well) and also no pumps! 

So we tabled barreling and had an impromptu transfer of all social activity to my brother's house (about 10 minutes away). We grabbed a case of wine and the chili off of the gas stove (it has been cooking since 7:30am) and met up with in-laws and cousins. 

What a good time we had! I had made enough chili to feed an army and also brought some corn bread mix. We sipped, we ate, we watched a couple of bond movies (My brothers felt that we HAD to have explosions and women in various tasteful stages of undress).. 

Then it was time to go. My wife was bringing the chili pot to the car when she misjudged the steps and fell, spraining her ankle. She still drove home and the power had been restored. 

In the morning, her foot had really swollen and I took her down to the hospital. 

As it turns out, she actually had a hairline fracture to one of the bones in her foot. They put her into a splint/cast, and handed her crutches. I have been waiting on her "hand and broken foot" ever since. 

Some may complain, but it is actually kind of nice to show her some TLC for a change. Usually it is the other way around. It is nice to be able to show her that I still care after 25 years.




On a completely unrelated topic, I have just received approval to post this picture by the subject. This is Pat, the newest member of the "purple foot club", stomping on the orphan berries!!!


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## JohnT (Nov 14, 2014)

Last Saturday I transferred my san gio / cab franc blend to the 225l barrel. Talk about the perfect batch, I filled the 225 barrel, a 54 liter demijohn, and 6 1/2 gallons (for top off) EXACTLY!!. all that was left was lees.

Will be racking all of the other wines again this Sunday. 

Got the little brother coming to help. Promised him a proper "Jersey Diner" breakfast. For those of you unfortunate enough to have never eaten at a true Jersey diner, they are world renowned!!! 

Once racked, I will oak the wine in the SS tanks, pump up the SO2 to 35ppm, and put it all to bed for the winter. All that will be left to do is to QC it from time to time. A tough job, but I think I can manage!


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## JohnT (Nov 18, 2014)

Last Sunday, I had the younger brother over to help rack the rest of the reds. The older brother is in Florida, and was missed. Had a chance to sample the wine and also do an additional TA test on them. Made a slight adjustment to the petit sarah only. 

I also added my favorite oak to each batch. I always add my oak after the third racking. I use a OXV oak that has always given me enhanced vanilla flavor components. 

In sampling the wines a week ago, I noticed that the MLF was not progressing as I would like. No doubt that this was due to the temp in the winery being below 60 degrees. I upped the heat in the winery to 65 degrees to give the MLB a little kick in the pants.

When sampling the wine on Sunday, it was easy to tell that the mlf had definitely progressed. The tartness was most noticeably replaced with that buttery, velvety, softness that I like. I will give the wine another week, then up the free SO2 to the appropriate level for the current PH. 

Here are the dosages that I have figured. feel free to check my math...

Most of the this year's wines are at a PH of 3.6, so a desired SO2 level is 35ppm. The current level of SO2 is coming in at around 10ppm. This means that I want an adjustment of 25 ppm. This means that I will add...

Liters K-meta (in grams) 
500 22.7
300 13.0 
200 8.6 
54 2.4



After the SO2 adjustment, I will lower the temp in the winery to 55 degrees for the duration of the winter. 


PS. I hope that you folks like the fact that I am keeping this thread alive. If any of you feel that adding to this post serves no purpose, I will stop.


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## Boatboy24 (Nov 18, 2014)

JohnT said:


> PS. I hope that you folks like the fact that I am keeping this thread alive. If any of you feel that adding to this post serves no purpose, I will stop.



Please, keep it up! 

I need to do a chromatography this week - pretty sure my MLF is complete, so I can do one more racking and let it rest a bit while it waits for barrel space to clear up.


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## ibglowin (Nov 18, 2014)

More info please, link etc. Google is coming up with garbage. Thanks!



JohnT said:


> I use a OXV oak that has always given me enhanced vanilla flavor components.


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## JohnT (Nov 18, 2014)

ibglowin said:


> More info please, link etc. Google is coming up with garbage. Thanks!


 

Sorry, typo.. XOV oak mini-staves. Here is where I get them...

http://www.winerystuff.com/suber-leforts.htm


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## bakervinyard (Nov 18, 2014)

PS. I hope that you folks like the fact that I am keeping this thread alive.

John please don't stop. Enjoy reading about your process. Any pictures from when you bottled last years wines? Thanks, Bakervinyard


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## JohnT (Nov 19, 2014)

I will not bottle last year's wine (2013) until the spring, but I will post some photo's.


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