36 Gallons Bottled!

[grapeman]

You need a more comfortable chair to sit in while sampling all those wines. Of course if you sample a lot, the low stoll might be all you can stay on.


Impressive inventory

 

[Wade E]

Very nice Masta!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bj4271]

Superb,


You know you won't have so much to worry about if you bring about half to Winestock

.

 

[geocorn]

Looks AWESOME! Now you make me want to make more.

 

[Waldo]

Ain't posting no more pictures of my mangy little cellar after seeing those pictures. "You The Man" Masta !!!

 

[Wade E]

I guess your just going to have to make more wine Waldo and catch up!

What do you have going now pardner?

 

[jsmahoney]

WOW! Really nice Masta!

 

[Waldo]

I guess your just going to have to make more wine Waldo and catch up!

What do you have going now pardner?

All I got at the present wade is 2 batches ( the last of last years crop) of Muscadine. A Green Apple and another Currant.

 

[Wade E]

Its not how much you have going its what you got going and those are winners!

 

[masta]

Finally made some time and started the 6 kits I have been looking at on the floor of the fermentation room for many months! It was a team effort with the wife helping collect and mark all the additive, oak bags before starting as it is easy to get them mixed up.My 8 year old waited patiently for me to get them ready for testing of SG and his part of this operation of tasting the juice.


Kits in the primary:


Winexpert 2007 LE Australian Grenache/Mourvedre
Winexpert 2007 LE Spanish Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon
Winexpert Vintner's Reserve Mezza Luna Red (added 1lb of raisins)
Winexpert World Vineyard Australian Riverland Reserve
Mosti Mondiale 2006 Meglioli Rojo Grande
RJ Spagnols 2007 RQ Cru Select Australian Bush Vine Grenache

 

[Wade E]

Those look like some winners there boss!

 

[Dean]

ooooooooo the Bush Vine Grenache! I think this kit will be the 2008 winner of many awards in the winemakermag competition! The oak staves don't really come with instructions on this one, but we have found that if you put them in the primary, and also in the secondary, you might want to "split" them down the middle. When they expand, if you put them in glass carboys, you might have trouble getting them out. I used 1 in the primary, and have 1 stave still with the wine in bulk. I plan on bottling around Feb/March in time to send it into the competition.

 

[masta]

Thanks for the info Dean and this is my first RJS with the dried MI-Pac skins. Do you use the hop bag or just toss them into the primary? I tossed them in since the instructions suggested this was how to obtain the best extraction.


I was curious about the oak staves and was going to add one in the secondary and save the other for bulk aging. I will be transferring this tonight so I will find out how tough it is without the skins in a bag but I am sure it is easier than a Crushendo.

 

[Dean]

I actually skip the small hops bags they use and use the big 5 gallon paint strainer bags. Easy to cleanup, and gives just as good extraction since they sit very loose in the bag.

I love the mi-pak skins! All you get is color and tannin extraction without all the "goop" and jam like the others skins packs. They are now adding the mi-pak skins to their top-of-the-line En Primeur kits too. Those kits were already over the top, and with the added tannins, I'm sure they will have the capability to age for years and years.

 

[masta]

No problem with the skins as I just scooped out the floating solids with a strainer then drained most of the liquid via spigot to the carboy. Then poured the remainder through a screened funnel.


I will try the large bag next time as you suggested as I am always looking to work smarter not harder!


I am sure some of these top end RJS kits will once again become part of the FVW lineup in the future.

 

[OldWino1]

Hey do you have plans for the Racks that hold the 1.5 Ls I need a set of plans for 1.5's. You must have lots of friends to give you that many bottles. Wait a minute I have 4 racks and a closet as well. Less I get ansy under 500 as well. After all you never know when a run on wine could occur.And another couple of months aging could hurt either.