A 2020 Cab Franc journey with fellow WMT member

[Snafflebit]

And BTW-Macrobins are scarce on Craig'slist. I have looked every day all summer. I may have to break down and buy a new one but brutes are much easier to store!

I hope to someday get to the macrobin scale of winemaking. How do you move around that much fruit in a garage setting. Or get it off the truck?

 

[cmason1957]

I hope to someday get to the macrobin scale of winemaking. How do you move around that much fruit in a garage setting. Or get it off the truck?

With a fork lift. In other words, not in your garage.

 

[knockabout]

I hope to someday get to the macrobin scale of winemaking. How do you move around that much fruit in a garage setting. Or get it off the truck?

I wondered the same thing... thought everyone Else must Be really strong!

 

[NorCal]

With a fork lift. In other words, not in your garage.

I have them load the macrobins in the truck, we then use a pitch fork, down a chute into the crusher, right into another bin. Goes pretty quick.
My record is 4 macro bins in the garage , two tons of grapes. I took a $11 furniture dolly from Harbor Freight and extended it to fit the macro bin, so I could move them around. That was too much fermenting for the space, as the CO2 produced required I open the garage doors to let some oxygen in.

 

[NorCal]

@crushday are you working toward an approximate date? I'm hoping for September 12 or 13. Obviously ripe grapes get there at their own speed. I'm in AK until 9/11. I really want to make this work. I've asked @NorCal to have 1000 pounds for me. It will be nice to get together at a distance!

And BTW-Macrobins are scarce on Craig'slist. I have looked every day all summer. I may have to break down and buy a new one but brutes are much easier to store!

@CDrew The Cab Franc has come in the second or third week in September the past few years. I think after 9/11 will be safe. I measured the vines yesterday and they were at 17 brix, so still way to go.

@crushday we will be in communication and you should have a weeks notice. We will pick yours, CDrew, mine and the Sac Home Winemakers grapes that same day. It will be a Saturday morning pick up, usually by 9am and I’ll figure out how to power my destemmer on the pick-up pad.

 

[Ajmassa]

@crushday nd BTW-Macrobins are scarce on Craig'slist. I have looked every day all summer. I may have to break down and buy a new one but brutes are much easier to store!

check this website
https://www.winebusiness.com/classifieds/usedequipment/
im seeing lots bins listed on there. Potentially some are close enough

 

[NorCal]

Saturday is the day! Brix are hovering around 25 in the vineyard @crushday 's grapes will be coming from. Crushday is coming down the night before. His 1,200 pounds of Cab Franc, we will be picked into macrobins, then crushed on site into his Brutes. He will then transport the crushed grapes in his vehicle 10 hours back home. It will be a hectic day, as there are 12 pick-ups that same morning :O

 

[Boatboy24]

Saturday is the day! Brix are hovering around 25 in the vineyard @crushday 's grapes will be coming from. Crushday is coming down the night before. His 1,200 pounds of Cab Franc, we will be picked into macrobins, then crushed on site into his Brutes. He will then transport the crushed grapes in his vehicle 10 hours back home. It will be a hectic day, as there are 12 pick-ups that same morning :O

Pics, or it never happened!!

 

[stickman]

Yea, I think @crushday needs to have one of those GoPro's strapped to the side of his head!

 

[crushday]

Coming late to the party here... I’m leaving in the morning and will be staying in Roseville at the Marriott. Just a hop, skip and a jump to the vineyard.

Looking forward to a full Saturday!!! Thanks for everything @NorCal @CDrew and @stickman

 

[CDrew]

You guys have a great time. I'll catch up with @NorCal after 9/11. Hopefully some grapes left then!

@crushday, sorry I'll miss meeting you. Enjoy your trip.

 

[crushday]

Ordered six white brutes in July and only three have come in to date. I think I have enough Brutes for this trip either way.

On a side note, my bladder press arrived today. I’ll be using it soon...

 

[Boatboy24]

You're going to have to slow down the winemaking, @crushday , so you can get your focus back to pizza!

 

[crushday]

You guys have a great time. I'll catch up with @NorCal after 9/11. Hopefully some grapes left then!

@crushday, sorry I'll miss meeting you. Enjoy your trip.

CDrew - enjoy ‘ska... As much as I’m going to enjoy this trip I’m jealous where you’ll be. Until next time...

 

[CDrew]

CDrew - enjoy ‘ska... As much as I’m going to enjoy this trip I’m jealous where you’ll be. Until next time...

Yep. Alaska is special. This is my 18th year in a row going there and I hope I have another 18. Many years like this one, we go twice. Sockeye in July and Coho in September.

Pizza and wine is such a great complimentary thing, that I want more pics.

But the white fermenters are a great idea and very easy to establish "clean and sanitized" It's much easier to see that all the surface residual stuff is cleaned off after the fermentation is over.

I totally wish I could get these grapes this weekend, but just not happening. Enjoy your visit to Northern California.

 

[NorCal]

The stage is set! We are harvesting Petite Sirah and then 3.5 tons for local and one distant winemaker. Looking forward to it. There will be some of the best local home winemakers there, should be hectic but fun.

 

[Kraffty]

Really enjoying the posts @NorCal keep them coming and have a great few days!

 

[NorCal]

Done deal! I really wish @crushday and I could have gotten together the night before, drank some wine and talk wine making. But, George showed up early, grapes were still coming in from the field. He was first in line for the crusher and was on the road with his 1,200 pounds of Cab Franc by 10:30 or so.

We traded some wine, so I hope he will share honest reviews.

 

[crushday]

After the nearly 11 hour drive, I got home at approximately 9:15pm. Grapes traveled well. I did go through one hot stretch when the outside temperature got as high as 94 degrees. Other than that, I was mostly in the mid to high 80s until I dropped into Washington. The temp was 60 at my house. The high at my house only got up to 70 as Mrs. Crushday said we had a marine system that hovered all day.

Thanks again @NorCal for the very generous offer to jump in on the grapes. He (and his neighbors) has an enviable thing going on in the neighborhood. Everyone has a small vineyard at their home and they have the community space full of grapes. Amazing... I bet they have amazing block parties!

Beginning today I'll document the process, each step, until I move to secondary. Then, periodically as necessry.

And, yes, pictures too...

But, a few from yesterday...

 

[crushday]

We traded some wine, so I hope he will share honest reviews.

Thanks for the wine. I was actually tempted to open the 2017 last night, consider the spoils of the weekend while sipping, and relaxing before I got ready for bed. Bottle Shock kept me from that plan. But, I'll try them soon and yes, provide honest reviews. I'm certain they'll be amazing and serve as a grand example of what my haul might become.