Carrying on a family tradition

[ol' boy]

My grandfather had made wine for years and even supplied a winery that is local to us with a recipe or two . I went with my Grandfather to a wine festival a few years back and I saw how respected he was there and I realized that I wanted to make wine too, just like him. his children were all involved in the process as well but now the family is all moved around, and no one including my grandmother can remember how things were done. the best I have is an idea from a single batch of peach wine we made together. My grand father has since passed away.
The local vinyard is now run by people that are the children and grandchildren of the people that my grandfather was acquainted with and I doubt they will be taking me under their wing...I am also relocated.
I have most of the supplies I need to get started. the one big problem is that Grand-pop didn't make many small batches. in fact I don't know how much you are allowed to make but I am pretty sure he made more than that. his bottles were always given as presents and things like that so I think it was for a good reason that he made lots of wine.
Anyway, I need a place to research and to ask all the little questions that I am unable to ask grand-pop anymore.

 

[Madriver Wines]

Hi Ol Boy,
You found the right place. Theses folks are great and don't mind helping guys like me who can really use it lol. There is a good search feature and alot of threads with answers to most questions. Enjoy and welcome, Steve

 

[gonzo46307]

Welcome to the fourm.

Peace,
Bob

 

[arcticsid]

OB, tellus what you want, we'll get you started. Lots of advice and info in here on making wine from kits, frozen concentrate, and whole fruit. Please take a moment to include your location in your profile.
Welcome.
Troy

 

[ol' boy]

OB, tellus what you want, we'll get you started. Lots of advice and info in here on making wine from kits, frozen concentrate, and whole fruit. Please take a moment to include your location in your profile.
Welcome.
Troy

Well I am moving in a few weeks to a new place so I have decided that once I get there I will begin.

I plan on making a few small batches a year, by that I mean I will be making wine with pretty much whatever fruit comes in season. I have enough Carboys to make 100 gallons but I am not trying to make that much.
I was thinking of buying 2 or 3 of the five gallon fermentors and making one batch of wine for each fruit as it comes in season for my first couple of years. I plan on making fruit wines as my grandfather did, so no kits or concentrates. I have his recipes, and I am going to go look for his notes in the next couple of weeks. I have to get the corker from my grandmother and I need to get bottles.

I will post my questions in the other areas so that everyone can see them and read the answers...

 

[Tom]

ol boy,
Welcome. We have very experienced winemakers here to answer all your questions.
Where you moving to?

 

[Wade E]

Welcome Ol' Boy, We will help you with anything you need. Do you have a hydromter, carboys, airlocks, bungs, Potassium metabisulfite, acid blend, sorbate, a corker, and most of all a good source for fruit?

 

[ol' boy]

Welcome Ol' Boy, We will help you with anything you need. Do you have a hydromter, carboys, airlocks, bungs, Potassium metabisulfite, acid blend, sorbate, a corker, and most of all a good source for fruit?

I have no hydrometer
I have the carboys, airlocks, bungs, a corker.

I need to get all the chemical type stuff.

I have another post where I said about bottles and my idea to get them.

For fruit I plan to go pick it myself.

 

[ol' boy]

ol boy,
Welcome. We have very experienced winemakers here to answer all your questions.
Where you moving to?

I am moving to pittsburgh. I am getting ready to start culinary school since my bachelors is not the dream degree I thought it would be....

 

[Wade E]

Please do get the hydrometer as I stated in the other post, it is a wine makers tool. Sure you can fix your Mercedes with a monkey wrench blind folded but do you really want to?

 

[koda_ky]

family tradition

ol boy
I did not know much about my Dads winemaking until he passed and I found his winemaking equipment and some of his recipes. so I too am going to try and follow in his footsteps. from what I can gather his best wine was elderberry. this place is great I have learned a lot from these guys and gals. Welcome

 

[koda_ky]

Wade is right!

My first batch just got done and ready to bottle and I didn't have a hydrometor and it taste good but has the alcohol content of a wine cooler. very week. so I got one and I use it..

 

[ol' boy]

yeah I posted in here before I posted the other one so I didnt ignore your advice, I will be getting one.
Thanks for all the welcomes and I hope I can reproduce my grandfathers work.
I have tasted the winery version of his wine and I can say that I liked it and that it is good, but according to my uncle and grandmother it was much better when he made his. so we'll see what I can do.

 

[arcticsid]

I love your excitement Ole, I cooked professionally for years but since discovering this make your own wine, I love it as much if not better than cooking. Your Gramps would be proud for you to carry on. The senior members in here would be glad to help with any questions you may have, many of them have extensive experience in fruit wines.
Troy

 

[ol' boy]

Thanks man, I think I can fit in here once I get the swing of things, I like forums that have friendly inviting folks who actually say hello and what not.
and I love oldtimers.

I am a young dude but I have a respect and adoration for old people and their stories and experience, I guess its cause I have a nostalgia for the good ol' days

 

[Tom]

Hey! I don't consider me an "oldtimer" even thou I am 60 LOL
Just more experienced than some..

 

[arcticsid]

Hell Tom, you are still fermenting, no need to worry about bottling you yet!!

 

[Tom]

Yea just like wine. Aging brings out the best .... LOL
But, between the beer and wine I make somethings always fermentiing here. Currently I have 11 buckets of Chilean Juice fermenting in my computer room. Ahh the smell of the yeasties doing their job !

 

[johnhouse78]

this is a wonderful story & post... good luck!

 

[manku007]

All the Best Ol'boy, me and the whole forum members are with you, Nice I don't know much about winemaking but I m sure that this forum will help you a lot.

Hope you enjoy....