Crushed it yesterday!

[JohnT]

Press pictures.

Pic 1 - cap being sent into the press
Pic 2 - The cap pretty much filled the press
Pic 3 - Good color extraction.. Taste was amazing for such a young wine.
Pic 4 - Applying a LOT of pressure so we could have some with dinner. Note the slow stream. We ended up compressing the skins down to about 18 inches. So much pressure that we were wondering if time was moving faster inside the press. Perhaps we should name the press "singularity".. lol
Pic 5 - we ended up with a good size jug...

 

[Boatboy24]

Really nice color!

 

[Steve_M]

Love that purple color!

Steve

 

[eightysixCJ]

Very nice John! Thanks for sharing.

Tom

 

[ceeaton]

Amazing an 85/15 Cab/Merlot mix would be that soft already! Thanks for sharing the pictures, I just can't fathom 300L+ of wine at one time. I know, think big...

 

[Johny99]

A great thread. I've generally gone for cooler ferments for my reds. That is what my favorite local winery does. I do love a big bold over extracted cab, but at 58 I'm too impatient to wait too long for it to age. Very impressive that you liked it enough now to drunk a "young wine". One of my reasons for a cooler ferment, ~80-85F, is the same as yours, day job and me pressing crew are weekend volunteers. I can play with temperature to slow it down to try for 0 or just negative by pressing day. Our fall nights are cool so I can do that by adjusting windows in the fermenration room. What kind of press do you have? Mine is a #35 basket, I'd love to press 375l in 5 hours or so

 

[NCWC]

"in true Hungarian tradition"
I am Hungarian too! Szabo here
I hope you added a ton of paprika to the sauce my Italian Girl Friend hates when I do that
Our tradition is szalonna

Looks like you guys had a great time
Cheers!

 

[JohnT]

What kind of press do you have? Mine is a #35 basket, I'd love to press 375l in 5 hours or so

I honestly do not know the exact size number. It did take all of the skins in a single load. My guess is that capacity of the basket is about 40 or 45 gallons. That would make it about a #55.

It weighs somewhere around 500 pounds. It is hydraulic with a pressure requlator cut off which means that we can "set it and forget it". It was expensive, but I just think of the labor and trouble it has saved me over the last 15 years or so.

 

[JohnT]

"in true Hungarian tradition"
I am Hungarian too! Szabo here
I hope you added a ton of paprika to the sauce my Italian Girl Friend hates when I do that
Our tradition is szalonna

Looks like you guys had a great time
Cheers!

Egészségedre my friend!

Actually, that was a bit of a joke. Normally we go the traditional Hungarian route when it comes to a wine making meal. I had to cut corners this time and make something fast.

In two weeks, we are beginning bottling. My brother has promised to bring chicken paprikash and I promised to make a kaposztsalata (cabbage salad) and a nice be batch of nokedli (pasta dumplings) to go with it.

No doubt we will eat better in two weeks, but you gave me a great idea! Hungarian goulash lasagna... sounds delicious..

 

[NCWC]

Talking about chicken paprikash here is the GF with her special batch at one of our bottling parties. There was like a teaspoon left.

 

[JohnT]

Wish I could give you 5 "likes" for that one. The paprikash looks almost as beautiful as you GF!

 

[JohnT]

Our tradition is szalonna

oops, I missed this line...


szalonna!!!!! OMG!!!!

For the others, I will explain...

BACON BREAD

This is exceptional smoked and flavorful Hungarian bacon.

This bacon is roasted and bread is used to soak up the fat once it renders. We go a little further and then grill the bread after is has been smeared with the fat.

We then take dices of the bacon meat, diced cucumbers, onions, peppers (both sweet and hot), and tomatoes make a sandwich.

We also make sure to have a bottle of palinka (Hungarian moonshine which is now legally sold and available in the USA) to wash it down!

I know what everybody is thinking.. YUK!

All I can say is don't knock it until you try it!!! We usually only have this once a year (when the garden tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are ready) and it is one thing I look forward to every summer.. The crunch of the bread, the coolness and flavor of the vegetables, the saltiness of the bacon, all washed down with a sip of Hungarian palinka!!! Man, what a treat! I am usually good for at least 3!


NCWC: Please let me know if we are missing a step here. This is the way my father always did it.

 

[Steve_M]

oops, I missed this line...


szalonna!!!!! OMG!!!!

For the others, I will explain...

BACON BREAD

This is exceptional smoked and flavorful Hungarian bacon.

This bacon is roasted and bread is used to soak up the fat once it renders. We go a little further and then grill the bread after is has been smeared with the fat.

We then take dices of the bacon meat, diced cucumbers, onions, peppers (both sweet and hot), and tomatoes make a sandwich.

We also make sure to have a bottle of palinka (Hungarian moonshine which is now legally sold and available in the USA) to wash it down!

I know what everybody is thinking.. YUK!

All I can say is don't knock it until you try it!!! We usually only have this once a year (when the garden tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are ready) and it is one thing I look forward to every summer.. The crunch of the bread, the coolness and flavor of the vegetables, the saltiness of the bacon, all washed down with a sip of Hungarian palinka!!! Man, what a treat! I am usually good for at least 3!


NCWC: Please let me know if we are missing a step here. This is the way my father always did it.

I'll have what he's having!

Steve

 

[NCWC]

"This is exceptional smoked and flavorful Hungarian bacon. "

The only difference is we did open face, we'd drip the grease onto the "RYE bread" only please, and it was so hot it toasted the bread right there, add toppings and of course sprinkle with salt.

The trouble is finding a good FAT piece of the pork
I was raised on this cant wait for it again

 

[JohnT]

Yup, always good rye bread. The stuff you get at the bakery counter, not that garbage sitting beside the Wonder Bread..

We have a Hungarian butcher that is not very easy to get to. I run there a couple of times a year. They have proper bacon and, best of all, REAL HUNGARIAN KIELBASA. Hungarian kielbasa is NOT your average hillshire farms. It is hard, dense, and smokey. They have both sweet and spicey.

I love to take real Hungarian kielbasa, slice it into "coins" which are placed on small pieces of rye bread and broiled. The fat is rendered and soaked up by the bread. The perfect hors d'oeuvre!!!!

 

[NCWC]

I need to make some Tokaji Aszu - 6 puttonyos

 

[JohnT]

I need to make some Tokaji Aszu - 6 puttonyos

A little sweet for me. I would go with a nice kékfrankos.

 

[ColemanM]

Hey!! I resemble that comment! [emoji12] my company (brownberry/orowheat/Thomas'/entenmanns) was bought out by Bimbo bakeries from Mexico and they in turn bought beefsteak brand from the then bankrupt wonder and now I sell it [emoji35]. We used to be PREMIUM!!

 

[Kraffty]

Another of my Sophomoric enjoyments....."He said Bimbo..."

 

[JohnT]

Hey!! I resemble that comment! [emoji12] my company (brownberry/orowheat/Thomas'/entenmanns) was bought out by Bimbo bakeries from Mexico and they in turn bought beefsteak brand from the then bankrupt wonder and now I sell it [emoji35]. We used to be PREMIUM!!

Sorry, but there is no comparing to the taste and texture of real bakery made rye. beefsteak brand simply will not cut it in the NYC area.