Hello everyone! New blood from Northeast Pa

[Mikael]

Hey guys!
New to the forums, but been around wine making all my life, and about to embark on the family tradition on my own. Even though I have been doing it every year with my grandfather *as tradition in our big family* going on my own, I'm finding some troubles as his way is old school, finding some of those old options not available and looking into the possibilities of 'modernizing' some of the techniques I know I wouldn't be able to duplicate in the old style tradition.

Looking forward to getting to know you guys! cheers!!!!


-Mikael

 

[Brian]

Welcome! Glad you found us. We have lots of people on here with lots of knowledge. They are always willing to share that information so if you have questions or are just not sure, ask away and generally someone will get back to you real quick.

 

[Julie]

Welcome to winemakingtalk. Glad to see someone from else from PA is signing on, we don't seem to have enough members from there


Are you from Northeast, PA or from northeastern pa?

 

[Mikael]

Northeastern part, I'm smack dab in the middle of the Poconos, 2 hours north from the city of brotherly shove, lol

 

[Julie]

That is some beautiful country you have out that way.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Welcome aboard fellow PA'er. Great to have another. You should enjoy and learn a lot here.

 

[Flem]

Welcome to the forum!!! Prepare yourself to be entertained (and educated). Good luck.

 

[Wade E]

Another PA'er, Jeesh!!!!! Welcome Mikael! What methods are you referring to not being able to duplicate? I myself like the modernized version with using sulfite and yeast of choice but to each their own.

 

[roblloyd]

Welcome! What's up PA members? It looks like the most popular state on here?

Wade I think we'll have to make a visit there one day and see what's up!
Bring them some CT wine to compare.

 

[Mikael]

well..my biggest *and truthfully* ONLY problem I'm facing..is finding a good fermenter...the way we always done it was...he had these huge 55 gallon or so old oak barrels with the tops removed and a bung near the bottom. We would punch out the bung, drain out the wine, filter them into the maturing barrels and shovel the skins into the press. i cant find any modern fermenters with a bung on the bottom and i don't want to risk putting a homemade bung in and walking down into a big mess.....I'm not too too crazy about wanting to go the route of electric pumps or anything...i just want to keep it as old as possible. old school that is. 'don't fix something that isn't broken' any ideas? thank you all for the warm, wonderful welcome : ) cheers!!!


-Mikael

 

[Runningwolf]

Welcome aboard, glad to have you here. Be prepared for answers to all of your questions and a bit of fun to go along with them.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Be prepared for answers to all of your questions .

Some questions you may not want, at least from some of us.

Seriously though we do have a wonderful forum. Be sure to browse the entire sight especially the Home page for recipes, the map, tutorials, wikipedia, kits and more.

Feel free to search for past threads that contain much knowledge. When asking questions it's best to provide as much information as possible without writting an essay.

Be warned as this hobby can turn into an awesome addiction of wine making and friend making.

 

[Mikael]

oh, yes, im well aware of the addictions to winemaking, hahaha its been in my familyfor..wella LONG time, my grand father started it about 60 years ago when his uncle got him into it and his uncle had been in it for a real long time and so on and so forth, ev4ery year we always go there for crushign day, then pressing day then in spring jugging day when we jug everything and haul it into his wine cellar. grew up on it all my life, i wouldnt trade it for the world. i was going to start this wiith my best friend back in '04 but life has a way of going and i had put it off and then a few months ago, it hit me..we NEED to get this going..while my friend makes beer and i make mead, this will be the perfect union, where we can do it together and make something wonderful...yes, i AMM addicted to this..its pretty much all i have been talking about..have i gotten people agrivated as this being the only thing i mention now? probably..do i care? not really, lol! CHEEERS!!!!


-Mikael


p.s. sorry about the typoes..been a little TOO into the vino this evening, hahaha!

 

[Mikael]

oh, yes, im well aware of the addictions to winemaking, hahaha its been in my familyfor..wella LONG time, my grand father started it about 60 years ago when his uncle got him into it and his uncle had been in it for a real long time and so on and so forth, ev4ery year we always go there for crushign day, then pressing day then in spring jugging day when we jug everything and haul it into his wine cellar. grew up on it all my life, i wouldnt trade it for the world. i was going to start this wiith my best friend back in '04 but life has a way of going and i had put it off and then a few months ago, it hit me..we NEED to get this going..while my friend makes beer and i make mead, this will be the perfect union, where we can do it together and make something wonderful...yes, i AMM addicted to this..its pretty much all i have been talking about..have i gotten people agrivated as this being the only thing i mention now? probably..do i care? not really, lol! CHEEERS!!!!


-Mikael


p.s. sorry about the typoes..been a little TOO into the vino this evening, hahaha!

 

[Mikael]

been trying to post but it wasn't posting saying it was up for a review *shrugs* so I'm going try and re-reply again here, lol


Oh, yes, I'm well aware of the addictions to wine making, hahaha its been in my family for..well...a LONG time. My grandfather started it about 60 years ago when his uncle got him into it and his uncle had been in it for a real long time and so on and so forth. Every year we always go there for crushing day, then pressing day then in spring, jugging day when we jug everything and haul it into his wine cellar. grew up on it all my life, I wouldn't trade it for the world. Originally, I was going to start this with my best friend back in '04, but life has a way of going and I had put it off and then a few months ago, it hit me..we NEED to get this going..while my friend makes beer and I make mead, this will be the perfect union, where we can do it together and make something wonderful...yes, I AMM addicted to this..its pretty much all i have been talking about..have i gotten people aggrivated as this being the only thing I mention now? probably..do I care? not really, lol! CHEEERS!!!!


-Mikael

 

[Rock]

Hi,Mikeal,regarding your post about fermenting,you can go to your supplier stores they sell big fermenting tubs to crush grapes into with spigots.My father had the old oak barrels back in the day and my brothers and i would have to bring them outside fill them with water a week or 2 before the crush so they would swell up and hope not to leek.What a pita that used to be.Good luck.

 

[Mikael]

Excellent! We are making trip to Corrados Family Affair wine making area next Saturday to pick up our crusher, going to spend the day there looking at everything. if they have the fermenters with the spigots I'm definitely going to be picking one up..and will save us from the trouble of building our own spigot into a 55 gallon plastic fermenting barrel, we were going to use, washers and stoppers and all that..that will be the ULTIMATE LAST resort. Yeah, my grandfather has 7 of those 55 gallon oak fermenters and every labor day we have to wash them out for the grapes to get crushed into...lots of work..but SOOOOO worth it in the end...it truly is a labor of love, I wouldn't want it any other way. SALUT!!!




-Mikael

 

[Rock]

Dont forget your yeast and k-meta, if your doing chilean grapes are coming soon.

 

[Mikael]

hehe, nah, thats ok, we do ours in September : D im just hustling and bustling about making sure I have everything. Its coming along great, we are so happy!

 

[Tom]

been trying to post but it wasn't posting saying it was up for a review *shrugs* so I'm going try and re-reply again here, lol



-Mikael

Yes not sure why these posts were moderated. BUT, here are the 2 that were