Hello from Western NY!

[CaptainPolish]

Hey everyone! My name is Ryan but my friends always called my Polish (like the country). I was born and raised in FL and moved back to New York at 26 to escape the heat. My grandparents were farmers so there is a love of the land in my blood. I enjoy hobbies and run through many frequently. My new hyperfixation this year has been learning about fermenting. It started with my wife's garden and some cabbage she grew that I turned into sauerkraut. Then it was me failing at pickles, then making gallons of kombucha and somehow I made it to the wine kingdom. I have previously grown culinary mushrooms in my basement before (which is extremely laborious), so wine is a nice change. I purchased some juice from a vineyard a couple hours away and a ton of glass and I was off. In addition, I have some wild grape and a couple of meads going right now. I found this forum in doing research and its been extraordinarily helpful! Cheers to everyone! I'll drop some pics of my current setup below. I would also like to make a cellar as cheap but nicely as possible in the months to come.

 

[sour_grapes]

Welcome to WMT!

 

[BigDaveK]

Welcome to WMT!

Booch maker and vegetable fermenter here. BTW, red cabbage makes an awesome kraut.

Making wine is a lot of fun. Easy to pick up the basics but you never stop learning.

Nice setup!

 

[ChuckD]

Welcome to WMT. I see you’ve been busy!

If I could make one suggestion, top up those containers that are aging. Once fermentation is done you want minimal air contact. I typically top them within 1/2” of the airlock.

 

[CaptainPolish]

Welcome to WMT. I see you’ve been busy!

If I could make one suggestion, top up those containers that are aging. Once fermentation is done you want minimal air contact. I typically top them within 1/2” of the airlock.

Thank you!, they are still fermenting fortunately, I'm learning about the important of headspace, something I am going to have to figure out real soon I jumped in pretty quick so I am trying to learn faster than I can screw things up! I may have to go buy some wine to top, I tasted the the headspace amount instead of saving it . lol

 

[CaptainPolish]

I'm glad to be here, I have a lot of questions. I'm running through threads trying to answer them before I ask a million questions.

 

[David Violante]

Welcome to WMT! Looking great~

 

[Rice_Guy]

Welcome to WMT

I have seen that there is a lot of wine making equipment available as folks leave the hobby. Patience and you can have an inexpensive set up. You will never have enough sizes of containers. Racking always means some volume loss. Oxygen is the the enemy of alcohol ,,, reacts producing acetaldehyde.

 

[ChuckD]

Patience and you can have an inexpensive set up.

Yes and yes! I picked up most of my equipment for perhaps 10% of the cost of new! Craig’s List and a fellow wine maker I met through work.

 

[CaptainPolish]

Yes and yes! I picked up most of my equipment for perhaps 10% of the cost of new! Craig’s List and a fellow wine maker I met through work.

I Have been looking on marketplace with little luck, didn't think of craigslist, good call! I'll keep my eyes open.

 

[winemaker81]

I Have been looking on marketplace with little luck, didn't think of craigslist, good call! I'll keep my eyes open.

Check Marketplace every few days, as ya never know when something will pop up.

 

[ChuckD]

Check Marketplace every few days, as ya never know when something will pop up.

Bonus: if you pick up enough used wine starter kits you may eventually collect 4 double-lever corkers!

Also, does anyone need a free double-lever corker?

 

[wineview]

Are you buried in snow? I grew up in the Buffalo area. Now that I’m gone I keep an eye on the weather and it seems it’s started already for you.

Welcome to WMT.

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

I moved from NY to Florida to escape the freezing weather.

 

[winemaker81]

I moved from NY to Florida to escape the freezing weather.

It's a trade off. Snow doesn't blow your house away!

We moved from Upstate NY to central NC for CGE*; the lack of winter (as we understand winter) is a bonus.




* CGE = Continuing Gainful Employment

 

[wineview]

I moved from NY to Florida to escape the freezing weather.

Well I spent my entire career in NYC with a weekend home in the Catskills. As of a few years ago, we are full time in the mountains.

 

[Brent2489]

Grew up in Rochester and Lockport NY. Jobs moved me to Ohio then Atlanta. Keep saying to wife "No, not south want to move west!" Now retired and living in Salt Lake City and instructor at Alta ski resort. Bring on the snow!!