Hill House/Oakhill Lane Cellars

[rrawhide]

Gettin' ready for harvest - -


This is how were are set-up at this point. Still need to get the press set on the empty pallet and a few more primaries of various sizes cleaned and ready to do.


I know ya'll like pictures so here we go:

cleaning cleaning cleaning

crusher/destemmer HEY AL &RICH - if you get a set of pallet forks and chain into or/mount into your bucket you can really move stuff around quickly and easily. This is the first year that I have done this and having a 'forklift' around is great.

shade if it gets hot like it is supposed to

press goes on empty pallet

able to drive the truck right up and dump lugs into crusher

do not know what we will need this harvest but have lots of 55 gal primaries and secondaries. Still need to clean the smaller buckets and stuff.


It should all work well - in theory - so we will let you know and post more pictures as we go.


Later


rrawhide

 

[PeterZ]

Nice!


How do you move the 55 gal primaries once they are full of must?

 

[rrawhide]

Hi Peter


There is a barrel cart behind the crusher so we can move out the full (we hope) barrel - then move it over to a pallet. Bring in tractor and pick up pallet and move to breezeway in barn for fermenting outside for the reds. This is the plan!! Hope we have a good harvest!!


More pictures to follow - - - - - 2 or 3 of us will be doing this!!!


rrawhide

 

[ibglowin]

Thats a great question.

Must be pushing 500lbs when full!


Looking good there Rick!

 

[grapeman]

Great ideas there Rick. Good luck with the harvest and crush.

 

[Brewgrrrl]

See, this is exactly the kind of stuff I need to show my significant other when questions about my hobby getting out of control come up...

'Hope you have a great harvest, Rrawhide (and time to relax with a bottle or two afterwards as well).

 

[Runningwolf]

Looking great Rick, Good Luck!

 

[AlFulchino]

thanks for the pci Rick..good fortune w the harvest...i love the tent idea...i need to implement that some day...thanks for the idea.....and just today we were discussing making a stand for the crusher/destemmer...wouldlike to make one out of tubular steel and have it all on wheels.......we have pulle din about 6000 lbs thus far.....i had originally thought we would do 6-8000 lbs.....now it looks like its gonna be 10-12000

 

[rrawhide]

Hi Al


Glad that it is going so well for you. Good things happen to good guys!!


The 'tent' is an old shade cloth coverthat we used when the kids played water polo years ago. We were trying to figure the last time it was erected and we came up with 1995. Been in the barn for all these years and all the pieces were there!!!! and it wasn't rotten at all - imagine that!!!!! It is a 10 x 13 and we will move it where we need for the sun.


The better thing is the forks. This was a 3-pt pallet rack for the back of the tractor BUT we chained it in the bucket and it makes a wonderful forklift. I will never put one on the back again as it works so well up front. You could make/find one and put on the JD bucket and could even paint it green!!


We would like to get started on our harvest but just not ready yet. Maybe another week or 2 on some. Just hope we can protect that long from the critters. Did a 8-10 berry average this morning and most are around 18-19 brix so gotta hold the horses but we will be ready. Have so many different varieties so we can keep separate or blend - we will see. The quantities will be some of the deciding factor.


Take care and good luck and keep looking up!!!


Your last picture was great - you must have been having a storm and high winds as you were certainly ground tying those lounges!!!!


rrawhide

 

[Waldo]

Wish I could be out there with you buddy to experience the harvest and crush...maybe some day !!!!!

 

[rrawhide]

com'on out Waldo - starting harvest tomarrow!!!
finally.


pictures later - with you in them???


hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm