My name is Bompa and I have a problem.....

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Bompa

Junior
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Mar 27, 2011
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Hi all,

I have been lurking here for a couple of months and I just found myself with a little spare time on my hands so here I am.

About the first of October 2010 I was yucking it up with a couple of buddies, one a home brewer and the other a winemaker and it all sounded pretty interesting. I ran up to the local home brew/wine store and bought a basic hardware kit along with a Wine Expert 4 week Chianti kit and got started. Before the Chianti was even out of the primary tub I ordered a couple of cans of Alexanders Riesling concentrate, as I was now an *expert* and above using simple kits. I mentioned to another pal that I was heading back to the brew store for another carboy and he offered me a pair of glass 6.5 gallons that were collecting dust in his basement. Bam- two weeks into the hobby and I have two batches going.

A couple of weeks later I was taking care of unrelated business near the business district of town. I was somewhat confused and mildly trespassing when a friendly businessman comes out and asks if he can help. After chatting with him for a couple of minutes I detect the odor of fermenting wine and mention it to this guy, and he replies that he owns a small commercial winery. My eyes get real big, I mention that I am an "experienced" home winemaker and I ask for a mini tour, and he gladly shows me around. He invites me to drop in anytime, although he probably came to regret it.

Week 2 with my knew best friend. He asks me how I'm filtering my wine and I admit I haven't quite gotten to that point yet. This guy started as a home hobbyist and he still has all of his original stuff, even though he's now making 1000's of cases a year. He sends me home with a Super Jet filter with an upgraded pump and an Enolmatic bottle filler. Christmas is just around the corner and he asks me to have my wife get in touch with him so he can give her some shopping ideas. Santa brings me an Italian floor corker and a whole bunch of misc wine making odds and ends, along with some great books.

So here I am, a wine maker of 5 1/2 months. I have already bottled 22 cases and currently have a batch of Malbec in primary, and Gewurtz, Chardonnay, and Barolo in carboys. The wife has given me the go-ahead to move my operation from the kitchen to an unused area of the basement. Big plans are afoot.
 
Good lord man!!!!! You better keep thise fishing waiters on cause your waist deep in sh!t luck!! :) He gave you a Suoer Jet and a Enolmatic. Glad to have you aboard, when is he handing down his press and crusher/detsemmer? LOL
 
Good lord man!!!!! You better keep thise fishing waiters on cause your waist deep in sh!t luck!! :) He gave you a Suoer Jet and a Enolmatic. Glad to have you aboard, when is he handing down his press and crusher/detsemmer? LOL

Honest to gosh, I'm not making this up, he's been insisting I take his old crush and press off his hands! Mind you, I'm in northern Colorado, and the only thing I will have to crush and press are the apples, peaches, and pears from my own yard, along with some poachable cherries.
 
fantastic story...and the best gift is still to come...pick his brain for all its worth, i am sure he will be helpful w his experiences
 
why don't you just ask him if he will adopt you congratulation
 
Im sure you can get fresh grapes. The Chilean grapes will be available in about 3 or 4 weeks and the Cali grapes come out every fall.
 
Heck, I would be asking for an internship at his winery. Would not hurt to get his experience with a hands on opportunity.
 
That was a great story, can not wait for chapter 2
 
Dag!

I am not that far from Denver, share the wealth!

Welcome to WineMakersAnonymous.com.

We meet here everyday to discuss our addictions to fermenting stuff, some of it perhaps should not be..... :d
 
Dag!

I am not that far from Denver, share the wealth!

Welcome to WineMakersAnonymous.com.

We meet here everyday to discuss our addictions to fermenting stuff, some of it perhaps should not be..... :d

I'll second that! If he insists on getting rid of a crusher or press, I'll be happy to help him out! Been looking for both for awhile now.
 
I'll second that! If he insists on getting rid of a crusher or press, I'll be happy to help him out! Been looking for both for awhile now.

Too late, it's spoken for. I'm not stingy with my stuff (considering how I came by it) and I'm happy to share the wealth with other winemakers in the northern Front Range. My corker and filter have already been on short road trips.

My mentor has been a wealth of knowledge. He has a full lab set up, but still finds the need to send samples to Scott Labs occasionally. After each day of hanging/helping out he sends me home with what amounts to a homework assignment. Even though I have books that explain how-to, it was comforting having him talk me through a stuck fermentation and a batch that was developing a too-sulfery smell.

He also frequently send me home with excess junk he has no use for (maybe this is just how he gets rid of me). Recent treats have included an unused 10 gallon oak barrel, about 100 packs of Lalvin EC1118 and D47, and a whole bunch of capsules.

I sort of pride myself on how resourceful I've been about locating and recycling bottles. My city has a glass recycling program and they place giant dumpsters around town. I'd guess that 10-20% of the contents of those dumpsters are wine bottles, so it's easy pickings. Sanitizing and label scraping takes upwards of a half an hour per case. My wine pro buddy will sell me brand new bottles for his cost, which is generally $8 to $10 a case. I haven't been doing a whole lot of scavenging lately.
 
If you start telling us it is warmer there than it is here, you might get a room mate.
 
I sort of pride myself on how resourceful I've been about locating and recycling bottles. My city has a glass recycling program and they place giant dumpsters around town. I'd guess that 10-20% of the contents of those dumpsters are wine bottles, so it's easy pickings. Sanitizing and label scraping takes upwards of a half an hour per case. My wine pro buddy will sell me brand new bottles for his cost, which is generally $8 to $10 a case. I haven't been doing a whole lot of scavenging lately.

I also use the bottle recycler for empties. Lately I have picked up clear beer bottles and 650 ml beer bottles. They also put aside any 3 L jugs that come in. I only pay 10 cents a piece (what they give the customer) so it's an endless cheap resourse. Now if only people would drop off carboy's.

Cheers
 
Good luck with that one RedNeck. Ill settle for just washing or delabeling!
 
Man, some guys have all the luck!!!

Welcome to the forum! Look forward to hearing more from you! Is this guy married? bahaha :)
 

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