What R you doing today?

[Runningwolf]

Is MLF done mainly with grape based wines, or is it beneficial to do on fuit or veggies wines as well?

Red grapes and Chardonnay mainly.

 

[Hokapsig]

For the third time, my outage in Delaware has been postponed, this time until spring, so I get to stay in the 'burgh. Which is good because my plant here is down.

Anyway, it's finals at wine camp this weekend.

And I racked the Muscat, Cab Merlot and Petit Syrah last night. Maybe time to start the Carmel apple and the Cran Lime Skeeter Pee next week.

 

[tatud4life]

Started a batch of mulled or spiced skeeter pee. I cooked the mulling slices while I inverted the sugar. I also added 3 extra cinnamon sticks. I reduced the amount of lemon juice to one bottle. I'm thinking about making a simple syrup and cooking the slices in that as well and then using that to back sweeten with it.

 

[btom2004]

Primary-1 Gal Pumkin wine. 11/30 pitched yeast~SG 1.090 [about 5 lbs pumkin flesh, 2 lbs white grape rasins, 2 cinnamon sticks, pinch of netmeg and 2 cloves.] It really tastes great just like pumkin pie.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Racked;
Chianti, Amarone, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Lambrusco, Pinot Noir, Final Racking for Dragon Blood, Moscato......
I don't think I've ever washed so many carboys in one day...Gheesh..... I still need to check the Hard Cider, last week I checked it and it was still fermenting...very very slowly, but fermenting none the less...20 days?! ...it should be at 1.000 or below at this point with an ABV just shy of rocket fuel...lol.

 

[Deezil]

I'm recovering!!

So two days ago, i called my Dad and gave him a ration of #### (a hard time).

Then yesterday, i called my Grandpa (they both live on the same 40 acres, a rock's-throw away from eachother)...

Well my dumbass, got to talking about my wines, and that led down the path to the Riesling grape vines i bought in the spring...

Which naturally led to "I'm gonna bring them over and see if Dad can not-kill them"

And then that led to my ambitions/goals, not only for myself but to build something to hand down to the generations i leave behind - & i inserted a *plug* for those of you who have families back in the "old countries" that run vineyards, have traditions and "keep it in the family"

and THAT led to "Would you mind if i planted some grapes on the acreage".. Which is a question i wanted to ask him in person, but..... My dumbass....

Anywho - long story short, i got told it wasnt a problem at all and i could plant whatever i wanted..

:<

 

[Pumpkinman]

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Boatboy24]

Sounds very cool Manley. So when are you planning to plant that 40 acres of Riesling?

 

[Deezil]

Well for now, i'm letting both Grandpa and Dad sleep on it.. Gonna call them both again this weekend and double-check their OK'ing..

Then i'm thinking...

1. - Soil testing/amending & measuring the land
This will help me know how to layout the vineyard and if it has "blocks" with different soil types

2. - Attending WAWGG Annual Event, Feb 5-8 2013
Bunch of "who's who" show up to the event - i think i seen Scotts Lab & Inland Desert on the Exhibitor list

3. - Either at the Event, or in a phone call, i need to inquire with Inland Desert & a few other sources (Ag Dept. for one) on whether or not i should go with self-rooted Riesling or if i should look into a particular rootstock

4. - Gotta soak up everything i can find on dry-farming and Riesling grape growing - including following up this fall on a few sources i located through trying to find my 2012 grapes, to visit their vineyards and see how their spacing is, what their trellis types are and how their layout looks, if they lean heavily on irrigation and pesticides and what their general worries are annually - drought? bugs? wind? etc..

I'm sure im missing quite a few things, amidst my shock
But thats enough to get me started

 

[Pumpkinman]

Deezil, I highly recommend A&L Labs in Modesto California or Western labs in Parma, ID for your soil tests.
We send all of our customers to them, I usually read all of the reports and make recommendations to amend their soil and balance the nutrients.
If you help reading the reports or making sense out of what they mean, I'd be glad to help, I usually read about 90 per season, followed by dozens of tissue test reports.
I may be able to help you with bulk amendments as well, shoot me a message and I'll send you my contact info, I don't want this to become a post promoting our business, but I'd be happy to help a fellow wine maker out.
Tom

 

[Boatboy24]

Got my Super Tuscan started. Now onto the Christmas deco after I finish this cup of coffee.

 

[Pumpkinman]

We had an awesome day today!
I called a few local wineries to see if they would sell me cases of bottles, one, was so kind <cough> to say they would sell them to me for $20.00 per case!...I respectfully declined that offer, however, another Winery agreed to sell me cases of brand new bottles for $8.00 and all of the used bottles that I could take for free.
I started talking to the head wine maker, and he took me on a tour of the wine cellar, filled with barrels, the fermenting room with 400 gallon SS tanks, showed me the cool bottle machine, started sharing various tips and techniques it was too damn cool!
The assistant wine maker took my wife and I go through the wine tasting, these guys were pulling out all sorts of neat wines, even a Chardonnay that had been fermented on the skins, a few blends, and an amazing Chardonnay reserve.
They even offered to let me use their crusher if I needed it, they would just charge me a few bucks for the time for one of their ppl to be there showing me how to use it....a great hook up!
They want to try growing giant pkns, so next week I'm going to load them up with seeds...lol...make sure that they don't forget me anytime soon...LOL!
Just a great day~!

 

[Thig]

Started a batch of Blueberry/Banana today. Looks good, smells good and taste good. Bet it is going to be hard to clear the pulp out.

 

[Julie]

You should add some bentonite

 

[Thig]

I don't have any finings/clarifiers in my chemistry set yet, I must have every other chemical. Can I add later if needed or does it have to go in the must?

 

[tatud4life]

You can let it clear naturally. It will take a while, but it will clear.

 

[Hokapsig]

Q: When a newly sanitized, full of water, 6 gallon glass carboy hits your garage floor, how much broken glass is generated??

A: a $%&! load.....


Rats.....

 

[ffemt128]

Q: When a newly sanitized, full of water, 6 gallon glass carboy hits your garage floor, how much broken glass is generated??

A: a $%&! load.....


Rats.....

Does that mean you are down 2 now?

 

[Hokapsig]

Count 2 deceased carboys. Who would have known that water would make a heavy loaded carboy slippery to hold on to??? Nothing like paying the "stupid" tax to find that one out.

Looking forward to consolidating the 3 buckets of skeeter pee into the demijohn tomorrow and having to add sulfite and some bentonite to aid in clearing. Then to start an apple, another cran-pom and to take a swing at Doug's Cran Lime Pee...

 

[Runningwolf]

Sorry to hear that Bill. I have handles on all of mine for that very reason. If you worked in safety....Oh wait a minute I think you do LOL