What R you doing today?

[Boatboy24]

Final SO2 measurements/adjustments on the 2016's this morning. Then basketball and putting away the rest of the Christmas deco that was taken down, but not put away. Also trying to finalize Pinewood Derby car builds - race is on Tuesday!

 

[mainshipfred]

View attachment 45754

Bottling my two carboys of Amarone. This is the En Premiere one that came with both grapeskins and raisins. It was started about a year ago. A total of 61 3/4 bottles. Such a shame, that 3/4 will taste quite nice tonight with supper.

I see you have a head space eliminator. I just got mine and when I remove it the bulb stays collapsed. There is always a vaccum when I remove it and have to play with it to get it to it's original shape which is not a good indicator. Do you have the same issue?

 

[ceeaton]

In a holding pattern waiting for the stove and kitchen. The girls (wifey, daughter and friend) are making cookies this morning. So I did a few wine chores (tasting and topping) while waiting to continue with my Sierra Nevada pale ale try #2 batch (extended mash in a cooler, still at 152*F, started around 155). Hope to shortly (ehem, honey, are you done yet?) continue with my beer batch. Should be able to fit in some cooking during the sparge and boil. Not sure if I'm making chicken parm or GF lasagna (Barilla has some new no-cook GF lasagna noodles I want to try). Either way I need to whip up a batch of a slow cooked ragú sauce they normally expect with a pasta dish. Feeling nice outside (supposed to reach around 50*F), so most of the snow should be melted by the end of the day (whoo ho!).

 

[Ajmassa]

Caught the perfect weather up at Elk Mt. today. Sunny and not freezing! Should be a good day.

 

[Boatboy24]

Ended up having time to get a run in and throw the baseball around with my oldest in the front yard. 60F and sunny day - gorgeous!

 

[ceeaton]

Wifey started classes last week, so I get the kitchen all to myself in the evening (cook kids dinner, clean up kids dishes, got 2 hrs to kill after that before my bride arrives home). Bottled up a batch of SE International Brunello w/skins kit started 2/22/2016. Got 24 x 750 ml + 11 x 375 ml bottles, plus a full glass to sample. A very smooth wine though it still has some kit taste to me. Been drinking a small glass of tart cherry juice every day, so I know for sure this has a bit of dark cherry flavor to it, but much drier than the cherry juice in a good way.

 

[Boatboy24]

Doing some prep so Dad and I can bottle at least half of the 2016's next Saturday. That'll be the "Prisoner" style blend w/ Zin, Cab, Syrah and Petite Sirah. Looking forward to having a few extra empty carboys so I can start the Blanc de Noir kit that's been sitting down there for 9 or 10 months. Also need to put the 2017 Malbec and Cab Franc into barrels (which have had a Citric Acid/SO2 cocktail in them for the last few months).

 

[mainshipfred]

Cleaned up my shop yesterday and found I had 8 empty carboys, shame on me. So this morning I'm tweaking a WE Island Mist Pom/Zin. Added 2 packs of frozen Pom arils 3/4 of the F-pack and preparing the simple sugar now. Going to try to hit 1.085-1.090. Right now I have 5 1/3 gallons. Once I get the sugar right I'll test the ph and TA to see if I need to add more water. Still deciding on the yeast. Then at 1:00 I have my second wine class. Then back to the shop to start the WE Cranberry Malbec with 2 1lb bags of frozen cranberries.

 

[ceeaton]

Had an early breakfast at a local diner with my wife (first alone time we've had since before the holidays (that includes Thanksgiving)). Scored some "fall off the back of the truck" deals at the local Weis after lunch, so dinner is going to be roast beast tonight. Meanwhile I'm mashing up a batch of ordinary bitter, using a Boddingtons original recipe (not the newer Pub Ale one). Went out just now to set up the propane burner and brewpot, it's really nice out there! Will have to restrict my good beer intake or I won't make dinner. The keg of the week is out in the garage, so that might be a tough assignment for sure.

 

[Boatboy24]

Well, wifey had other plans for me yesterday, so I didn't get to the wine. My two 'from grapes' barrels have wine in them again, after a hiatus of a few months - the Cab Franc and Malbec. Racked and stabilized the Merlot and Pinot Noir. All 4 wines are smelling and tasting great so far. Had about a glass of the CF left after filling the barrel and will shortly be enjoying that with my lunch after it's been breathing in a glass for a couple hours.

 

[Boatboy24]

Then at 1:00 I have my second wine class.

How was it?

 

[mainshipfred]

A lot of it had to do with vineyards. Rows are supposed to be planted North to South. The reason the shoots are cut each year is they are susceptible disease. The interesting part was the relationship between maturity and ripeness. Evidently the seeds, stems and skins have to mature for proper tannin production but if the grapes are ripe before they mature they have to be picked. Green stems on grapes is an inducation the grapes ripened before they were mature. Also the seeds should be yellow/brown not green. From another thread I asked if there was any way you could be assured quality fruit and the immediate answer was no, with an explaination. He said if you don't know the grower's reputation the only way you can tell is by knowing the region they come from. Thus my question about the Chilean growing season. If I remember correctly he said the ideal conditions are dry spring to allow for fruit but not leaf development, moderately wet summer and a dry harvest. Also hot days and cool nights. He gets some Cab Sauv from a Cali grower that picks his grapes at midnight. The sugar content changes throughout the day and picking them in the cooler evenings maintains a higher sugar content.

 

[Boatboy24]

Thanks Fred. This was Pearmund, right?

 

[ibglowin]

Grapes only grow on last years wood. Shoots can be produced from older wood but flowers will only form on buds from "new" wood.

The reason the shoots are cut each year is they are susceptible disease.

 

[mainshipfred]

Grapes only grow on last years wood. Shoots can be produced from older wood but flowers will only form on buds from "new" wood.

I could have misunderstood that. There was someting about pruning that had to do with disease though. Knowing about vineyards do you agree wwith the other information.

 

[ibglowin]

Everything else seemed good. Just wanted to point out the biggest reason to prune each year is so you will get a crop and the vine grows in a healthy and manageable fashion.

I could have misunderstood that. There was someting about pruning that had to do with disease though. Knowing about vineyards do you agree wwith the other information.

 

[ceeaton]

Had a practice scheduled this evening cancelled (my wife and I sing in church once a month, surprisingly they haven't stoned me yet!) so I took the gift of a couple of hours to keg a beer (that I'll be drinking during the Eagles Superbowl try) and rack another, then clean a few carboys. The sweetest free extra time is the time you never expect to have in the first place...

 

[ceeaton]

Have the house to myself for a few hours and taking advantage of it. Trying to have it fully "trashed" before my wife gets home. Making a knock-off batch of Guinness (draft version, a bit weaker than the bottled we get here), dry rubbed some ribs and salmon to cook later, and thinking of drinking a few beers here in a couple of hours, or maybe even now... The salmon is being done two ways, a dry rub to be grilled and a dry brined version to smoke cook (goes great on crackers once cold).

 

[Boatboy24]

Just cancelled all my plans and am heading to Craig's.

 

[mainshipfred]

Just cancelled all my plans and am heading to Craig's.

i'm going with you, any other takers?