What R you doing today?

[ceeaton]

You guys would always be welcome here. Just got done with the batch, unfortunately I was a little too efficient and my SG was higher than expected, so maybe you should wait two weeks when I keg that batch to enjoy the higher alcohol levels. Have the cured salmon on the grill, about to take the ribs out of the oven and finish those on the grill. I know, I know, but it was too windy to get the smoker going and expect to keep a decent temperature over four hours, plus I had my hands full making the beer batch (all grain batch equals all day, pretty much).

 

[Ajmassa]

Well I did it. I bought a 2,300 sq.ft. piece of sh**! (Not really) And cannot wait to turn it into something beautiful over the next few years. Probably a few months just to chip away at all the little stuff before tackling the big projects.
The previous owner seemed to fancy himself as a handyman and jacked her up proper. Everyone is skeptical but me. It has the funkiest layout with awkward areas serving no function. But I view as being given a gift. And a chance to renovate something to be not only quality, but also one of kind. And I’m quickly learning to trust nobody’s opinion other than my own.
I welcome the challenge with open arms. The pipe bursting and pouring water through the ceiling last night? Expected. Jobs costing more and taking longer? Expected. Need to stay confidently positive so it eventually rubs off on everyone else.
And the basement? Ya damn right. My future wineroom! Already decided to revamp the entire lower level to include a nice big laundry room- strictly to keep washer/dryer out of the basement.
The fiasco has already begun. Arguments and all! Go Birds

 

[jgmann67]

Bottled the PS/Zin blend yesterday and racked the Amarone Extended Maceration project. Then me and my son saw Darkest Hour (excellent btw).

We have Scout Sunday at church today and I'll spend some time capsuling and labeling.

 

[mainshipfred]

Well I did it. I bought a 2,300 sq.ft. piece of sh**! (Not really) And cannot wait to turn it into something beautiful over the next few years. Probably a few months just to chip away at all the little stuff before tackling the big projects.
The previous owner seemed to fancy himself as a handyman and jacked her up proper. Everyone is skeptical but me. It has the funkiest layout with awkward areas serving no function. But I view as being given a gift. And a chance to renovate something to be not only quality, but also one of kind. And I’m quickly learning to trust nobody’s opinion other than my own.
I welcome the challenge with open arms. The pipe bursting and pouring water through the ceiling last night? Expected. Jobs costing more and taking longer? Expected. Need to stay confidently positive so it eventually rubs off on everyone else.
And the basement? Ya damn right. My future wineroom! Already decided to revamp the entire lower level to include a nice big laundry room- strictly to keep washer/dryer out of the basement.
The fiasco has already begun. Arguments and all! Go Birds

Husband and wife decision making is one of the reasons I don't do residential construction. In the past I built a house for Darrell Green (former Redskin) he had the perfect arrangement. He had the yard, basement and garage and his wife had everything else. They never crossed each other's line and I always knew who to go to with questions or who's direction to take. In my house I just say OK sweety. That way I don't have to make any decisions and the peace is maintained.

 

[mainshipfred]

Well I did it. I bought a 2,300 sq.ft. piece of sh**! (Not really) And cannot wait to turn it into something beautiful over the next few years. Probably a few months just to chip away at all the little stuff before tackling the big projects.
The previous owner seemed to fancy himself as a handyman and jacked her up proper. Everyone is skeptical but me. It has the funkiest layout with awkward areas serving no function. But I view as being given a gift. And a chance to renovate something to be not only quality, but also one of kind. And I’m quickly learning to trust nobody’s opinion other than my own.
I welcome the challenge with open arms. The pipe bursting and pouring water through the ceiling last night? Expected. Jobs costing more and taking longer? Expected. Need to stay confidently positive so it eventually rubs off on everyone else.
And the basement? Ya damn right. My future wineroom! Already decided to revamp the entire lower level to include a nice big laundry room- strictly to keep washer/dryer out of the basement.
The fiasco has already begun. Arguments and all! Go Birds

I forgot to mention, don't let the construction get in the way of the June 23rd meet up. You are required to be there.

 

[sour_grapes]

Go Iggles!

 

[mainshipfred]

I can never get this right, it's either what I'm doing tomorrow or what did I do yesterday. So for tomorrow here you go. today I responded to a Craigslist add for some 5 gallon carboys. Turns out the guy was a longtime home winemaker that recently opened a commercial winery. Tomorrow I'm going to visit his facility and pick up some 5 gallon carboys and perhaps a press depending on what it's like. He has old 5 gallon glass water carboys he's selling for $10.00 (not neccessarily what I'm getting but was wondering if they would work). I'll have to see what they are like. Bottom line is he is getting rid of his home winemaking stuff and has a variety of items. He called me back a little later and said he has 10 cases of clear Bourdeau bottles he was going to throw in the dumpster and asked if I wanted them for free. Of course I accepted.

 

[Boatboy24]

I can never get this right, it's either what I'm doing tomorrow or what did I do yesterday. So for tomorrow here you go. today I responded to a Craigslist add for some 5 gallon carboys. Turns out the guy was a longtime home winemaker that recently opened a commercial winery. Tomorrow I'm going to visit his facility and pick up some 5 gallon carboys and perhaps a press depending on what it's like. He has old 5 gallon glass water carboys he's selling for $10.00 (not neccessarily what I'm getting but was wondering if they would work). I'll have to see what they are like. Bottom line is he is getting rid of his home winemaking stuff and has a variety of items. He called me back a little later and said he has 10 cases of clear Bourdeau bottles he was going to throw in the dumpster and asked if I wanted them for free. Of course I accepted.

SCORE!!!!

 

[ceeaton]

Making a batch of hopefully a Catamount Gold knock-off beer. Went to visit the brewery when it existed in White River Jct VT when my brother was doing his residency, or maybe an internship, I get them mixed up, in Lebanon NH. The brewery has since gone out of existence, but their Gold (a blonde ale) and Porter were first rate, back in the day (late 80's and early 90's)(reason I got into homebrewing). Wanted to do some charcoal grilling, but the rain showed up a half day early. Oh well, just tapped a kegged Boddington's type bitter. Needed some more flavor for me so threw in some Fuggles as dry hops. Already noticing the added flavor!

 

[mainshipfred]

A few notes from yesterday's wine making class. Unfortunatley we drank so much wine I left my notes. From another thread he mentioned citric acid should be used along with K-meta for sanitation. The solution needs an acid to be most affective. We tasted a wine that had Brett which came from the bottling line not being properly sanitized and sterlized. There where around 20 people in the class and only a few were sensitive to the taste. Personally it didn't bother me. So the dicuussion evolved to include VA. Apparentely, and although not widely accepted in the industry, some find Brett and VA contribute to a favorable or maybe acceptible flavor profile. Harvest is always a topic as is terrior and conditions during harvest. His personal opinion was Brix could always be adjusted but the phenols and ph should be at the ultimum at harvest. He gave an example of one harvest which was calling for heavy rains expected prior to the grapes being ready. So they picked a portion of them prior to the rain which were not quite ready and left the rest. The rain did come and the grapes split before reaching their maturity and were not used. The grapes they used were not the best quality and required engineering but his thought was it was better then losing the entire crop. I don't remember exactly but we touched on spring juices. From what I gather the juice is processed by heating the grapes to extract as much phenols and color as possible and then frozen. Similar to how kit juice is processed. The difference being no other adjustments are made to the juice. The last thing I remember is with regard to MLF and sulfites, it's the free sulfites and not the total that will inhibit MLF. He said total would have to be over 100g/l to have an affect. Again as with all the above it is one, albeit a professional, winemakers view.

 

[GreenEnvy22]

Hosted my whisky night last night. I had 5 whiskies from 5 countries (theme was not-the-usual whisky countries). I also made a food dish from each country to go with it.

Japan: Suntory Toki / sushi
India: Paul John Brilliance / naan with tandoori dip
South Africa: Bains Cape Mountain / bobotie
Sweden: Mackmyra Brukswhisky / swedish meatballs
Germany: Pur Geist / brats

 

[ceeaton]

Came home last night after visiting with my wife's immediate family (watched race, family tradition) to find my sump pump sucking air. Not sure how long it had been running, but since it was a cheaper model it has an external float that got caught up on the side of the sump pit, which it has done before. So to keep the eventual flooding of my basement from happening, picket up a new model with a guard to keep the float from hanging up on anything. Looking to go and purchase the Sch 40 piping to make the installation a little more permanent later in the week (using the crappy black flexible tubing right now). Much quieter than the last model, I guess you get what you pay for, eh?

 

[ceeaton]

After a successful evening meal, hooked up the external drive with ~ 15K songs (most in flac format) and have been queuing up a few. Started with some Eagles to ease me in, still trying to learn some of the Long Road out of Eden tunes, heading for some Diarrhea Straits and maybe some Pink Floyd. Have an early morning breakfast with the "old men" (what I call our men's church group, don't tell them), so can't stay up too late. Thinking about changing over to red wine from beer, but that could be dangerous. Guess I could miss breakfast...

Edit: Ha, there is an active thread on here about Elderberry wine, made me go back in time to when I was about 10 yrs old:

Drunk all the time
Feeling fine on elderberry wine
Those were the days
We'd lay in the haze
Forget depressive times
How can I ever get it together
Without a wife in line
To pick the crop and get me hot
On elderberry wine

Elton John circa 1972

Ut oh, now some Robert Palmer...

 

[pgentile]

Went to the Flower Show show today and then got bit by a tree and the Nor'Easter. 2.5 hours for the police to respond. No one hurt, but it was dramatic when it happened.

 

[sour_grapes]

Aaaack! Oh no! So sorry, Paul!

 

[Boatboy24]

Holy cow! Glad you're OK.

 

[ceeaton]

I hope you were wearing some depends, 'cause I would have pooped myself. Can't imagine that happening, realizing you were in danger (and could do absolutely nothing about it), then realize you were still conscious and alive. What is the chance that you were in that place at that exact time and had that happen? Yikes!

Glad to hear you are okay!

 

[ibglowin]

That is CRAZY! Glad your OK!

 

[pgentile]

I hope you were wearing some depends, 'cause I would have pooped myself. Can't imagine that happening, realizing you were in danger (and could do absolutely nothing about it), then realize you were still conscious and alive. What is the chance that you were in that place at that exact time and had that happen? Yikes!

Glad to hear you are okay!

It was was one of those times we were both patting ourselves and checking our bodies a little shocked we came out unscathed. The Cherokee not so. But still it kept us safe

 

[heatherd]

Wow, that's crazy!