What R you doing today?

[pgentile]

It's 'Christmas Eve' here. Headed up to Harford tomorrow to pick up my (and Fred's) Carmenere grapes. Fred joining the Broad Run Cellars staff for crush later in the day. I'm excited and nervous after my 2016 Chilean fiasco. But I've learned a lot in the last 24 months and hope it serves me well.

Did some (very) minor tidying in the winery and got my chems/additives organized for tomorrow. Took the Petite Verdot grapes out of the freezer and moved into the fridge so they're at least a little thawed by tomorrow. Excited to have the wonderful aromas of fermentation floating around soon.

My carmenere is coming along nicely, fruit looked very nice, Harford has the same source so you you should be happy. Have a fun "Christmas Day".

 

[sour_grapes]

Poor wording by me I guess?

Hyphens save lives!

 

[mainshipfred]

Yesterday we were getting the boat ready for the season. Starting all systems and cleaning. For the first time in years the engines started right up with a little gas down the carbs. It's a 1988 with carbs and no fuel injection. Couldn't get the generator running, the battery died and probably needs replaced. My stitching on the canvas is getting old and when I tried to unzip the windows to get the canvas off to wash I rippped the stiching from one of the sections. So took off the canvas and had to wash it 3 times. One soap and water, one plastic cleaner and one plastic protection. When I went to put it back on I was using zipper grease to ease the them. With my fingers greasy and slippery I dropped one of the section in the water, sunk immediately so I need to find a canvas company. Today I'm doing a first racking after press of my juice bucket/ grape skin Cab, racking and determining how much if any flavor pack to add to my 3 four month old Island Mist kits to get ready for filtering and bottling. I'm running out of carboy storage in my cooler and have to bottle something. Then this evening my wife and I are going to on American Wine Society tasting of Rhone wines.

 

[wrongway]

I got my Pineapple-Orange wine bottled this morning so I will start mixing up a batch of hard apple-cinnamon cider!

 

[sour_grapes]

I am going somewhere that is much warmer than here for a few weeks. (The weird thing is, it is at 60 deg N latitude! But it is 55F here, and will be 85F there. ) I will not experience darkness for the next few weeks -- I hope they have good curtains!

 

[Jal5]

Mainshipfred- sounds like my sagas with an old boat! Looking forward to getting my 1985 in the lake later this week. Always something to tweak on the boat. Come to think of it boating and making wine both require patience!

 

[mainshipfred]

Mainshipfred- sounds like my sagas with an old boat! Looking forward to getting my 1985 in the lake later this week. Always something to tweak on the boat. Come to think of it boating and making wine both require patience!

Yep, never ending. What do you have?

 

[Jal5]

Bayliner Capri. Just keep it going is our motto! Lots of fun though. I have learned to do my own repairs since nobody works on old VP motors or outdrives here

 

[Jal5]

Met a member locally today and bought two carboys. Thx Bonnie. Plus a friend gave me 18 wine bottles!

 

[Trevor7]

Daughter graduated University last Sunday, last of the family members left today. Since then, I've been staring at all the empty spaces in the wine rack... Obviously time to get back to bottling.

 

[Johnd]

Finished up the White Zin kit for sis in law last night, and committed a winemaking sin, I filtered a wine that wasn't perfectly clear, though I went into the endeavor with eyes wide open. Already having completed AF, vacuum degassed, added sorbate, sulfite and the 2nd half of the fpack some two weeks ago, there was still a slight haze in the wine, which needed to be bottled last evening to make the trip with wifey today. Ran the wine through the BV Super Jet with coarse pads first, which really made a difference in the clarity, and the pressures never exceeded 15 PSI. Second runthrough with polishing pads went equally as smooth, and the wine finished up crystal clear and sparkling, a really beautiful wine. Used up $8 worth of filter pads, but that's ok. The taste was, well, white zin, not really on my list of faves, but it's not for me anyway. Corked, capsuled, labelled, boxed, and on its way to final destination this morning. Guess I'll just say a few Hail Mary's, promise to never do it again, and be thankful for my good fortune.

 

[mainshipfred]

You had to do what you had to do. From what I remember you were on a short leash. I personally don't see anything wrong with what you did.

 

[aabshire]

1 - Bottling 5 gal blackberry
2 - Racking another 5 gal blackberry to clarify
3 - Racking 6 gal Muscato (kit)
4 - Racking 6 gal Brethren of the Red Mead and adding oak to age
5 - Racking 6 gal Lemon Mead after clearing

 

[ceeaton]

Trying my first brisket on the kettle grill. Using a snake with a water pan and some cherry chips along the snake. Not shown in the image is a foil shield between the lit coals and the meat, which I'll rotate around in a few hours when I open to rotate the meat (keeping the thicker side towards the lit coals). Temperature is holding around 235*F, trying to lower it a bit more if possible. If it gets done too early (it is only the flat) they say it can rest for a few hours in a cooler and still stay warm enough to slice and serve.

Second image may get built today, may not. My ho-made Hoverman antenna is about 10 years old. Noticing that I'm having issues getting some Hi-VHF channels that I used to get, so pulled the trigger and ordered a CM 3020 long range antenna. The trick will be getting it up on the roof without my oldest boy around. It's 152" x 95" x 22", though very light since it is made primarily of aluminum. Pictures later if successful, I've got to rototill part of the front yard and the two gardens in the back, since they are finally dry enough. If I need too many liquids as I work I may put off the antenna project until Monday, when it's supposed to be much cooler.






Edit:




Two down, one to go...

 

[Boatboy24]

Just finished putting a trampoline together for the kiddos. Started a little after 8 and it took about two hours. Hotter than Hades already out there. Temp isn't bad, at 84; but the humidity has kicked in, the air isn't moving, and the sun is on full blast. I already don't want to be outside for the rest of the day.

Looking forward to a few weeks from now, when our gazebo will be screened in and have a ceiling fan. Then I can sit out there and enjoy a nice glass of iced tea, err, Sauvignon Blanc.

 

[jgmann67]

I just hauled a 500 bottle, Vintage Keeper Wine Cellar cabinet home. Cooler doesn't work, but otherwise in decent shape. Had to take it apart to get it in the basement. Fun.

 

[mainshipfred]

I just hauled a 500 bottle, Vintage Keeper Wine Cellar cabinet home. Cooler doesn't work, but otherwise in decent shape. Had to take it apart to get it in the basement. Fun.

You probably already have this but ifyou don't and have trouble re-assembling it, here you go. It looks like the cooling unit is self contained so you could replace it yourself. I almost bought one a few years back but it was too deep or wide to fit anywhere.

http://www.strictlycellars.com/wine-cellars/vintage-keeper/winekoolr_500_manual_web.pdf

 

[ceeaton]

Hotter than Hades already out there. Temp isn't bad, at 84; but the humidity has kicked in, the air isn't moving, and the sun is on full blast. I already don't want to be outside for the rest of the day.

Yea, 91 deg here, dewpoint just hit 71. This first heat + humidity round is always the hardest to bear. I keep coming down here to the basement and laying on the carpet for a few minutes to cool off. Still 64*F and dry. I wish the fricking brisket would get over this stall so I can wrap it up, put it in the cooler and go take a nice cold shower. ...just hit 174*F, so I think it just got past the stall. Had been 163-165 for about three hours. Almost did the Texas crutch, but I had some time. Hoping I can hit 195-200 within the next two hours so I at least get an hour rest. Grill is reading 239*, maybe I'll bump it up to 275.

I just hauled a 500 bottle, Vintage Keeper Wine Cellar cabinet home. Cooler doesn't work, but otherwise in decent shape. Had to take it apart to get it in the basement. Fun.

Oh, you could have one heck of a pool party with 500 bottles of wine!

 

[Jal5]

No winemaking today. Went fishing this AM but nothing was cooperating. Came home and decided to fix the yard trailer- two new inner tubes later, and had to drive all over town to find the darn size! Not sure what else will fit into today's chores.

 

[Venatorscribe]

I will probably need to open the spigot on my fermenter and get my lastest cider off it's lees. I took this photo yesterday - day 6. This morning the fruit has dropped and the liquid cleared. Must be a sign to launch into the nxt phase. Will post a new photo latter on. It is a feijoa cider with some sultanas and figs to round-out and enhance flavours. FYI am using a Belgian Tripel ale yeast with this ferment as have read some interesting posts ref both Saison and Tripel yeasts with fruit ciders.