What R you doing today?

[jswordy]

I always like a little bit of extra moisture (some call it BBQ Sauce) on my pulled pork, but that's just me. It does look wonderful.

I would guess that would be the case since you are from Missouri, in the red sauce area of the country. In the region where I live, it is white sauce, but I got hooked on vinegar sauces when I lived in Virginia.

All of this meat was rubbed with my buddy's Mad Hunky All-Purpose Rub out of Michigan (https://madhunkymeats.com/product-category/rubs/) and allowed to sit for 48 hours in the fridge. After I pulled it, it was frozen for future use. The meat was store cut and is supremely moist and tender. Melt in your mouth. I gave up on prepackaged butts long ago. Paying more for the store butchered one is so well worth it.

Like Mike, we use it in lots of dishes. Because it is smoked very deeply, just a tiny little bit as flavoring in stew or soup is awesome. Put some on a hamburger bun with a couple shots of Bishops sauce, four sweet or dill pickle slices, and some sweet coleslaw, and to me that is heaven. It's also good with my favorite all purpose sauce, Country Bob's. My favorite red barbecue sauce is from Jim's Rib Haven, located in Rock Island and East Moline, Illinois, and Omaha, Neb. I generally buy a gallon to bring back when I am in the area.

We're fortunate to be just 40 miles from Lynchburg, which hosts the globally recognized Jack Daniel Invitational Barbecue Competition every year, so we've had the chance to sample meats from all over the Earth and talk with the cream of the crop in competition barbecuers. Like I say, I'm just an ol' country boy, but I'll steal ideas from anyone!

 

[CDrew]

Well, not today, but yesterday-

We were driving back from Southern California and the Grapevine (I-5) was closed due to snow. So we diverted out to the coast in terrible traffic. We were going to stop in Santa Barbara for the urban wine trail, but traffic was too heavy so we kept plowing on and finally got off the 101 at San Luis Obispo. It turns out, the wine tasting just south of there is great. The last time I'd made a wine visit there was about 10-12 years ago. We stopped at Biddle Ranch (mmmm Syrah, and Chardonnay), Wolff (killer Petite Sirah), and Chamisal which was the clear favorite. It turns out that Chamisal is the oldest wine producer in the area (Edna Valley) and everything being tasted was estate grown. We were tasting a really great 2016 Syrah. When I mentioned I also made Syrah, our host went in the back and brought out a 2010 and 2011 Syrah from the same property which we tasted in comparison. I liked it enough, I'm considering joining the wine club for a year or two. I spent too much on overpriced wine, but it was all very good and we'll enjoy with guests for a long time.

Anyway, highly recommended if you are in the area. We just scratched the surface as there are over 30 wineries in the immediate area, but will be back.

 

[ibglowin]

Thanks for the tips for places to visit the next time we are in the area. We joined Tolosa and Edna Valley Vineyard. But we could have joined more easily.

Anyway, highly recommended if you are in the area. We just scratched the surface as there are over 30 wineries in the immediate area, but will be back.

 

[CDrew]

Thanks for the tips for places to visit the next time we are in the area. We joined Tolosa and Edna Valley Vineyard. But we could have joined more easily.

I don't know this area well, but there is a lot to see and excellent wine. SLO is about equal distant for us and our daughter and son-in-law. THey like to explore wine areas too. (And, were married in a brewery last year that belongs to one of their friends), so San Luis Obispo is a perfect storm of wine and beer! We'll be back within a year, I'm sure.

We were going to go to Edna Valley Vineyard, but they are a huge producer and we can get that in the grocery store, so we'll taste that at home.

I really loved the scope of the central coast vineyards. Huge vineyards everywhere you look.

And, I'm not usually a big Chardonnay fan, but the restrained, euro style chardonnays we had there were great. I asked at Biddle Ranch their method, and they put exactly half of the vintage through MLF, left the other without MLF, then sterile filtered and blended at bottling. What ever they are doing works for me.

Anyway, another great spot to explore. It's almost exactly 4 hours from home, so it requires a night or two stay.

 

[Arne]

Not doing it now, but suspect before the day is out will be moving snow. Looks like 4 or 5 inches and still coming down. Arne.

 

[Boatboy24]

Got a 6lb piece of pork belly into a cure earlier this afternoon. Ho-made bacon coming in about a week.

 

[jking]

Started my first ever batch of Skeeter pee and I'm going to bottle an experimental batch of cherry wine shortly.

 

[Boatboy24]

Made some bread today too.

 

[Rocky]

Made some bread today too.

Jim, was the dough formed in some type of bowl? How did you get that shape?

 

[Boatboy24]

Used a proofing basket. A trick I learned from a book: "Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast" by Ken Forkish. It took my bread making up a notch.

 

[Boatboy24]

Baby New Year brought Mycoderma to all three of my containers of Touriga Nacional (14 gal, total). Fortunately, they still smell and taste good. Just finished racking all three and giving them a double dose of sulfite. About to order some fresh KMeta and SO2 solutions.

 

[wpt-me]

In the middle of starting a cranberry wine, using Vintner Harvest fruit base. Added some Ocean Spray cranberry sauce to it for more flavor.

Bill

 

[Rocky]

In the middle of starting a cranberry wine, using Vintner Harvest fruit base. Added some Ocean Spray cranberry sauce to it for more flavor.

Bill

Bill, you are probably okay but check the ingredients in the cranberry sauce. Probably some preservative and possibly corn starch. Could give you some issues in clearing.

 

[wpt-me]

Rocky ,thanks for your warning, I just double checked ingredients. cranberries , high fructose corn syrup , water ,
corn syrup. A lot of sugar , less to have been needed , to make up my s.g. of 1.090.

Bill

 

[mainshipfred]

I back sweetened a wine for the first time using simple syrup. It was two 2019 Roses that were filtered with a .5 micron. @Boatboy24 brought me some Sorbate yesterday and told me he uses SG as a measure for back sweetening which I would have never thought of. My SG for both was .992 and I took them both to .997 or 8. The 2.5 gallon took 180 mg and the 3 gallon took 210 mg. But the final determination was the taste. I think I stirred it in well enough but I didn't want to over do it, I can always add more later. BTW Jim, that taste you were getting in the Merlot could have been sulfite. I must have over done it a one time or double dosed it. I took some readings this morning and the Merlot was at 89 ppm.

 

[Boatboy24]

I back sweetened a wine for the first time using simple syrup. It was two 2019 Roses that were filtered with a .5 micron. @Boatboy24 brought me some Sorbate yesterday and told me he uses SG as a measure for back sweetening which I would have never thought of. My SG for both was .992 and I took them both to .997 or 8. The 2.5 gallon took 180 mg and the 3 gallon took 210 mg. But the final determination was the taste. I think I stirred it in well enough but I didn't want to over do it, I can always add more later. BTW Jim, that taste you were getting in the Merlot could have been sulfite. I must have over done it a one time or double dosed it. I took some readings this morning and the Merlot was at 89 ppm.

Interesting. Have you tried another sample and aerated the heck out of it?

 

[mainshipfred]

Interesting. Have you tried another sample and aerated the heck out of it?

Haven't done anything yet. That's a next week job.

 

[crooked cork]

Just finished bottling Mosacto and Malbec and now going to print labels

 

[Ignoble Grape]

Racked my strawberry off of primary, into secondary. Waiting for things to settle before re-racking all tonight into 1, 5 gallon carboy. Used Premier Cuvee, so should be off-dry, but it's my first time using this yeast for strawberry. Also racked the pumpkin (orage carboys), added cinnamon, cloves, ginger and bentonite. There was some funk with the pumpkin, so need to keep a closer eye on things. Added sulfites. Also racked the peach into secondary, it wasn't quite ready, but needed to get it off the fruit.

Then I mopped the kitchen floor.

 

[Boatboy24]

Continuing on activities started yesterday. Yesterday, I racked and ever so slightly back sweetened the 2019 Virginia Petite Manseng and Viognier. Sampling was favorable and I'm not certain I'll add a tad more sugar to the Viognier. Both are still under 1.000SG, though not by much. Also sampled the 2018 Chilean Carmenere/Petite Verdot from the new 40L barrel. It's been in for 2 months now and is about ready to come out. 6g of it spent a couple months in a neutral Vadai, but this time in the new barrel has done some significant improving on this wine. The previously very strong black pepper flavors have integrated more and this is becoming a really nice wine.

Today, topped up the 23L Vadai barrels which have 2018 Cab and Petite Sirah in them. The Cab is (and always has been) a little on the light side. PS is really good, though not as tannin heavy as previous PS wines I've done. ~20% PS with the Cab was very enjoyable, though not particularly overwhelming.

HVAC inspection soon. If I'm feeling motivated after that, I may rack (and possibly bottle) the EM Bourbon Barrel Zin/Cab kit I started a year ago.