What R you doing today?

[Rice_Guy]

Today is the deadline for Vinters club evaluation.

About three weeks for entering Wisconsin State Fair. , , , , , Decision time.
(this one is a rhubarb, TA 1.27% ; pH 3.79) funny how the flavor seems to change overnight I will probably put 8% sweetener in (1.011 SG) even though last night the 12% addition was the winner. Breathing? oxidation? other?

 

[VinesnBines]

Today is the deadline for Vinters club evaluation.
View attachment 119699
About three weeks for entering Wisconsin State Fair. , , , , , Decision time.
(this one is a rhubarb, TA 1.27% ; pH 3.79) funny how the flavor seems to change overnight I will probably put 8% sweetener in (1.011 SG) even though last night the 12% addition was the winner. Breathing? oxidation? other?

A quick question; are you using the small glass for tasting? I know this is rhubarb but I use “proper” wine glasses for tasting. The shape of the glass makes a substantial difference. I would never taste my big reds or serve them in anything other than a red wine glass. Same for whites and rose. Homebrew beer doesn’t make a proper head in a wine glass, hence I always use a proper pub glass or Belgian glass for Belgian wines.

To make a suggestion on your question; I say breathing has mellowed the sharpness. Oxidation is part of breathing. I’d go lesser with the sweetness because in three weeks more may be too much.

 

[back2it]

I have been taking elderberry cuttings and making carboy covers. Not pretty but definitely functional. It looked much better on the previous user, but whoda thought that mini-skirt faux leather would come back into fashion

I didn't think there would be enough, but there was

 

[Rice_Guy]

are you using the small glass for tasting? I know this is rhubarb but I use “proper” wine glasses for tasting. The shape of the glass makes a substantial difference.
on your question; I say breathing has mellowed the sharpness. Oxidation is part of breathing.

the tall 200ml is a beaker, yes my taster mentioned to get aromatics she had to swirl covered, the other tall is another jelly jar, last one on the shelf.
Oxidation? The cascade question observing this flavor change is how to bottle? I could splash, I like to pull a vacuum to degas the carboy the day before and try to minimize total package oxygen. I also vacuum while inserting the cork. ,,, I don’t have control on how much air is incorporated when serving, so choice might be to intentionally do sloppy bottling. This is interesting since the rhubarb / fruity aromatics are dominant in the jars, I don’t pick up what I identify as “reductive” aroma masking the fruit. I haven’t run numbers to see if the total acidity changes overnight, my guess from past crops is that natural TA loss from rhurbarb is in the range of 0.2% or 0.1% per year.

Wine is a very interesting chemical soup.

 

[VinesnBines]

the tall 200ml is a beaker, yes my taster mentioned to get aromatics she had to swirl covered, the other tall is another jelly jar, last one on the shelf.
Oxidation? The cascade question observing this flavor change is how to bottle? I could splash, I like to pull a vacuum to degas the carboy the day before and try to minimize total package oxygen. I also vacuum while inserting the cork. ,,, I don’t have control on how much air is incorporated when serving, so choice might be to intentionally do sloppy bottling. This is interesting since the rhubarb / fruity aromatics are dominant in the jars, I don’t pick up what I identify as “reductive” aroma masking the fruit. I haven’t run numbers to see if the total acidity changes overnight, my guess from past crops is that natural TA loss from rhurbarb is in the range of 0.2% or 0.1% per year.

Wine is a very interesting chemical soup.

You might try bottling as usual and the day before sending the entries, open the bottles, let breathe overnight and then re cork. I would test that idea before trying it on my entries.

So, bitttle, open a bottle, let breathe overnight with a stopper,cork again, open a second time and see how it tastes and how long that best flavor lasts.

Or splash rack when bottling. Testing is required.

 

[jswordy]

Had four solid wood kitchen chairs we bought for $99 for the set back in 1985 that are now surplus after 40 years of service, so yesterday I set them out front by the road with two large FREE - PLEASE TAKE HOME signs. Today, I just watched them get loaded on a pickup and hauled away. Makes me feel good twice: They get reused, and I didn't have to load and haul them off somewhere.

 

[Ohio Bob]

Perfect for kindling.

 

[jswordy]

Perfect for kindling.

Not if they are still useable, in my view. Or I would have done that. Waste not, want not.

 

[back2it]

I spent part of my day making a racking ramp. It looks a little precarious so I will probably add some kind of restraint to stop it tipping just to pacify my anxiety. The angle is 20° but I may reduce it to 15° as the racking cane is off vertical.

I have to credit @Rice_Guy as I stole the idea from a post he made a while ago.
The rest of the day I spent sampling wine

 

[Rice_Guy]

BackTo It, , , I have never done one without three point support sized for a 5 gallon.

note racking canes: they typically are polyethylene tube which has two bends formed over a gas stove. There is a cone shape device sized for 3/8 tubing that fits the mouth. A racking setup with two canes and a straight is assembled with silicone tubing, (silicone kids straws work too and they are colorful). The shut off is a steel spring clamp. I use vacuum and have some tubes pulled into a dropper shape, it allows back pressure. Sides are 2x6 or 2x8 scrap.

Current feeling is that 2x6 is best. The lees in a carboy set on a 2x10 slope, will roll down over night. I routinely will put two corks under the high edge when I am trying to squeeze out the last half inch of clean liquid. And I try to have a light on so I can see depth marks on the racking cane (red bud flower wine). No straps. With three points as stops have never lost a carboy while racking. I use gravity / height as a check valve to eliminate back flow.