Why I Hate Winemaking
- Thread starter ChuckD
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Cleaned and sanitized Five carboys, three small jugs, airlocks, bottling bucket and all the extras… in the tub 
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I cannot wait for a proper winemaking room!
. I cannot wait for a proper winemaking room!
I know what you mean!
But I wonder if we ever have enough space? It's scary - sometimes I ask myself, "Does the washer and dryer really need to be in the basement?"
But I wonder if we ever have enough space? It's scary - sometimes I ask myself, "Does the washer and dryer really need to be in the basement?"
I started to use my office in the basement to ferment my wines and a storage room to store my aging wines. I still clean and sanitize the equipment in the kitchen and usually I try to do it when my wife is not home. She is not very happy about it although really likes my products! Go figure. My basement is carpeted so I spread a piece of plastic painter's sheets on the floor and change it when it get sticky.
Like many hobbies it does present some logistical challenges!
The crowded basement bathroom is still better than lugging carboys up and down the steps. And my partially finished basement living room has been completely taken over by winemaking equipment.
Many years ago I was doing my woodworking in the basement. I made so much noise and tracked so much sawdust through the house That my wife ordered me to build a stand-alone workshop! Maybe if I ferment some really stinky wines in the house
I was already making wine when we built the current house, so I designed in a dedicated wine room. It could have been bigger. I'd say, if you get that opportunity then take your design and double the sqft, might work then.
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Now, I don't mean to be an enabler... Oh, who am I kidding.
I'm just thinking, looking at this, that you are likely not using this space other than wine making. What if you started getting everything you dream of for when you do your remodel and set yourself up with an area that works now? You don't have to rip the whole basement apart and complete the whole plan to get a functional work space.
Find the sink you want and set it up. It wouldn't take much to get a beauty of a space set up. Not to mention if you get started you can adjust your plan, and note changes you overlooked before locking in.
Brilliant, I know. You may begin!
Oh there are constantly shifting plans for sure… repurpose the basement living room(maybe), get the new addition framed out and finish it later(no), or shoehorn a big sink into the mud room (that may the best stopgap solution).
Now my latest fevered dream is to move up the schedule for building the timber frame pavilion and enclose a 12x14 room behind the fireplace that I could heat for my own detached winery! I could crush and press under the pavilion and have everything there for fermenting too.
In my dreams I’m Pressing grapes in front of the fireplace. Then enjoying a wood fired pizza and a good wine while looking out at the vineyard… l hesitate to even share this with my wife or she will be driving me to get it done NOW!
Sometimes bandaids are better than nothing. I would put a big sink and a nice faucet in there. With that beauty mirror, you will be able to watch yourself smile the whole time you are working. You could change your life in an afternoon!
Make a plywood counter if you don't want to hack up your current one. Actually, make a level counter the length of the whole cabinet. You will be in heaven!
Function over fashion! It doesn't have to be pretty. It's temporary!
We won't tolerate any wine making haters, here!
Make a plywood counter if you don't want to hack up your current one. Actually, make a level counter the length of the whole cabinet. You will be in heaven!
Function over fashion! It doesn't have to be pretty. It's temporary!
We won't tolerate any wine making haters, here!
Denden5136
Denden
Basement? Luxury! California homes do not have basements (my cousin in Missouri finds that frightening, but I remind her we have earthquakes, not tornados).
I am using a part of my garage, and it makes it easy to do cleaning and rinsing by carting things outside, but when it heats up I have to move everything indoors to escape the heat. I do wish I had a basement.....
I am using a part of my garage, and it makes it easy to do cleaning and rinsing by carting things outside, but when it heats up I have to move everything indoors to escape the heat. I do wish I had a basement.....
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I do love my walkout basement here in Missouri. Anytime there is a tornado warning (and heck even a snow warning) my wife and I have to go down into the basement for safety's sake. and the temp down there is just about a constant 60-68 very slow to change. And I do have a very large winemaking area plus storage. But I wish it were larger, I need a few barrels and a fork lift sometimes.
FlamingoEmporium
Senior Member
No basement here either. Basements without Houses over them are what’s called a swimming pool.
I have a walkout basement is great. And the wine cellar is only a few feet from the back door.
I’m not going to rip out the bathroom but if I move a freezer and cut out some of the built-in storage I made a few years ago I can find 6 feet of wall space close enough to use the washing machine plumbing. It’s not ideal but better than kneeling on tile to wash carboys in the tub.
I’m not going to rip out the bathroom but if I move a freezer and cut out some of the built-in storage I made a few years ago I can find 6 feet of wall space close enough to use the washing machine plumbing. It’s not ideal but better than kneeling on tile to wash carboys in the tub.
My knees and back complain mightily… I just tell them to shut up and enjoy the vino
I have 2 storage rooms in my basement. I currently use one for wine bottles and smaller wine equipment and large storage room for carboys. Those rooms have no windows so I can use clear bottles and not cover carboys against UV light. In spring I will build additional shelving in one of the rooms. This hobby is getting out of hand. I currently have 8, 5 gallon carboys clearing or aging, plus 2 ready to be botted and 2 buckets in primary.
I use the laundry room for fermenting and aging, but I do most everything else in the kitchen because there's a lot more room and a much bigger sink. I usually use 3 gallon carboys. When I use a 5 gallon carboy, I do the racking and bottling in the laundry room so we don't have to move the full 5 gallon carboy anywhere.
We have a basement so I have plans to add a sink and some counter space down there eventually.
When we win the lottery, though, the plans include an addition and the basement of the addition will be a dedicated winemaking space! Of course, if we win enough, we may just build a whole new house instead!
We have a basement so I have plans to add a sink and some counter space down there eventually.
When we win the lottery, though, the plans include an addition and the basement of the addition will be a dedicated winemaking space! Of course, if we win enough, we may just build a whole new house instead!
For the past several years, I have been making wine in the kitchen. I took over a cabinet and a side counter, as well as two shelves around the corner in the den. I needed to schedule a time when the kitchen was not in use, and then do the dishes and clean up the counter and sink before I could do any wine work. Immediately after my wine work, I had to clean everything up and put it away. I needed to enlist the help of my adult son to move large carboys to a closet for aging.
A few weeks ago my new wine room went into operation. We had an "exercise room" at the back of the garage, put in by the former owners. I was able to move a wall to expand the room, add counters and a sink, and put in a heat pump unit. Now I finally have a dedicated space. My wife is very happy to have the rest of her kitchen back, along with two shelves in the den.
Not moving full carboys is important to me because I have a bad back. Now I have lots of counter space, so I plan to just leave them on the counter.
A few weeks ago my new wine room went into operation. We had an "exercise room" at the back of the garage, put in by the former owners. I was able to move a wall to expand the room, add counters and a sink, and put in a heat pump unit. Now I finally have a dedicated space. My wife is very happy to have the rest of her kitchen back, along with two shelves in the den.
Not moving full carboys is important to me because I have a bad back. Now I have lots of counter space, so I plan to just leave them on the counter.
Good call, Who needs exercise anyways amirite?
I’m hoping Santa brings me an all-in -one vacuum pump next Christmas! I can still muscle full carboys around but I won’t forever, and I’m trying to encourage my wife to get more involved in the process.
I need to do this before I make a grilled cheese! I’m fine with leaving dirty dishes on the counter… until I have to cook anything. Then I must have a clean kitchen. I blame my mom!
Chuck ... convince your wife of this math: $10,000 basement renovation could pay for itself in wine savings. A $10,000 basement renovation could have bought 500 bottles of wine at $20 per bottle, however if you produce your own wine for $5 per bottle the cost is $2,500.00 for 500 bottles. You have saved $7,500.00 on 500 bottles of wine. How fast can you drink 500 bottles of wine? Drinking 4 bottles per week average you could drink 500 bottles in 29-30 months which might not be hard to do between your significant other and friends. I've been known to drink a bottle of raspberry or blackberry by myself.
Now I'm not to sure how accurate my math is because college was the hardest two months of my life. You will need to look confident in your plan when you approach your wife but also a little pitiful when she laughs at you. 
I hope everyone is getting a good laugh at this and not using a calculator.
This might be a really flawed idea.
Scott
Now I'm not to sure how accurate my math is because college was the hardest two months of my life.
You will need to look confident in your plan when you approach your wife but also a little pitiful when she laughs at you. I hope everyone is getting a good laugh at this and not using a calculator.
This might be a really flawed idea.Scott
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