What R you doing today?

Working from home today. Will be trying to figure out the plans for tomorrow. Going to clean up and try to reorganize the wine making area this weekend.

bottling a 5 gallon batch of apple blush, and starting a 6 gallon batch of tropical dragon blood, and shutting down my swimming pool.

Bottled a 6 gallon batch of an oaked Roija, racked a 6 gallon batch of Thompson seedless and 6 gallons of Diamond. Added bentonite to the Pear. Getting ready to bottle 3 gallons of Traminette....

Visited two wineries in Missouri, near Hermann. Kunzell Valley and Robller. They have wonderful wines. They also both love for home winemakers to recycle their bottles for them. 17 cases later. They are in the water soaking labels off.

I also got a line on a farmer who grows elderberries. I think I am going to pick up several pounds and try my hand at that. They said three pounds per gallon which seems a bit shy to me.

Bottled the PIWC bulk Traminette and have my Battlefield Blush specs ready to go. We will do a 6 gallon batch of 50/50 Concord/Cayuga, backsweetened to 1.025. Then will bottle the remaining Concord and Cayuga as individuals. Still have to do some tests on blending the peach into the Chardonnay....

Got to meet my self adopted son's new baby boy

I'm getting my redneck on today. Going honker hunting.

Spent the day cleaning the cellar yesterday. I still need to do the other half, not sure if ill start that today or not. Cleaning demi johns now for when im ready to rack the fredonia and concord. They will reside in the demi johns for the next few months.

Well no geese for me today. The birds where held at bay by the fog and the rain. Better luck next time I guess.

In other news I'm on day 16 since I pinched my yeast in my spiced apple and its still bubbling away. It's reading .994 so it has to be close to done. Tossing all kinds of lees. I've already racked it once, might do it again today or tomorrow

plowboy said:

Well no geese for me today. The birds where held at bay by the fog and the rain. Better luck next time I guess.

In other news I'm on day 16 since I pinched my yeast in my spiced apple and its still bubbling away. It's reading .994 so it has to be close to done. Tossing all kinds of lees. I've already racked it once, might do it again today or tomorrow

Click to expand...

If I was you, I won't be raking until fermentation is complete.

I'm hoping it finishes soon. There is a solid inch of crud at the bottom of the carboy. It's quite tasty so I plan on keeping it that way

I always rack if i see 1 inch, then later when i see 1/2 inch...but all my wines are fast drinkers...
Where you hunting at plowboy...have they honkers started to move south yet...

Just outside of Kitchener. There is plenty of movement just not today.

Once you rack off the gross lees there really is no need to be in a hurry to rack, you should be racking no more than once a month at this point.

Yep, that's what I normally do but this apple has tossed me through a loop. Normally I'm done fermenting in 7-10 days so 16 days has me scratching my head. It's all a big learning curve for me right now

Plowboy, i'm glad you mentioned that. To rack or not to rack? I have a black currant that has been bubbling for almost 3 weeks. It's other half (in a separate 1 gal jug) has been dry for 2 weeks. This is a batch that I forced a re-start on because it was stuck at .103.
Thoughts?

I spent a bit of time preparing the Ricotta Impastata for Cannoli Tomorrow, made a batch with Cinn. oil, just 4 drops in 2.5 lbs is perfect, and the other batch I prepped with Almond oil, they taste like Amaretto.
If you've never used or seen Ricotta impastata, you are missing out on the perfect ricotta for Cannoli, cheese cakes and so on, it isn't like that watery Polly-o you get in the grocery store.
Like a good Italian daughter, my daughter requested Cannoli for her birthday instead of a cake..LOL!

Lori, if it is dry, go ahead and rack it.

Plowboy, one of the longest running ferment I had was an apple.

I'm watching my first wine judging event. It's about as riveting as watching paint dry. Just waiting for my lone bottle of strawberry swill to come up

The apple was sitting at .992 today at lunch so odds are it will be racked tonight. If it keeps fermenting all the more power to it.

Also, whoever thought to use a break bleeder to degas wine is a genies. I though for sure my questionable watermelon was done but its still pulling co2 out. That and I'm lazy so all that stirring was driving me nuts