Recent content by Rigney

I can cram 24 bottles in there, just a standard oven... I think I put them in for an hour, let them cool, pull them out in the morning. I have a tendency to do all my wine work randomly at 1am when I can't get to sleep. Makes less noise and easier cleanup, and more importantly a less angry...

When I used to teach shop class, my #1 class rule on the board was "Don't Die" Kids thought it was funny... And that judge let me off since they broke the rules! Not me!

I have used everclear to bump up alcohol before with success if you don't go crazy, used a high proof maple bourbon on a test batch of coffee wine too... Added some flavor and burn ;)

I regularly dry my bottles @ 120*F like I would labware, and sterilize my bottles in the oven at 340*F with a little foil cap for storage. Never had one crack from the repeated heating if I let them cool down slowly (just turning the oven off). What a mystery. Not tried the soda ash.

I'm a farmer with a very small farm, and I'm also the market manager the Anderson Co. Farmers Market in KY. Fall is quickly approaching, not much left to sell but corn, tomatoes, and melons until the pumpkins come in. Was a rough season, too much cool rain in the spring, followed by a heat wave...

Here are the labels for my latest wine, a coffee wine mixed with bourbon. Went for a late-night minimum effort maximum exhaustion look.