Last night I finally got off my... couch, and bottled some of my dad's old rhubarb wine. I figured it would be a good experience before trying to start my own wine, getting some practice in sanitizing, siphoning, and not spilling everywhere.
It was also good to practice with a wine that has been sitting around/aging for 15 years, and to get to know how some equipment works. For example, I now know that my corker will not destroy bottles, but there's a good reason why people like the floor model.
Lessons I learned last night:
The snap thingy on the siphon is not always closed.
Don't turn your back on a filling bottle.
Don't have things like rags doing double-duty.
The floor will get a little messy, no matter what.
Do your best to have everything within arm's reach.
Wash your hands once you're done.
Now I get to move to the next phase: actually making wine. (I walked before I crawled as a baby, and it's like I never stopped...)
It was also good to practice with a wine that has been sitting around/aging for 15 years, and to get to know how some equipment works. For example, I now know that my corker will not destroy bottles, but there's a good reason why people like the floor model.
Lessons I learned last night:
The snap thingy on the siphon is not always closed.
Don't turn your back on a filling bottle.
Don't have things like rags doing double-duty.
The floor will get a little messy, no matter what.
Do your best to have everything within arm's reach.
Wash your hands once you're done.
Now I get to move to the next phase: actually making wine. (I walked before I crawled as a baby, and it's like I never stopped...)