The Chateau Aubin Winery and Brewery

[paubin]

Here are a few pics of the new and improved Chateau Aubin hidey hole.

This is a view from the door as you enter. This is my wine making station. I've got niagra grape and sweet cherry in the primarys and 1 gal. of peach in the secondary on the right along side of my 6 gal. of never clearing spiced apple (I'll be using some fining soon as 4 months and it is still cloudy). Just right of the pic is where I will be installing double sinks.

This is the other side of the room and will be the brewery. I've got just about enough empty bottles for 2 5 gal batches. The first will be an IPA and the second will be an Old American Ale. I've got my 60 plus a few formerly Dos Equis light green bottles ready for the first batch (My wife has struggled and suffered though the emptying of those to provide me with ample bottles for bottling of the first batch of brew).

Just a shot of my pitifully empty soon to be more stable wine rack

Some wines and melomels bulk aging. The citrus, rasberry and strawberry-rhubarb are clear and ready to bottle if I ever find the time.

This small closet will become a wine cooler aging room and possibly a nice area for lagering beer. I am going to insulate the walls and make glass double paned doors and equip with a cooling unit.


I hope to continue to upgrade and perfect the Chateau Aubin winery and brewery as time goes by and will continue to post upgrades as thy come.


Pete

 

[Waldo]

It is looking great Pete as your wines are. Edited by: Waldo

 

[Wade E]

I like it!

 

[Joanie]

Your wine and beer room is a thing of beauty!!! WOW!

 

[grapeman]

Looking great out there in WY Pete. All the ammenities in the work area.TV, Stereo, wine and soon to be beer

Nobody will see much of you soon.


What is the thing in the corer of the counter in the second picture? It looks like a crock with a spigot on. That would be good to fill with cold beer and lay underneath it and have somebody open it slowly........ should last about a half hour that way....

 

[NorthernWinos]

Looking good....will be looking forward to more pictures of winery and wines...

 

[paubin]

The crock with a spigot was what I first made wine in almost 20 years ago. It used to have a cork top and I used use a length of tubing with a jar half filled with water as an airlock. The cork is long gone but I keep it for sentimental value. I am really looking forward to starting on the beer. I dont know what has kept me from trying for so long. I've also got to get moving on bottling, most of my wines bulk aging have been doing so for about 6 months or so.


Pete

 

[grapeman]

Pete if you want the ultimate in simplicity with the beer, get one of the no boil kits from George. They are very drinkable and ready really quick. They are almost like making wine. Later 'graduate' to a more traditional beer with boiling and all. Either way, not much aging involved and there are endless combinations available for every taste and budget.

 

[Wade E]

Thats what you used to make wine in huh, very cool.

 

[paubin]

I thought about the no boil kits but everything I've read says you'll get better beer even if you boil the "no boils". I'm going to start out with a few malt extract kits then probably do a few malt extract recipes and maybe modify them a little ( I've been dying to try a Maple Porter). Then I figure I'll move on to mashing my own. I never could just leave good enough alone! My boiling pot is big enough for a full boil but just barely (22 quarts), so I'll be hovering over it the entire boil.


Yup Wade that is my original primary. It did a fine job too. If I can ever find some quality cork to make a new cover I'll use it again too! I just can't bring my self to go with the sanitized towel thing.


Pete

 

[masta]

Pete,
The setup looks awesome!!! I have made quite a bit of beer, mostly extract brewing and a few mini mashed. I have also made a few of the Baron's no boil kits and would like to know the reasoning behind boiling a no boil kit since it has already been done!


I also do a full 5 gal boil with a 32 quart S/S pot but you could do 4 gals safely in a 22 quart. A wort chiller is also key with this volume to great beer as you get a good cold break when chilling rapidly and can also pitch your yeast ASAP.


I have made a Maple Porter twice and my latest one is the best and I will post the recipe later tonight after I check my batch records.

 

[paubin]

Scott, the main reason for boiling a no-boil is adding extra hops (flavor, aroma, ect.) I am making a wort chiller out of copper tubing tonight and will be starting the first batch during the Thankgiving weekend. I've tasted commercial maple porter and loved it so I cant wait to make my own. Ive been searching for grade B syrup but maybe you know of a inexpensive supplier. The best price I've found so far is $39.00 a gal.
I cant wait to get my sink installed so I dont have to run up and down the stairs all day but the honey do list has priority (If Momma is happy, then we are all happy)


Pete

 

[masta]

$39.00 a gal for the Grade B syrup is a great price and less than what I can get it for. I made my wort chiller also and used 50' of 3/8 refrigeration tubing and it coolsa full 5 gals from boiling to 80 degrees in 15 minutes.


I start a separate post for my Maple Porter recipe.