What R you doing today?

[Flem]

I racked my Oaked Muscadine from a 5 gallon to a 3 and 2 - 2 gallon carboys. I'm hoping to bottle a gallon and take a sample to Julie's in the event we make it Saturday. I sampled some today and the oak was not as prominent as it tasted earlier. Still very good but not as prominent.


Hope everyone has a Happy and SAFE July 4th. Happy Birthday U.S.A. Be extra careful with the fireworks, it's aweful dry this year, don't want to hear that someone burned their house down with fireworks. We had that happen to a garage 2 years ago, although, the homeowner insisted they weren't setting off fireworks despite the empty tube cake beside the garage. Oh well. Sometimes the obvious isn't obvious.

I hope you can make it to Julie's. I'd like to sample your muscadine. Sometime I'd like to see your AR.

 

[tatud4life]

Supplies are bought!! After this graveyard shift and a little sleep, the SP will commence. I bought Great Value (Wal Mart brand) lemon juice. I hope this doesn't make a difference. They didn't have any 32 oz. bottles of ReaLemon. We will see!!!!

 

[deboard]

Wow,just realized after checking my calendar that I am due to bottle 75 bottles soon. That's what I get for starting 3-3 gallon batches 6 months ago and a kit 2.5 months ago.

 

[Runningwolf]

Removed capsules and seperated bottles by kind and color. Next step will be delabeling and cleaning. Picked up about 25 cases of regular and 5 cases of desert wine bottles yesterday.

 

[Famineguy]

Nothing to do with wine today, other than arranging a supply of bottles from one of the local restaurants. We have finally started tosee summer weather here and I intend to spend the day in the garden.

I wish all of the American members a happy and safe July 04th.

 

[pjd]

Today I racked a Zinfandel that has been setting on French Oak for a few months. What a great change in that one! I also racked 12 other batches of Chilean juice and added oak. The Chilean has a long way to go before they become drinkable! Of course I had to sample all of them! Now it's time for a nap.

 

[Runningwolf]

Phil, I'm still waiting for my Chilean to finish the mlf. I tested last week and still only half way.

 

[pjd]

Phil, I'm still waiting for my Chilean to finish the mlf. I tested last week and still only half way.

Dan, Ive never done a mlf. I have a couple of Malbec, a couple of Zinfandels and 3 or 4 other reds. Should I do a mlf? Does it really make that big of a difference? What culture do you use?

 

[Runningwolf]

Phil this is a first time for me doing an mlf. I heard it makes a big difference so I'll find out. I think it's going to take about 3 months to finish. I started it when it got down to about 1.01sg. I am using chromatography to test.

 

[tatud4life]

First batch a pee was started today.

 

[TJsBasement]

Is there enough headspace in the carboy, some people use a 7.9 gallon plastic bucket to start a 6 gallon fermentation in. I'm guessing your fermenting because you said you just started. When it gets rolling along it could foam up out.

I just seen your post on the other thread and the same advice given. So bunk post.

 

[tatud4life]

There is some head space. Not too much. I haven't pitched the yeast yet. I'm waiting the required 48 hours to let the preservatives evaporate out. I hope there is not a problem or I will have one angry wife on my hands.

 

[Hokapsig]

Fourth of July and I'm working due a big power outage in WV. Everyone else enjoyed the Skeeter Pee at the picnic, but I could not indulge as I had to get up early on July 4th and drive back to P-burg, then work 16 hours. Almost done and looking forward to Julie's on Saturday, only to work some more on Sunday....

 

[Julie]

Fourth of July and I'm working due a big power outage in WV. Everyone else enjoyed the Skeeter Pee at the picnic, but I could not indulge as I had to get up early on July 4th and drive back to P-burg, then work 16 hours. Almost done and looking forward to Julie's on Saturday, only to work some more on Sunday....

sorry to hear about all the work but real glad you are not working on Sat.

 

[Redtrk]

Working today and waiting for my black berries to show up. My son is bringing me about 30 lbs from a friend of his who wants me to make him some wine.

 

[Julie]

There is some head space. Not too much. I haven't pitched the yeast yet. I'm waiting the required 48 hours to let the preservatives evaporate out. I hope there is not a problem or I will have one angry wife on my hands.

Well I hate to say this but you really should get that sp out of the carboy and into a bucket. First, not sure how full that carboy is, but I'm thinking you are going to have a volcano. Second, sp needs a lot of oxygen when it first starts to take off and having it in a carboy will limit how much oxygen it will have. Remember every sp post here will tell you to stir vigorously

 

[tatud4life]

Thanks Julie!! I have been thinking about doing that to save myself from my wife's ire. Lol. I probably will transfer it into a bucket right before I pitch the starter.

 

[Julie]

Thanks Julie!! I have been thinking about doing that to save myself from my wife's ire. Lol. I probably will transfer it into a bucket right before I pitch the starter.

roflmao, I see you are a good husband

By the way, I did watch that video and the guy states right from the beginning he has never made wine. I am not sure how good he was on sanitizing, only mention a couple of things that he sanitized not everything, he didn't use measuring spoons, just a regular teaspoon to measure his chemicals, he didn't really know how to read a hydrometer, he thought the sg was at 1.000 maybe a little lower and I wasn't comfortable in thinking he was done fermenting when he stabilized the sp.

So I guess what I am trying to say is just keep hanging out with us and we will help you thru this.

 

[tatud4life]

Yeah. I thought that too. I was just using it as a visual aid. I tend to understand things better if I can see it being done once. I do have one question. Do I use a towel to cover the bucket the whole time it is fermenting? Or do I use the lid and a airlock?

 

[Julie]

actually I lay the lid on top and place a towel on that, I am always afraid of seeing the towel floating in the sp. But there are some who like to snap the lid down and airlock it. I don't simply because it is a pain in the butt to get the lid off and yes I have the tool. You need to stir the skeeter at least once a day, I sanitize a whip and use that and if I have to kept the lid snapped down, I would be swearing more than I currently do!

But in defense of those who do snap down the lid, it is usually because they have animals in the house or small children and they worry about them getting into the bucket. I have a child gate going across the door so my dogs don't get into my wine area.