What R you doing today?

[GreginND]

No Kidding Jim, just got home. Tasted 93 different wines tonight. The very sad thing was, how many bad wines there were. I am talking oxidized and other common faults. These are the wines folks are showcasing.

Tough job but someone's got to do it. I've tasted my fair share of bad wines. I know what it can do to your palate by the end of the day.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Phil, it was supposed to be a 5 gallon whisky barrel , used once (Balcones in TX I believe), but it looks more like a 6 gallon barrel.

The batch was 5 gallons, there was a little room left in the barrel, to be honest, I left I left the batch in the barrel for much longer than I intended to, approx 2 months.

The beer itself is supposed to be a cross between Irish and English ales, in my opinion, English ale is a bit light for the bourbon or whiskey, and an IPA would be too hoppy for my taste, so I made an amber ale, light on the hops (Maris Otter base, I added Carapils for a little extra body and mouth feel, a big beer needs it in my opinion).

At first the oak and bourbon (blue corn whiskey) was over powering, but due to lack of time to tend to this beer, I left it for an additional 2 weeks in the barrel and it has seemed to have hit it's "sweet spot", the oak mellowed and is more part of the beer, incorporated, almost the same as a barrel aged wine compared to a wine that was oaked with chips or cubes, this went from an "added oak" taste, where you can taste the beer, then the whisky then the oak, to it all tasting "married", that is the best that I can explain it, the whisky was still a little strong, I didn't mind it, but I felt that I needed to mellow it out a little, so instead of priming with 3 oz of priming sugar, I cut that in half and added a half cup of honey to smooth out the whiskey.

After bottling 2 cases I had about 48 oz left over....I'm sure that I could have put it in bottles...but what fun is that...lol...I let my Daughters boy friend taste a glass, he loved it, and even beer haters like my daughter and wife liked it!
I took my favorite 32 oz glass out and enjoyed every moment of it....until I started seeing double....LMAO!

 

[ffemt128]

Sitting here pondering the upcoming projects at the homefront.

• Carpeting in 3rd floor nursery - DONE
• Shelves in daughter's bedroom - DONE
• New window for Master Bedroom - ready for pick up
• Gut and re-drywall master bedroom to enable framing of window above. - vacation days scheduled.
• New front entry door with side light. - ordered should be in the end of August and then scheduled for installation. Estimated completion, middle of September.
• Find time to pick up juice from Presque Isle over multiple weekends starting September - In progress...

 

[pjd]

Aldi's has blueberries on sale this week for 99 cents a pound! I just bought 60 pounds of them and put them in the freezer.

 

[Tess]

Squeezing the FP in my dragons blood and going to work. I removed the brew belt because it was going along to fast. I want to slow it down a bit. Let it hang out with the fruit as long as possible

 

[Pumpkinman]

We have an Aldi's near us...but it looks and smells like "Ghetto-mart", unfortunately, I wouldn't trust anything from our local Aldi's.

 

[ffemt128]

I was supposed to go pick them but didn't have time. May have to hit aldi's up. I've gotten strawberries from them with good luck. I have 2 near me.

 

[Tess]

Our is a nice one. Has nice fruit too. I think I will hit them up tomorrow myself

 

[Runningwolf]

Aldi's has blueberries on sale this week for 99 cents a pound! I just bought 60 pounds of them and put them in the freezer.

Great price, are they from Turkey? Kidding.

I paid more than that for 5000 pounds but the were picked fresh that day.

 

[pjd]

Great price, are they from Turkey? Kidding.

I paid more than that for 5000 pounds but the were picked fresh that day.

Actually Dan they are from Canada. Very happy with the quality, I don't know how they can be sold so cheap!

 

[Runningwolf]

I don't understand it either. You would think they would be more once you add shipping and packaging on it.

 

[CBell]

This must be a local thing. our Aldi's has 1 pint for 1.50

 

[Boatboy24]

Our Aldi's has the pints for $1.29. Still a pretty good deal. I'm tempted to attempt a couple gallons. Would 15lbs (20 pints) do the trick?

 

[Julie]

Our Aldi's has the pints for $1.29. Still a pretty good deal. I'm tempted to attempt a couple gallons. Would 15lbs (20 pints) do the trick?

That would give your roughly 3 gallon of wine.

 

[ffemt128]

After work I need to clean the 2 shopping bags of Elderberries I picked on my lunch break. When that is complete I need to go pick up my window for thhe bedroom project that will commence in a week.

 

[ffemt128]

Just got back from picking up my window. Demolition begins in one week. Ordered Pizza, I think it will be a pizza and Fredonia night.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Making a batch of Sam Adams Octoberfest (clone), it is is chilling via wort chiller, the lagering is going to be a challenge, but I have a few ideas on how to keep it between 50°-60°, I think 40's are a pipe dream here.
I'm thinking about making a golden ale or a honey brown tomorrow, 5-6 hrs per batch (all grain) takes up most of the day.

 

[Boatboy24]

Just lit the grill to do some chicken Caesar salads for dinner and enjoying some Eclipse Sauvingon Blanc.

Pondering what to do with the 24 pints of blueberries I just bought...

 

[pjd]

Making a batch of Sam Adams Octoberfest (clone), it is is chilling via wort chiller, the lagering is going to be a challenge, but I have a few ideas on how to keep it between 50°-60°, I think 40's are a pipe dream here.
I'm thinking about making a golden ale or a honey brown tomorrow, 5-6 hrs per batch (all grain) takes up most of the day.

Tom, I don't know how you have the time for all grain! I have three extract kits I have been trying to get to for the last couple months. I need to get them going, I am running out of beer. Really don't want to go buy some.

 

[Runningwolf]

Blueberries are chilling out before the big crush! About 2.5 tons locally picked.