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Working on a small building project this weekend, so, I went to Home Despot late on Friday night, to avoid the madding Saturday AM crowd. But, after working all night in my sleep about exactly how to build the little project (sweet dreams!), I remembered something else for my queue for this morning: a new smoker!

My neighbors won a smoker in a charity raffle, and didn't really want it, so they gave it to us. It is a Masterbuilt Pro, and works on propane or charcoal/wood. I fetched it from them at 8 am, and assembled it and had the firing going to cure it by 9:30 am. After it cooled, I fired it up again to handle a pork shoulder. I had to spend a long time getting it to maintain a low temperature. It basically won't, at least not on charcoal. Anyway, I got the shoulder on about 1:30 pm, and by this time the charcoal was nearly spent. I wound up doing most of the cooking on gas power.

The shoulder was not up to proper internal temperature by dinner time. I took it off, took a few slices off of it for dinner (just the two of us, so did not need much). I then put the pork in the kitchen oven at 200F for about 3 more hours. Finally got the temp up to low 180's. So, I would say the trial was a mixed bag.

Also spent the whole afternoon working hard on the little building project. After dinner, another trip to Home Despot to be ready for the morrow, and some painting after the wife went to bed (as that is quiet work!). Now a little wine and WMT!
 
@sour_grapes: try using only a handful of lit coals on a bed of unlit. Might help. And I'm sure I don't need to tell you to minimize airflow. ;)
 
@sour_grapes: try using only a handful of lit coals on a bed of unlit. Might help. And I'm sure I don't need to tell you to minimize airflow. ;)

Thanks for the suggestion for using a few lit coals. That may work. Both times I fired it, I used the propane to light the bed, as it is too damn easy to do so! So I had a full-fledged fire both times. I like your idea.

You are right, you don't need to tell me to minimize airflow -- However, I think you may need to tell the people who designed this damn thing!! :D Oh well, can't beat the price of it....
 
All the rain we've had has everything super saturated. All the area athletic fields are closed, so no soccer today.

Today is "Press Eve". I just finished the morning punchdowns and got breakfast for the kiddos. Next will be bottling the 2014 Peach and finishing preparations for tomorrow. I'll get everything in place, give the carboys a rinse and some Meta with a solid stopper, along with getting everything else in place and ready. I'll also make a grocery run. My parents and one of my sisters will be coming over for the press tomorrow, so we'll throw some grub on the grill afterward.
 
This may be the day where I eek out one area of the basement as a long term wine storage area. It's either that or bottle a beer batch, which I hate doing about as much as cleaning. Eventually I will get some storage racks. But for now there are cases of filled bottles on their sides in every dark corner I could find.

Did a quick count and have just over 200 bottles stored in the basement with the potential of 260 more by next Spring (in carboys aging).

I know I'll enjoy it when it is done, so maybe the motivation of a nice big glass of homemade wine or beer this afternoon will get me going!

Unless I borrow a canoe I won't be working in the yard today for sure.

Edit: Must like bottling better than cleaning. Finished bottling 56 bottles of Raspberry Wheat.
 
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WOW -
What time did you start ?

I think you need to take her out - you definitely don't want to lose that
lovely wife !

It is much better if you can work as a team - especially with winemaking-
 
Making chocolate malt spent grain dog biscuits.
For the noobs- there is no chocolate in chocolate malt!
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We have a cool front moving through and its starting to rain and the temps are now in the upper 50's so that is looking mighty good about now Tony!
 
Cool rainy day, fire going getting ready to open a bottle of Malbec.
Baked a loaf of bread in dutch oven for the first time, hopefully it came out well.
Pairing that with pot roast for dinner tonight.
Mangiare!

Steve
 
We have a cool front moving through and its starting to rain and the temps are now in the upper 50's so that is looking mighty good about now Tony!

Was thinking the same. Low 50's and rainy here. Sadly, we have to go to a kids birthday party in a while. I'd love to hunker down with a bowl of that chili and a nice glass of red. Or maybe a bowl of read and a glass of chili. :d
 
high of 52 today, so it is homemake chicken noodle soup and the nice fire in the pellet stove!
 
Was supposed to be our first day of selling our wine, but when we got up, it was pouring down rain and in the mid 40's. So instead of selling, my son came over and we bottled 14 cases of our Battlefield Blush, 6 gallons of 2012 Cab Franc, 6 gallons of 2012 Petite Syrah and another 14 cases of Fredonia.

The weather tomorrow looks good, so we will be setting up to sell to all the thirsty people that did not go today. T minus 2 weeks and counting until we spend a week on the beach in Florida. Hope no one mistakes me for a beached whale....
 
Smoking a prime rib on my electric smoker. Dang thing keeps shutting off on me. Put it on at 11:00 an it's just about done. I'll tent it in foil for about 20 minutes and then char it on the grill at about 500° for a few minutes on each side. It is very cold and wet outside here.
 
put up 30 bottles of peach on the rack in the basement. Started a batch of Dried Apricot, Also finished smoking 35 pounds of bacon.

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The smokehouse I built...
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