Hello

[rhoffart]

Should I introduce myself as a newbie? I renewed my membership today. Sorry about being MIA for a bit but I got the itch again. Just got back from a 5 day trip to Napa and Sonoma. I'm going to lurk for a bit to see who is still here. Hello all ...
Rick

 

[Runningwolf]

Rick, welcome back. Do you still remember your old password? You could have just signed in with that and your original sign up date would show. If I remember right, weren't you the one that gave us the link to the boarder patrol cameras?

 

[rhoffart]

Rick, welcome back. Do you still remember your old password? You could have just signed in with that and your original sign up date would show. If I remember right, weren't you the one that gave us the link to the boarder patrol cameras?

Yea, it shows joined 2009 ...

No, cameras, was not me. I think I had a lot of pictures on here that photobucket killed when they closed my account.

I seriously think I forgot how to make wine. I still have 18 gallons from 2011 bulk aging. I'm going to bottle this fall. Twice a year i have been testing and adding sulfites.

 

[ibglowin]

w0W!

A blast from the past. Welcome back buddy! I just used my "Hoffart Auto Bottle Filler" for the umpteenth time a few weeks ago. Bottled all my 2012's from Lodi, CA with it. 18 cases worth. Are those 2011's the ones you got from George that year with me? Thats a looooooong time in the carboy! I bottled mine a year ago and it took them a full year in the bottle to get really drinkable. They are all now excellent wines. I blended them all into 7 different wines.

Good to see you back online and posting!

 

[rhoffart]

w0W!

A blast from the past. Welcome back buddy! I just used my "Hoffart Auto Bottle Filler" for the umpteenth time a few weeks ago. Bottled all my 2012's from Lodi, CA with it. 18 cases worth. Are those 2011's the ones you got from George that year with me? Thats a looooooong time in the carboy! I bottled mine a year ago and it took them a full year in the bottle to get really drinkable. They are all now excellent wines. I blended them all into 7 different wines.

Good to see you back online and posting!

Oh good, I was hoping you were still here. Yes that's it still in the carboy.

I love it ... Hoffart bottle filler. How is the backyard vineyard? Did you get ant wine from it yet?

 

[rhoffart]

Here they sit ...

 

[ibglowin]

Backyard vineyard is doing pretty good. I got 3 gallons in 2012, then only 1 gallon in 2013 and this year it looks like I will get around 2 gallons. The last 2 years we have had late Spring freezes in mid May and I do mean hard ones (~23 degrees) that wiped out much of the crop that had already budded out. If we catch a break next Spring look out I bet I could easily go up to 10 gallons or more as the vines are now going on 5 years. Growth has been slow but steady with bigger and larger clusters each season. It is giving me a chance to experiment with yeast and MLB etc.

Did you get any clusters from your vines you planted in the barrels?

 

[rhoffart]

No, I have been letting the birds eat them. I might try netting them next year.

I have been wanting to come back to this hobby for a while but a few other hobbies got in the way. After a trip to Napa, I think I'm hooked again.

 

[ibglowin]

Well check the oak levels on those 2011's adjust if necessary and get em under closures! You going to blend em up? I think it makes for a better wine.

 

[rhoffart]

I don't think I'm going to blend. I'm not sure if you remember but the acid level was high on two, one cab and the merlot. Both of those are awesome wine right now. The one cab that had lower or the correct acid level is soft. I might rack the two cabs into one container before bottling. I'm not touching the merlot ... I just hope they come back to where they are now.

 

[Arne]

Hey Rick,
Good tosee ya back. Arne.