Making My Way To The Mecca!
- Thread starter ibglowin
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Bartman
Senior Member
3 days into active fermentation, and it smells good in my house!
I didn't adjust my grapes at all (pH and brix were both ok, I didn't have time, equipment or desire to check the acid level, as I will wait until it's aging to adjust if necessary), and things are moving along nicely. This morning, my daughter asked if it was raining outside because she heard the popping of the fermenting juice. She was really interested in watching me put my arm up to my elbow into the 4 buckets of grapes/juice I have going, to punch down the cap. Still picking out some stems, but now there are a lot more seeds than anything else to avoid.
I didn't adjust my grapes at all (pH and brix were both ok, I didn't have time, equipment or desire to check the acid level, as I will wait until it's aging to adjust if necessary), and things are moving along nicely. This morning, my daughter asked if it was raining outside because she heard the popping of the fermenting juice. She was really interested in watching me put my arm up to my elbow into the 4 buckets of grapes/juice I have going, to punch down the cap. Still picking out some stems, but now there are a lot more seeds than anything else to avoid.
Bartman
Senior Member
I must say, George and Joseph looked rather exhausted by the middle of the afternoon, when my family and I were there. They had already been up much of the night, and this was Sunday! But that's life in "Mecca", once a year at least.
On the other hand, my 8-year-old and I were waiting a few minutes for George to print out our receipt of the grapes I had ordered to get them processed. After we looked around the store and had a seat for a few minutes, she said, I'm glad you like to make wine as a hobby, 'cuz a lot of other Dads just like to watch sports, and that's boring. Making grapes into wine is a lot more interesting."
Note that this is about 2:00 pm on Sunday. In October. In Dallas. (Can anyone say "How 'bout them Cowboys?!"). So you know what I and other folks picking up grapes were missing.
Later, my wife pointed out that the Cowboys game that Sunday wasn't played in the afternoon, it was a Sunday night game. My daughter didn't know that, though. What's sadder though, is I didn't realize it until later either
On the other hand, my 8-year-old and I were waiting a few minutes for George to print out our receipt of the grapes I had ordered to get them processed. After we looked around the store and had a seat for a few minutes, she said, I'm glad you like to make wine as a hobby, 'cuz a lot of other Dads just like to watch sports, and that's boring. Making grapes into wine is a lot more interesting."
Note that this is about 2:00 pm on Sunday. In October. In Dallas. (Can anyone say "How 'bout them Cowboys?!"). So you know what I and other folks picking up grapes were missing.
Later, my wife pointed out that the Cowboys game that Sunday wasn't played in the afternoon, it was a Sunday night game. My daughter didn't know that, though. What's sadder though, is I didn't realize it until later either
My junior-high son took a lot greater interest in chemistry when I included him in the wine-making aspects, too(see http://forum.finevinewines.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1515&title=missoula-vinyard ). Except bottle-washing!
Pudding meet Proof!
Al Fulchino said:did i miss something mr photog? no pic of you actually in there...did you have these emailed to you? get back in there and take a pic of you all together w big smiles
Ha! That was taken on Saturday afternoon long before the truck arrived the next morning. We left around 8:00 that evening and got a room in a hotel down the road while George and Joseph et al minded the store!
