Missoula Vinyard

[Sage]

Try "Onslaught" for the yellow jackets.

Set up bait stations early and often. Around here they are after water, sweet or blood (mine sometimes). A few bait station will clear a 1/4 acre. They were horrible last year early on, but none got to my grapes and almost nothing this year. My buddy was having quite a fight but I didn't.

 

[bhoenisch]

35 degrees with a rain/snow mix on this side of the continental divide in Great Falls MT this fine afternoon. We got down to 29 a few nights ago.

 

[OilnH2O]

Try "Onslaught" for the yellow jackets.

Set up bait stations early and often. Around here they are after water, sweet or blood (mine sometimes). A few bait station will clear a 1/4 acre. They were horrible last year early on, but none got to my grapes and almost nothing this year. My buddy was having quite a fight but I didn't.

I'll check that out next year... it's certain if I do all that early, we won't have 'em!

35 degrees with a rain/snow mix on this side of the continental divide in Great Falls MT this fine afternoon. We got down to 29 a few nights ago.

A friend went to the Montana Pilots Association meeting in Lewistown over the weekend and reported the same. We had forecasts for as low as 29 last night but it was only 34 at 0800 - still ran the sprinklers just in case but no ice formed.
Doing chem tests today. Brix is up and I'm liking that. Some samples into the 27* range.

M. Foch= 23.7 (avg)
L. Millot = 24.9 (avg)
Pinot Noir = 25.4 (avg)
Edelwiess = 19.8 (avg)
Reisling = 19.0

Now for those chem tests... if I can just remember what Mike (Ibeglowin) said to do...

 

[ibglowin]

LOL

Sounds like you better pick'em while you still can! You know the rules, no travel during harvest time! I declined to go to a wedding last weekend in Phoenix (106F) as I was still in the middle of crush. Priorities!

 

[OilnH2O]

LOL

Sounds like you better pick'em while you still can! You know the rules, no travel during harvest time! I declined to go to a wedding last weekend in Phoenix (106F) as I was still in the middle of crush. Priorities!

What did your daughter say when you weren't there?

Oh... I see, the real reason is that temperature!

Well... I can't dodge this one - and unless I can find somewhere to put the grapes in a refrigerator - actually a walk-in because I'd have to pick and crush, then cold soak and pitch everything on Sunday when I get back... or wait til Sunday and pick and crush...

On another note - my pH was 3.65 by the meter and my TA test was .6 on the acid - that was with three of us all agreeing the color had changed to the "dark grey brown." No free SO2 test because I don't have enough juice from the samples to run it, too.

 

[grapeman]

Dave no need for a free S02 test before picking them anyways.

 

[ibglowin]

I told her she should not have picked a weekend right during harvest and crush! No it was just a childhood friend of our daughters. It was outdoors and it was 106F for the high that day. At least it was a dry "heave" right……

Those numbers look great Dave. You mention you might have 70lbs. enough to produce about 5 gallons of must and maybe 3 gallons of finished wine.

Do you have a fridge you could put it in until you get back so you could pick it and deal with it later. I would argue against a 5 day cold soak especially if there is nobody there who knows what they are doing and what to look for if a problem comes up.

If you decide to go with the cold soak you should have a source of dry ice available and have it added every day or so as needed to keep temps in the 50's and add SO2 to keep the native yeast at bay at crush.

What did your daughter say when you weren't there?

 

[OilnH2O]

Dave no need for a free S02 test before picking them anyways.

I remembered that... after awhile. If I did this more than once a year, I'd remember better!!!

(By the way... Of the 7 Reisling plants I put in several years ago - that's them in pots among the Flamingos, to the left in my avatar - six are still in various stages of growth, but 3 of the six surprised us with a few clusters on each vine. There's hope for them yet!)

 

[OilnH2O]

Picked!

Picked October 6... crushed and placed in coolers - 34* until October 11 then gently brought up to about 52* and pitched yeast (Lalvin 71B) on October 12. Going to town today!

First picture is of my crusher set up - and cutting bag to insure it all goes where it is supposed to go... and some of the picking.

That's me looking happy in the 70* Montana fall weather! Total is 88 pounds.

 

[grapeman]

Wow Dave you will get more than a half gallon this year! LOL They look great and you do too.

 

[ibglowin]

Beautiful clusters Dave. I think you made an good call to store them in the fridge until you got back!

 

[mgmarty]

Wow, nice job!

 

[OilnH2O]

Time to press...

Aw, thanks, guys.... Gee, you make me blush....

(Where's the rim-shot emogie?)

Today is October 15th - started with brix at 25.2 and kept it at 60-62* over the last few days. Punched down often as I could but it was about 3-4 times a day.

SG is 1.052
ABV is 7.2%
Balling 1.35

(all readings on the hydrometer)

So I'm pressing this afternoon!

 

[ColemanM]

Ok +1 on you and your grapes looking good but can I be "that guy" and state, man that doesn't look safe up there on the garbage can with wheels. If it were me, Murphy's law would come in to play and I WOULD have only a 1/2 gallon this year!! Actually, I did only get a half gallon but there were other reasons [emoji12]

 

[OilnH2O]

Ok +1 on you and your grapes looking good but can I be "that guy" and state, man that doesn't look safe up there on the garbage can with wheels. If it were me, Murphy's law would come in to play and I WOULD have only a 1/2 gallon this year!! Actually, I did only get a half gallon but there were other reasons [emoji12]

Thanks... you're probably right but that is a "food-grade" 32 gallon container and pretty stout. What I really like about it is when I used to climb in there (without the wheels on the bottom!) and crush the old fashioned way. Really. And, the fact that cold water spray from the garden house and it all comes clean with no stains. In fact, I have several pricey food-grade bins and containers and the grape juice doesn't stain them.

(Now... "that guy" might say "TMI" but when I crushed them "by foot" you could see how high the must was by looking at my legs!)

 

[sour_grapes]

(Now... "that guy" might say "TMI" but when I crushed them "by foot" you could see how high the must was by looking at my legs!)

Oh, dear Lord, I hope you favored small batches!!

 

[OilnH2O]

More pictures

We all like pictures and I was fortunate to have an assistant around who wanted to take a few. So I thought I'd share some more.

I pressed today after those brix readings. I have just over 6 gallons and it is split between a 6 gallon and 3 gallon carboy. All the activity and the warm (70* temps) brought out the yellow jackets and the foam. I'm keeping it in the garage overnight - it is at 72*F (22* C) - hence the foam - and I want to cool it back down. It was at 60 to 62 degrees F since cold soaking and after I pitched the yeast and it was just doing well at that temperature so I want to get it back closer to that. The pH is 3.84 and that's higher than where it started at 3.65.

Pictures are several of my "field blend" of Foch, Millot, PN and a few clusters of Edelwiess and Reisling. And, one of the crusher (good help is hard to find) and crushing operation.

 

[ibglowin]

LOL Looking good Dave!

Where did you learn to try and put a square peg into a round hole?

 

[Boatboy24]

Those grapes look fantastic!

 

[mgmarty]

That's a great looking crop! Looks like a lot of fun too. Your having a good year!