What R you doing today?

[tonyt]

Made a big pot of Tony's Famous Chili. And yes it has Red Kidney Beans because I like it that way.

Haha. I know how to start a fight.

 

[Boatboy24]

Looks good Tony.

Being that you're from Texas, do you ever use brisket in your chili? I've been meaning to try that; smoking the brisket, then cubing up the point for chili.

 

[tonyt]

Looks good Tony.

Being that you're from Texas, do you ever use brisket in your chili? I've been meaning to try that; smoking the brisket, then cubing up the point for chili.

Nope. After 8 to 12 hours of smoking a brisket I'd never chop up the point, that's the best cut. Now that might be a good idea for tough or dry flat. One of my twists is that I almost always drop a pork roast in as the chili simmers for several hours.

 

[jojabri]

Last night I managed to accidentally break my hydrometer. Is one sent to the corner for that?

I had already planned to drive halfway to Lexington today to visit a few wineries in hopes of finding empties. We did a tour of Talon Winery and it was BEAUTIFUL!!! While I was there, I managed to pick up 6 cases of empties, and another case at a neighboring winery. YAY!

Since I needed to replace my hydrometer, we had to go all the way into the city. EWW! Not wanting it to be a trip made for one item only, I picked up some extra corks too. Then, I FREAKED OUT my wallet was not in my purse!! I didn't let on to my hubby that I was freaked out. He footed the bill in the LHBS. After walking all over a winery and being in several different places I feared that it was long gone, and we headed home rather than have a dinner out. Luckily it had simply fallen out in our living room. WHAT A RELIEF!

On a less exciting note, my Skeeter Pee has decided to man-up and start fermenting properly. I was right in assuming it was too cold. It's down to 1.050 finally.

So, guess what I'm doing tonight?? 7 cases of empties acquired... lemme think......

It didn't occur to me to take a pic til we were leaving. I got one quick snap off though.

 

[sour_grapes]

Think I need an ibuprofen cocktail.

For me, Aleve works really well. I am generally sore from home repairs, so I take what I call "my remodeler's cocktail" -- a couple of Aleve washed down with copious quantities of red wine. Never fails!

 

[tonyt]

Jojobri
You won't go to the corner for breaking your hydrometer but you will go for not always having an extra. Off you go.

 

[peaches9324]

ever since I watched my only hydrometer bounce down the basement stairs in slow motion while me screaming NO O O! And it didn't break till it landed! I have kept an extra one around! Went through 2 bags of mulch on my 2nd round the yard today. Atleast I got the back area done!

 

[jojabri]

Would have bought an extra today, BUUUUUT... no wallet. Hubby didn't have much cash on him either. I had enough in my wallet to cover what I needed, plus a spare and upgrading to a few more glass carboys.

Oh well... Lesson learned. Glad I wasn't sent to the corner.

I'm pretty sure my previous one was incorrect anyway. I tested it at the temperature it was calibrated for and it showed .002 off, not life or death but still inaccurate.

 

[peaches9324]

I would take the carboys over an extra hydrometer any day!

 

[ffemt128]

We finished up the hardwood flooring at my neighbors home around 2:30 yesterday. Cut the grass then back to our neighbors for a cookout. Dinner was great...company was even better. Its nice to have good neighbors....

 

[Enologo]

Nice Weekend

Well Saturday started off with a 200 mi. motorcycle ride to escort some wounded warriors home for a special weekend to honor their sacrifice.
http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/05/wounded_warriors_honored_at_si.html
Sunday Vacummed the pool and labeled 13 cases of the wedding wine.

 

[Runningwolf]

Well Saturday started off with a 200 mi. motorcycle ride to escort some wounded warriors home for a special weekend to honor their sacrifice.
http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/05/wounded_warriors_honored_at_si.html
Sunday Vacummed the pool and labeled 13 cases of the wedding wine.

Thanks for supporting the troops!

 

[bchilders]

Looks great. I always use red kidney and if from a can I like to rinse them.

 

[Hokapsig]

I absolutely, positively HATE when I am told to do something with my wine and I AGAIN, bullheadedly ignore the advice. Lost another bottle of Seyval Blanc today. This is an expensive way to learn experience.

Fudge!!!!

But I did pick up 6 more gallons of Cranberry Pomegranate juice and some lime to make a Lemon Lime Pee.

 

[jojabri]

Gonna finish those 7 cases of bottles and break in my new goodies that came in the mail today!

SEE!

 

[sour_grapes]

I absolutely, positively HATE when I am told to do something with my wine and I AGAIN, bullheadedly ignore the advice. Lost another bottle of Seyval Blanc today. This is an expensive way to learn experience.

Fudge!!!!

Care to give us details?

 

[ffemt128]

I absolutely, positively HATE when I am told to do something with my wine and I AGAIN, bullheadedly ignore the advice. Lost another bottle of Seyval Blanc today. This is an expensive way to learn experience.

Fudge!!!!

But I did pick up 6 more gallons of Cranberry Pomegranate juice and some lime to make a Lemon Lime Pee.

I think it's time to open and start drinking or pour remaining back into a larger vessel so it can continue fermemtation....

 

[Julie]

I think it's time to open and start drinking or pour remaining back into a larger vessel so it can continue fermemtation....

I don't think drinking is an option, too much fizz. And let it finish fermenting? Doug, do you have an itch???????? :<

 

[peaches9324]

jojabry how was the ease of use? And how much did you pay?

 

[olusteebus]

Gonna start a merlot/blackberry blend today. It is based on a recipe for Cabernet/blackberry I got from Longtrain. I maded that and it was really a good wine.

I got some Merlot concentrate recently. Here is the recipe:

6 gallons

6 - 1 lb jars of Walmart Blackberry Seedless Jam
1- 64 ounce jug of merlot concentrate from Home Winery Supply
1 tbl bentonite
1 ½ tbl yeast nutrient
2 ½ tsp pectic enzyme
1 ½ tsp tannin
10 ml K-Meta 10% solution
Powdered dextrose (SG to 1.090, approx 2 ½ lbs)
Spring water to bring volume to 6 gallons
1 packet of Lalvin BM4X4
1 packet of Oak chips, medium French Oak

For stabilizing after fermentation
25 ml K-Meta 10% solution (50 grams of K-Meta in 500 ml water)
2 ½ tsp potassium sorbate



Add 1/2 gallon of hot water to bottom of primary, stir in 1 tbl bentonite till completely mixed.
Add the contents of the jam to the PF, stir until dissolved.
Add 1 gallon of spring water, mix throughly.
Add Peptic Enzyme, mix.
Add Tannin powder, mix
Add Yeast Nutrient, mix
Add the contents of both cans of Alexander's Cabernet Sauvignon concentrate, mix throughly. Rinse cans with spring water and add to PF.
Add spring water to bring must to 6 gallon volume, mix very throughly.
Measure SG, add dextrose to bring SG to 1.090 ~ ABV 12%, mix well.
Cover PF and let it sit for ~ 24 hours
Pitch yeast
When SG drops to 1.010 rack to clean sanitized carboy, leaving settled solids.
When fermentation is FULLY complete < 1.000 and SG is stable, rack to a clean carboy
Add 25 ml 10% K-Meta solution.
Add 2.5 tsp potassium sorbate.
Stir vigorously to dissipate CO2.
Add SuperKleer
Top up carboy and reattach airlock.
Rack after 14 days to clean carboy
Add oak chips
Rack again in two months, further racking and bulk aging as deemed necessary.
Bottle

Besides changing to Merlot, I am also not using champagne yeast. I hope the ferment will complete with this other yeast that was suggested to me here.

I will let you know in a few months.