What R you doing today?

[BigDaveK]

I’ll never forget the time up north when I started the lawn tractor up after a long winter. The pea seeds that the mouse had stolen all came flying out the exhaust (ping ping ping ping) then the mouse came flying out and ran away smoking.

Here I have acorns, always finding empty shells. It's incredible where they store them, always a surprise. Seems like my outdoor cats are hell bent on ridding the world of moles but mice seem to get a free pass.

 

[BigDaveK]

The following isn't from today, but from 9 years ago. It was an "interesting" day:

--

We replaced the side door on the garage last weekend. The door was installed wrong in the first place, the frame had bad spots, the hinges had rusted badly, and the 18 year old door was generally losing the battle with time. I judged the easiest thing to do was to replace the door with a pre-hung model that doesn't rust and frame that won't rot.

When replacing a door it should require a pinch bar, a hammer, and a screw driver.

Right?

Rip off the molding, remove any screws (down here doors may not be screwed in, just nailed through the molding (<eyes roll>). Rip out the door, put the new ons in, shim it, sink a few screws and we're done.

Right?

Not right ...

In addition to the above I used: electric planer, belt sander, pneumatic hammer, multiple wood chisels, a concrete sanding block (for smoothing concrete and brick), a drill and drill set (for punching holes and screwing in screws). Plus probably a few other things.

Why?

Because the guys who did this door cut the opening barely wide enough for the original door frame. I mean "barely" as in they had to pound it in to get it in. My new door frame was 1/2" too tall ...

So I used the cement sanding block to smooth the brick underneath, used the belt sander to thin and smooth the top of the new frame. The truly fun part was counter sinking the nails in the top of the frame enough to shave 1/2" off it. Planers don't cut through nail heads very well, nor do nail heads do the planer any good.

Pounding nails upwards into 20 year old wood doesn't work, even with a 24 oz claw hammer and a punch. Ten minutes of that convinced me that my arms were going to fall off. Then I remembered my pneumatic hammer and a punch bit. Two minutes later those nails were so deep Indiana Jones would never find them.

Note to self -- when planing a board over your head expect to wear sawdust, and to later find sawdust in places you didn't know you had.
It took a bit (like all day) but we now have a new door in place! Even better, I can reuse the original inside molding so we don't need to cut and paint it!

I know the feeling.
I've had so many 10-minute 2-tool repair jobs mutate to hours and a boatload of tools. At first my sentences are peppered with curse words but eventually it's a continuous string. I'm amazed at how a person can get one tool and magically become a pro, be it carpenter or plumber or electrician.

 

[crushday]

Bottling 2021 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. 6 magnums and 111 burgundy bottles. This wine is exceptional.

 

[BarrelMonkey]

Bottling 2021 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Six magnums and 102 burgundy bottles. This wine is exceptional.

Love those big format bottles - and good to know that the enolmatic bottle filler can accommodate them.

 

[cmason1957]

Is a brew kettle that big needed for a kit? I was looking at a Peanut Butter Porter in the same kit brand you have on the bottom shelf of your cart. I have a 75k btu Blickman burner, but my biggest pot is maybe 10 quarts. Just a tall stock pot

The directions that come with the kit say to add 2.5 gallons of water at the start. So you need a pot bigger than 10 quarts. You don't need one as big as I have, but if you have one that size, you can add more water at the start, which is supposed to help the process.

Funny story about that big pot. My wife took the daughter to Goodwill looking for cheap clothes. They had that wonderful size pot for sale for $5 or $10. She didn't even call, just brought it home.

 

[bakervinyard]

Bottled my Island Mist Cranberry. Added 60 ml. Of Cranberry concentrate before bottling. Nice cranberry flavor !
Bakervinyard

 

[vinny]

The directions that come with the kit say to add 2.5 gallons of water at the start. So you need a pot bigger than 10 quarts. You don't need one as big as I have, but if you have one that size, you can add more water at the start, which is supposed to help the process.

Funny story about that big pot. My wife took the daughter to Goodwill looking for cheap clothes. They had that wonderful size pot for sale for $5 or $10. She didn't even call, just brought it home.

Sounds like you chose wisely!

 

[cmason1957]

Sounds like you chose wisely!

I did. She embraces and helps with the wine making. Puts up with lots of crap and gives it as well.

 

[ibglowin]

Wow you got some amazing extraction out of those grapes!

Bottling 2021 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. 6 magnums and 111 burgundy bottles. This wine is exceptional.
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[jswordy]

The directions that come with the kit say to add 2.5 gallons of water at the start. So you need a pot bigger than 10 quarts. You don't need one as big as I have, but if you have one that size, you can add more water at the start, which is supposed to help the process.

Funny story about that big pot. My wife took the daughter to Goodwill looking for cheap clothes. They had that wonderful size pot for sale for $5 or $10. She didn't even call, just brought it home.

Ya can't beat $10. My pot is a 5-gallon Bayou Classic SS model, bought new from Overstock.com. At the time I was doing extracts but figured I'd get into all-grain eventually, so I bought the bigger pot. Sure enough, I now do a modified version of boil in a bag. Can't easily expand from that unless I give up my kitchen, buy more equipment and build a dedicated brew space. It is time to whip up another batch soon, if I ever get the time before the yeast expires.

 

[crushday]

Wow you got some amazing extraction out of those grapes!

I did, Mike. My 2020 Pinot, from the same area - not the same vineyard - was light and thin. For the 2020, I added 5% Petit Verdot to provide color and a little body. This 2021 Pinot is 100% varietal. It's very good and will be perfect with our turkey dinner served at Christmas. For Thanksgiving, we are serving prime rib and likely the 2021 Cab Franc...

Have a great week.

 

[cmason1957]

Ya can't beat $10. My pot is a 5-gallon Bayou Classic SS model, bought new from Overstock.com. At the time I was doing extracts but figured I'd get into all-grain eventually, so I bought the bigger pot. Sure enough, I now do a modified version of boil in a bag. Can't easily expand from that unless I give up my kitchen, buy more equipment and build a dedicated brew space. It is time to whip up another batch soon, if I ever get the time before the yeast expires.

I have thought about expanding to Brew in a Bag or even to all-grain, but I just don't make or drink enough beer to justify it. Wife only likes the dark, heavy, stout or porter type beers and those are plenty good with extract brewing. What we have works great for us, the batches of beer we make last about 9-12 months and life is good.

 

[jswordy]

I have thought about expanding to Brew in a Bag or even to all-grain, but I just don't make or drink enough beer to justify it. Wife only likes the dark, heavy, stout or porter type beers and those are plenty good with extract brewing. What we have works great for us, the batches of beer we make last about 9-12 months and life is good.

I got a SS coffee urn basket that fit my pot, and so BIAB became really easy because I didn't have to worry about burning the bag. (Burnt one bag and that was the end of that!) It is cheap to do, too, and of course the sky is the limit on what you can brew then.

A pic of the urn basket loaded with my Corn Flakes Lager grain bill.

 

[Paul S]

Trying to get the pH up for a blueberry momel

 

[WinoDon]

Completely forgot about this, hidden in a corner of my barn.
My dad bought this in '95. He passed away in 2000 and I never used it or even tried to start it.

For sh*tsngiggles I wondered if it would do anything. Yesterday I cleaned the float bowl, changed the oil, added gas and that's it. The damn thing started with one pull! MADE IN AMERICA!!! Tecumseh engine made in Wisconsin, bag in great shape and the zipper works. Mice, cats, and raccoons all left it alone. I was shocked and so darned happy.

We need to make things again.

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I had a push mower With a Tecumseh engine for 25 years...most reliable mower ever!

 

[TurkeyHollow]

Bottling 2021 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. 6 magnums and 111 burgundy bottles. This wine is exceptional.
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Nice deep color, extremely consistent ullage. Beautiful packaging... I just wish I could smell it through the screen!!!

 

[crushday]

After work, going to bottle 30 gallons of Lodi Zinfandel in honor of National Zinfandel Day. So…Happy Zinfandel Day!





Update:

Bottled 6 Magnums, 138 standard Bordeaux bottles.

 

[vinny]

Wine!

I transfered the almond wine.


Got 60 bottles filled up. Gotta say a wine pump is the way to go. Much faster and pleasurable.

15 each, Shiraz, Merlot, Diablo Rojo, and California mystic.

Now I've got me some labels to make.



AND! 30 gallons in primary. All nice new fermenters

Pinot Noir, Malbec, Sangiovese, and a Cabernet Shiraz Montepulciano blend. Oh, and a Twisted Mist Miami Vice. We will see how that one goes.


I've got 60 bottles of pinot grigio to do, but the filter housing I bought leaks air.. So I wait for Amazon to come to the rescue.

 

[vinny]

After work, going to bottle 30 gallons of Lodi Zinfandel in honor of National Zinfandel Day. So…Happy Zinfandel Day!

View attachment 95387



Update:

Bottled 6 Magnums, 138 standard Bordeaux bottles.

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Where do you get your custom capsules made up?

 

[crushday]

Where do you get your custom capsules made up?

http://freshmoonpackaging.com/
PM me if you want more specific information.