Need advice

[medpretzel]

Hello everyone,

Not sure if this is the right subforum to add this to, but here it goes.

I just finished cleaning my winemaking area - again - and I'm very frustrated. I have a painted concrete floor with a lot of little grooves, pitted areas, and I just can't seem to get it clean enough to my liking. I've tried sulfite solution, even a bleach solution (kept it away from the wine, though), and nothing seems to get it clean enough for me.

Putting down a smoother floor is out of the question, as the cellar can get quite damp, and I'm nervous about mould growing beneath it.

I've rearranged a few things, but how do you all store your empty 1-gallon carboys? Somehow, mine just seem all to be floating around the area. Some people here at home are getting a bit impatient with my lack of organisational skills. However, I can't seem to figure out a way to store them well.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[lockwood1956]

Hmm

getting into those nooks and crannies can be difficult, there are cleaners that would do the job, but maybe wouldn't be so good in a wine making area, (caustic soda for example)

I have recently been trying a product called chemipro oxi, its fab, even removing the red wine stains from straining bags, maybe this is the kind of product that would do the job, and its a no rinse product, so safe for your wine making area.

http://www.brupaks.com/chemipro%20oxi.htm

Would star-san perform the same task?

regards
Bob

[fatbloke]

Hello everyone,

Not sure if this is the right subforum to add this to, but here it goes.

I just finished cleaning my winemaking area - again - and I'm very frustrated. I have a painted concrete floor with a lot of little grooves, pitted areas, and I just can't seem to get it clean enough to my liking. I've tried sulfite solution, even a bleach solution (kept it away from the wine, though), and nothing seems to get it clean enough for me.

If practical, a power washer, with a weak bleach solution, followed by a "wet 'n dry" vacuum ?

Putting down a smoother floor is out of the question, as the cellar can get quite damp, and I'm nervous about mould growing beneath it.

if some kind of low level heating is impractical (or overly expensive to buy/run), then maybe something like a de-humidifier? Still has to be emptied on a regular basis though!

I've rearranged a few things, but how do you all store your empty 1-gallon carboys? Somehow, mine just seem all to be floating around the area. Some people here at home are getting a bit impatient with my lack of organisational skills. However, I can't seem to figure out a way to store them well.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

If you have the space, then after cleaning/drying, a bung of some sort of cotton wadding, then arranged in "squares" of 4 or maybe 8, flat on the floor, some form of tape (pvc electricians tape or similar - just to keep the "shape" and in place). A piece of board i.e. hardboard, chipboard or thin mdf. Then another stack of the 1 gallon jars on top.

Of course, that technique only works if the jars are all the same height/shape. Theres no issue of weight here, as long as the jars are all empty - as any full ones would have to go on the bottom "layers" - the strength of the glass sides of brewing jars/carbouys/demijohns is finite!

regards

fatbloke

[medpretzel]

Thank you for your suggestions.

The dehumidifier runs almost constantly. The power washer-thing is out of the question, as I believe the paint would be taken off the flooor and I'd have a bigger problem at hand. I might look into that chemipro oxi... Just about that's all there's left for me, I guess!

Thanks again.

[Hippie]

If you are cleaning the floor with some type of cleaner, then sanitizing with a strong sulphite solution, that should be dang well enough.

Store the gallon jugs in boxes that held 4 jugs to begin with and first put a quarter cup of sulphite solution in and screw on a cap. You can then stack the boxes.

[Biggles]

I dont have a cellar so cant really comment about them however i do use over 30 1 gallon demi johns. I made a rack with cut outs for the neck and body, it holds 30 demi john 6 wide 5 rows high. The cut outs for the neck fit in behind the finger holes so they are fairly well held in place. I fit a rubber bung to each demi john before putting it in the rack.Easy to get at, easy to see which one is which.

[Duffbeer]

I dont have a cellar so cant really comment about them however i do use over 30 1 gallon demi johns. I made a rack with cut outs for the neck and body, it holds 30 demi john 6 wide 5 rows high. The cut outs for the neck fit in behind the finger holes so they are fairly well held in place. I fit a rubber bung to each demi john before putting it in the rack.Easy to get at, easy to see which one is which.

Got any pics of that Biggles ?

[medpretzel]

well, I think I've found an answer. I am making a 1-gallon carboy tree. I took an old primary, filled it somewhat with concrete, and put a nice thick piece of lumber in the middle of it. I will screw holes in it after the paint has dried. It should hold 12-16 1-gallon carboys.

[lockwood1956]

Well there you go, a DJ tree



and maybe you could decorate it at christmas with some garlands and have a fairy on top

[medpretzel]

hahaha, there would be room for it. I guess. I think it's a little crooked, as all my home-projects are, but I think it should do the trick. I was up very late last night trying to brainstorm, and this was the only thing I came up with.

[medpretzel]

The Dani-Tree

Well, here you go! 15 demi-john tree. It could have been more, but I ran out of hooks.

This is what I did, this is what I thought about, and this is what you might want to do, if this helps anyone.

1. I got an old primary and put about 20 cm of cement in it.

2. Placed the post in the middle of the primary, smooshing it down for stabilisation.

3. Let it dry (it was quick-drying cement, so it took about an hour).

4. Spray-painted it white. Let it dry for an hour.

5 Started about 2.5 cm from the top, put the first hook in the middle. About every 25 cm below that, I put in 2 more hooks.

6. Did the same on the opposite side. (Ergo, 3 hooks on 2 sides of the tree.

7. Then I had the brilliant idea of maybe putting 2 hooks per side (just in case I got more demi-johns). So I displaced the hooks about 0.5 cm below the first ones about 7 cm apart. Measured 25 cm from the first two hooks and screwed in the next two. 25 cm below that, the 3rd pair.

8. I ran out of hooks for the fourth side, so I did singles again.

9. I placed Father Christmas on top, sorry, no fairies or garlands. But that was done especially for you, dear Bob.


Things to consider when making something like this:

Actually, I was thinking of just drilling holes about 3 cm apart at 45 degree angles and putting in round, wooden rods. But since I'm not the born DIYer, I thought that might get too cumbersome. But if you did it this way, you could technically hang anything you want to at any given spot (almost like a horse-jump).

I probably could have used less concrete, but the weight of the demi-johns concerned me. I don't think it will tip, but then again, you never know.

The post was about 1 meter high. It was used previously as a post for a railing. It seemed to be the right height for my purposes.

Probably more handy people could think of more things, but this seems to work for me. I have now the capability of storing 15 demi-johns in a very small space.


Oh yes, the patent is pending. You may tranfer all funds if you use this to my paypal account. It is called, "The Dani-Demi-John Tree"

[Duffbeer]

What an excellent space saving invention, just the job !

[medpretzel]

Thank you, Duff! It will prove well, I think.

I was so joyous because something I made actually seemed to have proved its purpose, that I went out in the garden and started to get it ready for the first frost. How therapeutic!! My vines seem to be doing well, and the new ones seem to have found their new home likeable. I'm relieved, since their surroundings were not so favourable at the time of planting.

The cuttings I'm nurturing along seem also to have found their roots. One is for me, the other for a very dear friend of mine, so I hope at least I will be able to give the person some joy when I see them the next time. I want want to wait til the roots are somewhat stronger, but that's a whole new topic.

As you probably can tell, I have now "reimbursed" myself with a Valpollicella - made by me in 2004. Kit wine, but certainly no kit taste. A bit flabby, but still a drinkable wine. I like the tannins, and this one fails to rise to the expectation (of mine).

So, long post, nothing said!

Cheers!

[Duffbeer]

Hehee, nothing wrong with a little off topic rambling whilst enjoying the fruits of our labour, we all do it

[Mamgiowl]

Danina, that post is just brilliant. You deserve a drink after that. Well done.