What's going on in your winery today..

[mark g]

Just started 2 gallons of peach nectar juice wine,this time i have used 1.5lt of peach nectar juice per gallon.
it's fermenting very well already

[RTPFUN]

Been a little busy. The Argentinean Torrontes Chardonnay wasn’t for clearing completely so it was filtered and bottled. Strange residue on the filter looked grey never had that before tasted high in tannins but nothing untoward. Finings to a wine number one racked off and stabilised the Washington Meritage and I just know I’m going to have bother clearing it as it fermented fast and I wasn’t there to rack it off at 1020/10 to a secondary but I want it off all that oak. if all else fails it can go in a glass carboy and I'll leave it for a year it'll clear by itself in that time. I could well have the same issues with the South African Sav Blanc but I stirred in some of the leas to the last six inches as I racked it off. We’ll see what happens they both taste as expected at this point in the process and I’m sure something will help them clear if the supplied finings don’t work. Filtered a wine number one with a late addition of Strawberries, lovely nose fabulous taste and WHAT!!! Filtering took the entire colour out of it and I’ve already printed the labels “Strawberry Blush”. Well they’re going on the bottles pink or not. Ink is expensive these days. Started a wine number one and the Kenridge Nebbiolo that’s been sitting there until I sorted out a new thermostat in the brewing cupboard so they’re tucked in at 21c for the duration.

[robwrx]

Wow! RTPFUN you have been busy! I've yet to start any of my Ltd edition kits as I'm still trying to empty my 5gal carboys by bottling or decanting to djs.

Personally I have found that a wine kit that doesn't want to clear either just needs a little more time or has not had sufficient degassing.

It would also appear that you have confirmed something that I had concerns about. Filtering will strip the colour out of wine. I'm astonished that the pink was removed completely from your strawberry blush. I have only ever filtered one red wine kit and was horrified at the colour of the filter pad at the end. It looked like you could have rung it out and started a second run rose from it

Rob

[Cellar_Rat]

It looked like you could have rung it out and started a second run rose from it:

LOL. Nice one - your will be recycling tops soon

[RTPFUN]

This brought Cellar Rat’s strap line to mind. But let’s strike it and reverse it. Bottom fell out of a box I was carrying up to the cellar (shed at top of garden) and and oh yes let's land on the patio and not the grass and the bottles did break but it would be 10 of the Torontes chardonnay and just 1 bottle of wine number one. One was not best pleased! I had to have a large brandy!

[lockwood1956]

I feel your pain!

[Rich]

I feel your pain!

Having seen Bob in action with 54 litre glass carbouys, I feel Bob's pain too.


RTPFUN, That's not good. All the bottle broke?

[RTPFUN]

Hi Rich
No Fortunatly I've still got 20 bottles left but what an expensive kit to have an accident with. Why could it not have happened on the next journey the box would have been full of wine number one. You know cheap and easy to replace etc. And glass carbouys, now that's got me thinking "better get some protection for them". I've just started to bulk store my reds in them and now I think they may be a little vulnerable where they’re located. So thanks for that thought. A lesson learned.

[Rich]

Spent the day assembling my new (to me) Hot Liquor Tun. Capacity about 40 litres. Just need to extend the tap pick up to the base to pick up the last couple of litres of water, and make a lid for it.
It passed its leak test today, after a wee nip up of the immersion element.


hlt.jpghlt2.jpg


Anyone want a modified lidl boiler? (2.2kw Burco element in base, still with thermostat connected)

[RTPFUN]

Some days have a happy ending. I'm just putting on another Torontes Chardonnay. Went for supplies at my local HBS after work was telling him the story and he had one and did a great price too

[NorthernWiner]

Spent much of last night going through the top-off-and-taste drill with all of the 2010-2011 wines. I have a 2010 blend of Merlot/Cab Franc/Cab Sauvignon that has been in the barrel since December of 2010 (16 months!). It tastes great right now and should probably come out of the barrel, but I don't have anything else at the moment I can put in to replace it.

[robwrx]

Racked the last of the GF2011 wines tonight, the Sangiovese. I think this one still has a long way to go compared to the Merlot and the 2nd run chianti style wine. It still has that earthy taste and just feels rough around the edges. A little oak and a lot of patience is in order.

[Cellar_Rat]

Had a bit of concrete left over from another job, so laid a 'patio' for my wine shed - happy days !

[RTPFUN]

Filtered and bottled the limited edition South African Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon. Cleared well and tasted good too. This was one of the kits that ran very hot and didn't get the luxury of going into a secondary fermenter before it finished so I'm pleased it tasted so good at the bottling stage.

[RTPFUN]

Had a bit of concrete left over from another job, so laid a 'patio' for my wine shed - happy days !

Hi mines in a shed too insulated heated etc but for the summer put a thick curtain across the door. It stops the warm air getting to your cooler bottles causing condensation and messing up your labels. Keeps the heat in in winter too as you pop in and out with things.