What's going on in your winery today..

[SiSandrine]

Good luck with the winery conversion Simon. Pressure is on to get it finished in time for Grapefest

Thanks Rob - new shed is up, finished hanging the flaming doors yesterday evening. Absolute b****r. Junk movement starts tonight and the insulation project starts at the weekend. Cutting it fine I know but I need to insulate before the GF grapes arrive. Keeping the red at temperature is the problem.

[robwrx]

new shed is up, finished hanging the flaming doors yesterday evening.

The forum firestarter strikes again! I hope they were oak doors, I don't think toasted pine is any good for wine

Emptied a carboy ready for Grapefest by bottling a Kenridge Showcase New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc today. 10 months old and coming along nicely. It is not yet the full on screaming acid fruit fest of your average commercial Marlborough Sav Blanc but more like a French version. Still hopeful that it will develop the more fruit forward taste.

[Cellar_Rat]

Keeping the red at temperature is the problem.

I hate doors - just a little bit less than I hate taps

You might remember this thread about temperature controllers. http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/s...inally-made-it

I have it running at the moment for the first time and really pleased with it. I have a small electric oil filled radiator on the heating side and a bell on the cooling side - so if it goes over temperature day or night I will know. Programming it baffled me initially - I found if you read the instructions it helped no end

[SiSandrine]

The forum firestarter strikes again! I hope they were oak doors, I don't think toasted pine is any good for wine

Very quick.

I hate doors - just a little bit less than I hate taps

You might remember this thread about temperature controllers. http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/s...inally-made-it

I have it running at the moment for the first time and really pleased with it. I have a small electric oil filled radiator on the heating side and a bell on the cooling side - so if it goes over temperature day or night I will know. Programming it baffled me initially - I found if you read the instructions it helped no end

Thanks Brian - maybe I can pick your brains about it a week on Friday? A few issues - notably lack of electricity in the metal shed. Lots of insulation going in. Just trying to work out whether the concrete floor is worth insulating. It is damp protected but I can think of advantages of both insulated and uninsulated.

[DaveH]

The forum firestarter strikes again!

I think i need to make sure there's some Prodigy on the ipod for a week on saturday Or some Johnny Cash LOL!!!!.................

[SiSandrine]

Or some Johnny Cash LOL!!!!.................

That would work on Saturday morning - after the curry!!

[goldseal]

I'm about to vacuum-rack 5 gals of rhubarb. After that, I'm going to do a bit of panicking because I haven't put together my Port presentation for GF yet

[NorthernWiner]

Picking the last of my grapes this morning. And then crossing my fingers that finishes fermenting by next Friday when I go on holiday.

[Cellar_Rat]

This years Italian Shiraz doing very nciely - v pleased - v fruity.

[fatbloke]

This years Italian Shiraz doing very nciely - v pleased - v fruity.

Oooh goody! Should make a nice fruity pyment then.

Hopefully my efforts to empty some buckets will work ok.....

[spritzer]

Last night I started a 3 gal batch of the original wine #1
I also added 2 teaspoons of tronozymol to my very slowly going lychee blush, which is now going a tiny bit faster. I may add another 2 or 3 teaspoons later .
I managed to rack 2 one gallon batches of Rioja and Chianti.
I also racked my 5 gallon of rhubarb, and 3 gallon of rhubarb and strawberry iced tea
Later I hope to rack the Isanld Mist Pomegrante Zinfandel, and a couple of other reds that I started from fruit last year .
I really an trying to free up some space for the begining of October, so I can get a couple of white wines on the go, ready for xmas and beyond

[mark g]

I picked these elderberries on a farm in nottinghamshire,so i made two gallons of elderberry wine.
IMAG0001-008.jpgIMAG0002-006.jpg
The elderberries near where i live are not ripe yet, i hope to get some more berries next week.

[goldseal]

I found a few litres of steam-juiced elderberries in the freezer, which was nice.

Added some elderflower syrup to 5 gals of rhubarb.

Oh, and I bought one of these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Healthline-Fruit-Press-Apple-Cider-Grape-Wine-Press-18L-Free-Pulp-Bag-/290738913743?pt=Home_Brew&hash=item43b163c1cf

[SiSandrine]

Pete - congrats on your new piece of equipment. Looks like excellent value. I did a little more on the winery conversion today. Not much left now insulation mostly in, a little more to do after this weekend's exertions. Just in time eh?

[goldseal]

I thought it was time I upgraded my poor overworked Boots press.

Today, I are mostly been preparing for Grapefest: yeasts out of fridge ready for starters, fermenters opened up, re-sanitised and sealed up with lots of lovely fresh sulphite, and finalising the 2nd runs.

EDIT: 10 seconds later, the doorbell rings, and the press arrives