It's time to harvest the grapes!

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Demy
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It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by Demy »

Today I harvested in the family vineyard, yesterday at my brother-in-law ... next Saturday another brother-in-law ... in short, it is harvest time.
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Beautiful! I’m expecting some Cab Sav and Barbera grapes sometime in October. Just ordered yeast, mlb, and additives for that. Getting ready to bottle the Zin, Mouvedre, and Petit Syrah from last fall. The wine cellar’s pretty stocked so i’m reducing the quantity this season - approximately 50-60 bottles worth.

What do y’all grow?

Cheers,
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by Yonder »

Looking good! I lost 90pct of my vines in the hard freeze last year and the heat & drought this year killed any chance of a grape.
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by NZChris »

Nice.

That will take a lot of treading, I hope you are fit.
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Demy
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by Demy »

There has been more drought this year but the quality, flavor and sugar content seem to be better.
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Demy
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by Demy »

NZChris wrote: Sun Sep 25, 2022 10:07 pm Nice.

That will take a lot of treading, I hope you are fit.
Yes, it's hard work but I'm young enough to face it!😁👍
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by NZChris »

The most I've trod in a day would be two of your baskets. Oh to be young again :D
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

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NZChris wrote: Sun Sep 25, 2022 10:37 pm The most I've trod in a day would be two of your baskets. Oh to be young again :D
I picked 15 gallons of grapes about 10 days ago. That piddling amount was more than enough work too suit me. I bought the grapes from a woman that advertised them in 'Craigslist'. She has no idea or forgot what the variety is; just red wine grapes.

The grapes read 25 deg Brix of the refractometer, and a very close 1.101 specific gravity on the hydrometer. Acidity was a little off @ about pH 5.0, but I left the situation alone. Used Lalvin 71B yeast. Fermentation continuing slow, but steady. Will rack to a carboy in a few days.
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by zach »

I picked about 500 lbs of grapes this year. It was so hot this year many grapes turned to raisins before I could harvest in mid August.

Just finished the last of the stripping runs of pomace and have 6 gallons of low wines. I'm kind of tired and might wait a month for the spirit run.
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by goose eye »

Round here ole boys use to go around the fields and shake the trees. Fox grapes grow wild. Ole boys had a telescoping fiber glass pole the power company use on transformers. They'd put bacca sheets down then shake like hell. Best not to stand under grapes cause you shake grapes snakes bugs squirrel and once a bald face hornet nest down.
What the ole boys found that rainy years they had a lot of juice but it was watered down in a dry year the grapes had the best flavor but not much juice and in a drought they didn't make.

How was the yellow jackets in that picture?

So I'm tole
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Demy
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by Demy »

NZChris wrote: Sun Sep 25, 2022 10:37 pm The most I've trod in a day would be two of your baskets. Oh to be young again :D
I actually have an electric crusher .. I'm tackling about 57 of those yellow baskets .... it's hard work anyway
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by Demy »

goose eye wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 1:51 pm
How was the yellow jackets in that picture?

So I'm tole
Forgive me, I didn't quite understand the question ... my bad English
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by Demy »

jonnys_spirit wrote: Sun Sep 25, 2022 2:58 pm Beautiful! I’m expecting some Cab Sav and Barbera grapes sometime in October. Just ordered yeast, mlb, and additives for that. Getting ready to bottle the Zin, Mouvedre, and Petit Syrah from last fall. The wine cellar’s pretty stocked so i’m reducing the quantity this season - approximately 50-60 bottles worth.

What do y’all grow?

Cheers,
Jonny
"San giovese", "licante", "merlot", "malvasia","syrah", "nerello", "Chardonnay", "moscato".... And other varieties that I don't remember now ... some varieties are local, of which I don't know the name ... :wtf:
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by goose eye »

They like a bee on steroids. Aggressive

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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by NormandieStill »

Demy wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 2:09 pm
goose eye wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 1:51 pm
How was the yellow jackets in that picture?

So I'm tole
Forgive me, I didn't quite understand the question ... my bad English
Yellow jackets are wasps in British English. Or guêpes in French. Although from the level of fear they invoke the American version may be more aggressive than their European cousins.
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Demy
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by Demy »

Ooo, thank you very much for the explanation ... often there are wasps in the grape harvest, the sting is painful ..... there are people allergic to wasps, in that case it is very dangerous
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by subbrew »

Yellow jackets are mean little bastards. One got me above the eye yesterday and I am just looking through a slit today. Starting to open up fortunately.
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

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Demy wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 2:27 pm
jonnys_spirit wrote: Sun Sep 25, 2022 2:58 pm What do y’all grow?
"San giovese", "licante", "merlot", "malvasia","syrah", "nerello", "Chardonnay", "moscato".... And other varieties that I don't remember now ... some varieties are local, of which I don't know the name ... :wtf:
I just pulled the top on the fermentor bucket; getting ready to rack into a glass carboy. Took an SG reading for giggles (usually I wouldn't – but it was 0.985 or so) and had a taste. WoW.

Could have been Malbec grapes, but if my taste-buds aren't lying to me, they were Merlot grapes that I picked. (My little Craigslist woman could only remember that her deceased husband had planted some type of grape - with a name that started with an “M”).

My problem is, that the small 19 L batch of wine that I just made, is not enough and will be far too good to experiment with. (I had plans for splitting the wine between fortified Port and fortified Vermouth experiments. I have glycerin, lactose, wormwood, coriander, tannin and other flavorings laid out and ready to go. Sarsaparilla root that I just tried (as a tea), is an auspicious flavoring prospect too).

But the new wine promises to be so good by itself, that I might just bottle & hoard it all. Maybe let friends an family share a nip now and then.
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by NZChris »

Great result, Contrahead. :thumbup: I'd bottle it too.
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Demy
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by Demy »

Ready to distil grapes
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Hi Demy, Do you distill all of the pomace from that truck full of grapes? Looks like a lot of work but also good output!

Cheers,
jonny
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Demy
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by Demy »

Yes, if I have time, I can distill everything ... the marc produces little alcohol so it takes a good amount. Hard work for my little steam jacket.
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by contrahead »

A little grocery store near me stocks bananas on a continual basis. But often their bananas don't sell before they ripen and develop black spots. So they sell these overripe bananas at a huge discount. I keep several pounds of these bananas frozen and on the ready (peeled and sliced - ready to ferment and distill).

From my recent wine, I dried some grape skins (to crush later as a tannin) and saved the rest of my pomace, or "marc" as Demy called it. There is not much left; maybe 15 L (4 gal) compressed; two weeks old now.

So tomorrow I will begin a different experiment.

I'll dump the 15 L of "marc" into the 22 L fementor bucket, then thaw out and crush about 7kg (15 lbs) of bananas and toss those in there. Then I'll dissolve a modest 2 kg (5 lbs) of sugar into 7 L of apple juice (because it's cheap) and pour that in. Top off with water.

The ferment should come out looking purplish like a light red wine, I would wager. When it is distilled, the product should be a little more appealing than your typical sugar-wash, too.
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Demy
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by Demy »

I decided to build a small funnel "on the fly" so as not to get too dirty, my boiler is small.
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

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contrahead wrote: Fri Sep 30, 2022 10:28 pm So tomorrow I will begin a different experiment.

I'll dump the 15 L of "marc" into the 22 L fementor bucket, then thaw out and crush about 7kg (15 lbs) of bananas and toss those in there. Then I'll dissolve a modest 2 kg (5 lbs) of sugar into 7 L of apple juice (because it's cheap) and pour that in. Top off with water.
This little experiment panned out exceedingly well. It makes a fine wine by itself. The banana is detectable but subtle, and far from overpowering. The tannins from the from stems, skins and seeds carried over into this second ferment well; red grape character is definitely present.

The projects are far from over however because this 2nd batch (only 4.5 gal) will be divided between fortified port and fortified vermouth experiments. The vermouth will be flavored aggressively.
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

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I just returned a few days ago from an annual “Pot Luck” dinner, held in a little Colorado ski town. There was only a dozen and a half people at the party this year – we are getting old and thinning out. My main contribution to this latest feast was a one gallon jug of Merlot wine (that I described making last season in this very thread). The wine was a huge success; arched eyebrows, rolling eyeballs, loud praises and such all around.

I've been making wine off and on for 30 years, so I am no beginner. But last year was the first time that I was ever in possession of a small quantity of quality red grapes. I made 4 separate products with these grapes and each turned out well. I anticipate duplicating my successes this year if possible. Firstly I intend to recruit a grandchild to help pick more grapes.

The first and foremost product was the wine, which fermented out in about a week and 5 gallons of which was racked to a glass carboy (with airlock) and largely forgotten about.

But that action then allowed the fermentor bucket to be refilled with grape skins (pomace or marc), apple juice, water and bananas. Laugh if you like but this made 4 gallons of good tasting, dark and heady wine also. This second product was split into two parts; one for bottling and drinking immediately - the other for vermouth experimentation. Both products from this second fermentation were lapped up fairly quickly, but there may be one jealously guarded bottle left in the wine cellar.

Another result from preforming the second fermentation was that it alone was the main focus of attention and consumption. Leaving the 'good wine' veritably untouched in the meantime (until I took some to the Pot Luck dinner last week, anyway).

The 4th product made from the same grapes was a liquor (not liqueur – because no sugar was added). I had saved out about 1/6th of the pomace or marc from the initial grape pressing, and dried this out in an oven. Later I infused this grape jerky with a few quarts of special, corn derived neutral spirit. A month or two later the dark maroon liquid was filtered through coffee filters and bottled. Sadly no examples of this exceptional spirit remain in the liquor cabinet.

Grape season is rolling around again soon. I intend to be ready for it.
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tombombadil
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by tombombadil »

I ordered 100#s of grapes this year.
2/3 merlot
1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon

I've never processed grapes before, wish me luck!
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by Wildcats »

With 100 pounds of grapes you will probably need some help. Good luck sir.
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by PLAYMP »

I just made my annual grape juice order from a local vineyard. 42 gallons of vidal blanc. Not particularly desirable for wine (icewine excepted) so the price is right but makes an incredible brandy.

It was actually bred as a grape for cognac in the 30s before it started growing too well in North America that it became a source of unwanted competition for the French.
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Re: It's time to harvest the grapes!

Post by tombombadil »

Wildcats wrote: Fri Jul 28, 2023 3:14 am With 100 pounds of grapes you will probably need some help. Good luck sir.
Uh oh... Lol.
Google told me I would get about 10 gallons of juice from about 100#s of grapes.
Did Google fail me?
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