Wine Temp Control System

I have struggled for some time to control temperatures during fermentation. Cooling whites and warming reds is a challenge for home winemakers. So I read with interest a forum post in which a home winemaker attempted a solution to this problem. I talked it over with Adam who designed a solution, and over Christmas break we got to work.

The first version of the device proved under-powered. This post will detail the second version. The materials:

• Arduino Microcontroller
• Power supply cable
• Temp sensor
• Motor drivers (3)
• 5V regulator
• Relay boards (2)
• Terminal blocks (3)
• 500W power supply
• 3-fan Peltier cooling device
• Wire, solder, tools

The basic layout of this is 120VAC to 12V DC power, which for the purposes of the relays and the Arduino gets regulated down to 5V DC with the regulator. The three terminal blocks are 12V, 5V, and  a common ground. The fans and the pump run through the relays, but in this version they stay on all the time, with the relays only opening when the program is refreshed and uploaded. The Arduino controller sets the direction and voltage to the Peltier coolers through the 12V motor drivers.

We are using a PID controller. We had to adjust some code and do some "loop tuning" but now it seems very stable.

The next steps are to add power (so that it runs without the computer), add the LCD, and build a container.

2017 Wines - Chapter 8 - Estate Berry

This wine was planned, both because we needed an "estate" wine and because it served as a chance to clean out the freezer.

Ingredients:

• Serviceberry, 1# 15oz
• Blackhaw, 1# 10oz
• Haskaps, 7oz
• Elderberry, 12oz
• Blackberry, 3# 3oz
• 5 pints water
• 620g sugar
• 2t pectic
• 0.25g Lallzyme EX
• 1g Opti Red
• 1g Booster Rouge
• 1t calcium carbonate

I combined the first 7 ingredients and gently crushed the fruit. Blackhaws don't really crush very much, they are mostly seed. Then the must got a 3 day cold soak. After rewarming, I added the remaining ingredients. The pH adjusted from 3.16 too 3.4 with a very small amount of calcium carbonate. SG was 1.085. K1-V1116 and away we go.

I made no attempt to control temps, really just a lazy approach to this wine. On day 8 we were at 1.004 and racked to carboy. After another week, racked off the gross lees and added another dose of KMS.

I have no notion what this wine will be like. I would have liked a better balance of fruit but this was the 2017 hand we were dealt.

Life Skills: Welding

There is a set of life skills every person should have. One need not necessarily use all of these skills often - indeed if you don't live out in the country you might rarely have the need. But the ability to sweat a pipe, run a table saw, lay brick, and run a chainsaw not only improves the size of one's toolkit, but improves one's creativity, confidence, and problem-solving abilities.

Welding has always been on that list. My friend Eric learned welding in a life skills class in college. But there is no longer any need for a college course. With Youtube, one can learn these skills, the basics anyway, without spending any tuition money.

An encounter with another friend, Jorgen, proved to be my welding tipping point. In his old warehouse he had various steel carts and other useless objects. He brought them home while considering what useful thing he could make.

That day, I bought a welder.

It is a DC arc welder, supposedly good for general fabrication and at the same time relatively easy to learn. Two hours of Youtube later, I'm welding.

My first project, one that has been needed for many years, was a water meter valve key for the poolhouse. This valve is particularly stiff and unusually deep. The typical store-bought keys have failed in numerous ways, but on the third try our local plumbing company finally devised a solution using 15/16" socket flipped around so that the wrench end (rather than the end that goes on the nut) fit down on the valve. With two pairs of locked nuts, one at the top and one at the bottom of a threaded rod, we could get the water on and off. But the socket wouldn't stay on the nut. For the last several years I held it on with duct tape.

The plumbing company's second try had the benefit of a length and a strong handle, but end of the key never fit well on the valve. So I cut off the end, flipped around the socket, and welded it up.

It's not pretty but it seems strong. I won't know for sure that it works until spring. Next project is a pin-hitch garden cart.

2017 Wines - Chapter 7 - Blueberry Rosé

I started this wine without having recently tasted last year's version. The last time we tried it I found the last glass much better than the first. After starting this year's version however we opened another bottle from 2016 and I found it fairly offensive. It aired out and seemed to blow off whatever icky aroma it had upon opening, but my expectations for this wine going forward have been tempered.

I pressed 26# of blueberries, added KMS, then added to that juice the free run from the straight blueberry wine.

I added 46oz Sauvignon Blanc concentrate, 1.2g water, 1 can of Niagra white grape concentrate to make up a little volume. Starting pH 2.86, adjusted to 3.33 with 6t calcium carbonate. Starting SG 1.070, adjusted to 1.085 with 460g sugar. Then added 2g Booster Blanc, 6g Opti White, 1.5t tannin, 3t pectic, 0.3g Lallzyme EX, and let it sit overnight.

The next morning the pH was 3.56, a little higher than I wanted but I'd rather be adding acid back to this wine then trying to deacidify it like I did last year. Pitched QA 23 with the usual GoFerm and Fermaid K nutrient protocol, and 4.5g bentonite on day 3.

Not the most pleasing color at this point. but after 7 days we got to 1.010 without incident, and so I racked to a 3 gallon carboy.

The fermentation didn't really stall at all with racking and looks to be finishing strong under glass. The one seasonal wine remaining to make is elderberry.

Having Helpers Home

Over Thanksgiving Jake and Allie came home. We only had one serious day of work, and it came after Allie left, but we got a lot done. Trusted friend Jorgen lent me his Stihl chainsaw-on-a-stick and we cleaned up the Lacebark Elm trees lining the driveway. Then Jake helped with the annual task of putting up the greenhouse plastic.

I've run out of washers for the green clips, we'll see if we can pick up some replacements at the hardware store. We're trying an experiment this year; we're leaving the south end uncovered, just a single layer of tempered glass, to see if we can let more light in without sacrificing too much heat.