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.

2017 Wines - Chapter 6 - Blueberry

We had a few pounds of blueberries left over from 2016. Together with those we picked we wound up with 43# of berries. At the usual 6#/gallon rate we could have gotten 7 gallons of straight blueberry wine. But in an effort to stay out of a rut, I tried something different this time.

I split the berries up, putting 17# in the primary bucket. After the crush, I poured off most of the free run for the rosé. After gently pressing the remaining 26#, I added that cake to the primary as well, so we had the skins of 43# of blueberries altogether. I treated it with KMS.

After several hours I added 46oz of Merlot concentrate, 1 gallon of water, 3g Booster Rouge, 3g Opti Red, 0.6g Lallzyme EX, 6t of pectic enzyme, and 1.5tsp tannin. I adjusted the pH from 2.85 to 3.78 with calcium carbonate. 690g sugar brought the SG from 1.064 to 1.086 and I let it rest overnight.

The next morning the pH was back down to 3.29. A bit more carbonate brought it back to 3.44 and we pitched K1-V1116 with GoFerm during rehydration.

I made the usual bentonite and Fermaid-K additions and in 1 week we were down to 1.006. The wine was pressed yielding 3.5 gallons of dark, rich, heavy blueberry wine.

At 1.006 it has little more fermentation to go. If I don't see any bubbles in the next few hours, I may bring it up into the warm pantry to assure it doesn't stick.

2017 Wines - Chapter 5 - Sauvignon Blanc

In addition to the Zinfandel grapes, I picked up a 6 gallon Sauvignon Blanc juice bucket. Starting numbers were pH 2.97, TA 0.51%, and SG 1.090 - no adjustments needed. I added 6g Booster Blanc, 12g Opti White, and pitched QA 23.

I tried to keep this ferment as cool as possible with ice packs. The problem, as with the Zinfandel, was that vacation was approaching. I had to cut back on the ice packs and let the temp drift up in order for the ferment to finish before we left. I step-fed Fermaid K, added 9g bentonite on day 3, and by day 9 it had dropped to 1.015, where I racked it to the carboy.

The following day I topped it up and added the KMS. Upon return from vacation it was quiet, so I racked, topped up again, and now it just needs to be cold stabilized and cleared.

2017 Wines - Chapter 4 - Zinfandel

We pushed vacation back in order to avoid any conflict with fall grape shipments. As it turned out, we'll need every day in order to get the two California wines tucked away.

I drove to St. Louis for these 3 lugs of old vine Zinfandel. It was nice to meet one old friend and one new friend at St. Louis Wine and Beermaking. Jerry, with whom I have corresponded for years but had never met, gave me his leftover KMS. Stephen helped me with the dosing. There we crushed the 3 lugs, dosed the KMS at 50ppm, and I trucked the grapes and the Sauvignon Blanc juice bucket back home.

The numbers were decent - TA 0.58%, pH 3.45, and 22.5 Brix - good enough that no preferment adjustments were needed. I added 4.5t pectic enzyme and 1.2g Lallzyme EX, each divided between the 3 buckets, and stacked them in the fridge for a 2 day cold soak.

After warming, I added 8g Booster Rouge, 8g Opti Red, then pitched RC 212 rehydrated with GoFerm. To get the temp up, like last year, I added a nice comforter.

Over the next 3 days I used Fermaid K, 2t step fed, with 12g bentonite. Tm was 26.0C. It fermented steadily down to 1.004 on day 7. With vacation looming, I pressed.

I have 7-7.5 gallons (not sure if that is 6 or 6.5g carboy), but there is at least 1/2 gallon of gross lees. I expect it to be under 1.000 by tomorrow, at which time I'll rack off the gross lees and get the MLF started with VP41 on oak cubes.

Fall Has Arrived

Fall blew in suddenly last night. Fortunately yesterday we got most of the plants in the greenhouse. Still harvesting purple guava, passionfruit, sugar apple, acerola, and cherimoya.

Sega Palms did not make the greenhouse cut this year

The juice and grapes from California arrived. I picked them up Friday in St. Louis. It was fun to run into Jerry, who I have corresponded with now for a couple of years but had never met. Also great to meet Stephen, head of a St. Louis-area winemaking club, who provided some helpful advice on sulfites. The Sauv Blanc and Zinfandel are underway, full posts to follow.

I bottled some wine. Blueberry is smooth and delicious.

Passionfruit is Sauv Blanc-level sharp but polished and beautiful; it fills the room with passion fruit aromas. Maybe it could have used a little more sugar.

The QA 23 left our Vignoles with plenty of tropical aromas as well. I got this guy off the fine lees, now we just need to wait for it to clear.

We have just a bit more yard work to do to be ready for vacation. I fear we will return to winter.