Massachusetts group grape buy

Williams 728
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I took everyones money and flew to Bavaria.

"Hey Lili, bring another round for me and my friend Hedley!"



Either that or we're waiting for Mother Nature to finish ripening the grapes, whichever story you want to believe.

If I were you I'd worry.



"Hey Lili how about some more schnitzengruben?"

PTN
 
Hey guys,
If you haven't yet sent along your portion of the money to the co-op please make a real effort to get it to me soon. I've already fronted more than my share and don't want to have to pony up more when we pick up the grapes. So please send it along. Thanks.

That said, I do have a piggy bank bulging with checks and cash. I've even had to come up with secret hiding places for guys who were in the neighborhood while I was off. "Ya, see the daffodil pot next to the big rock? Well right next to that is an empty beer can. Inside the beer can is a key to the shed. Go into the shed and you'll find a ceramic cow. The left horn tilts back. Put the check inside the left horn. Now twist the right horn three times counterclockwise, that sets the alarm. Now get out of the shed in the next three seconds or the police will be right there."

(Unfortunately, these instructions are opnly good for one deposit. Anyone attempting to follow the instructions a second time will most likely get ambushed by the Ninja Garden Gnomes in the shed. Don't say I didn't warn ya.)
 
You around this weekend? I may just stop by.....when I have my checkbook..I can't find an envelope...find an envelope and wife just used last stamp...

-Will
 
Hey is anyone around this area on Tuesday or Wednesday. I need to move the barrels up out of the cellar now so that the lees settle back down over the next few weeks before we bottle.

(For those of you in the coop who have no idea what I just said... When you put wine into a barrel, or any other container for that matter, it is just like beer. It is full of yeast and bacteria and that schmutz all needs to settle out. Your barrel is really nothing more than a big secondary aging vessel. Of coarse a barrel adds a ton of other stuff to the equation that your average glass carboy can't and doesn't. But all of that being said, the wine I have in the barrels went into the barrels around early January 2008. Anything that is going to settle out, lees (yeast and any other wine equivaleant of trub) and tartaric acid, has long since settled out. If we are lucky the tartaric acid has fallen out and crystalized and formed a cap over the lees and will keep the stirring up of the lees to a minimum. ( have you ever opened up a bottle of wine and found glass-like crystals on teh cork or settled out in the bottom of the bottle? Those are what are coloqueally (sp?) called 'wine diamonds,' and are really crystallized tartaric acid. Cold stabilization causes them to form. When I do a white wine, which I don't age in oak, I keep the wines out on my porch til mid January, when it is colder than hell and all of the TA that will drop has done so, then I'll rack it off into another container. The problem is if you allow the wine to warm up again some of what has crystalized out wil redissolve back into solution.

Anyways, back to the problem at hand. I have a 30 and a 15 gallon barrel that we are going to be using for the coop wine and I need to get them up out of the cellar to somewhere where we can set up for bottleing. We need space and height for the bottling process. I REALLY would prefer not to have to pump teh wine out into a bunch of carboys for bottling for all of the obvious reasons. And although I have an IQ about the same as an ox I'm not as strong as one any more. Once upon a time I'd have just picked up the barrels and carried them upstairs. This aging **** is for the birds!

So who wants to come over and play for a bit. Only those of strong back and weak minds need apply.

FWIW, I'll keep your thirst slaked while you are toting that barge and lifiting that bale.

PTN
 
paulthenurse said:
I was here for most of it but your wife must have hidden the car keys along with the checkbook.



ZING!!!!! THat's gonna leave a mark!


:ban:
Click to expand...

Not sure how that is a ZING..since I asked if you were going to be around...you didn't respond...so I didn't work you into the plans...if you had said you were going to be around....I would have made a trip to see you. :confused:

I should be avail after work on Tue... I'll stop by.

-Will
 
Will, I read your post as you pulling my leg, with the stuff about 'when I have my checkbook, or an envelope or a stamp, etc.' I took it as you just joking and I responded in kind. No problems here. Whenever we get together will be fine. Honest I was just responding in the same tone that I thought you were using when you responded to my post. Like my saying I took the money and took off to Bavaria.

PTN
 
NP Paul. All is good. Should not have "sounded" as harsh as I did (no coffee of food for 9+ hours so I can get my blood work for my physical next week).

See ya tomorrow.

-Will
 
I was offended by the whole exchange...

Hey Paul, now that spring is here.. How about a May-toberfest? Beer, more pork in that awesome smoker of yours ;)
 
Oh crap....I forgot to grab the ceremonial "Paul Gathering" chainsaw this morning!!! No gathering is complete unless we cut something down!

:cool:

-Will
 
Paul, John, Melana...it was a blast lugging the wine upstairs...

ok, ok..it was a blast watching Paul and John lug the wine upstairs.

Paul, Thank for the "samples". I'll try to remember to bring some supplies over in the near future (CO2 etc)...

-Will
 
I will find that and put it aside for you guys. Honest.

It was nice to see you and John and Will. You are looking especially happy and it's nice to see. Vontinued good luck. Have we decided on a name for the Ewok-ette? Might I offer up a few suggestions? How about Paula? Or DaNiece?

PTN
 
Ok guys, I talked to the folks at M&M this afternoon and here's the deal. Our grapes will be in their last container, set to arrive over the weekend of May 16/17. For me that is PERFECT timing as I'm flying home from CA on the redeye on Saturday night. I'll be picking up the grapes first thing Monday morning, and will process them that day. I realize that getting a Monday off is tough for most people but the crop comes in when it comes in. If you can't get the day off that's ok but it would be ashame if someone wasn't able to be there for the process since , for most of you guys the whole idea is to see it done and learn. So put in your requests now for the day off.
 
I'll see what I can do, the current plans was to be driving back from Delaware that day. If I leave around 6 am, I might be able to get to your place by noon.
 
What do you need? Trucks to transport? Man-power at your place at what time?

Make out an schedule with what is happening when and how many people needed etc.

I am unsure if I can give you the whole day..but I will try.

-Will
 
Bulls Beers said:
Hey Paul, I'll try to make it. I'm a sales rep on the road. I don't really work anyway. Let me know what time... Cheers.
Click to expand...

Seems like Will and I will head down to CT early Monday morning to pick up the grapes, should be back to my place before noon. I'm going to see if I can borrow my buddys crusher/destemmer for the day. If that works out the workload is GREATLY reduced which translates to less time working and more time sipping.

PTN
 
CrankyOldLibrarian said:
We have a free place to stay so how could I turn down an offer to go to St. Kitts. Doing a volcano climb is on the agenda. Who is Chris?
Click to expand...

Chris is a local guy who does (did?) a guided climb of the main mountain, which is a old volcano.

It is a fun, all-day thing, and it gets quite chilly up there.
The locals selling tours could point you in the right direction,I am sure, IF he still does tours.
Chris has a story where he had a rather large group near the top, in a near-bowl shape area, when the ground started shaking, sending most folks into a panic, There is more to the story..

Other: you can take the local bus system, the minibuses, reggae music on the stereo... colorful. Gets you to realize the actual poverty that's around...
 
So... less than 2 weeks to go. We have 2 trucks...and 2 "should be able to make it" out of :

Paulthenurse I'm in for $100
BigJohn/Melana $50
CrankyOldLibrarian $50
JustMrWill $50
BearGears $50
Vermiscious $100
Sumo $100
Tony Lopez $100
Bulls Beers $100
RAlovecraft $100

I think it is time to start calling people out that committed but haven't stepped forward yet. I would hate to leave Paul all alone to crush all the grapes himself...I can only stay until around 4ish (anniversary - have to make wifey happy).

-Will
 

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