From Yulin

[Randy W]

 

 

I think it just relies on a positive pressure gradient and a loose fitting cap making a very simple check valve. The new ones at the end have a red, screw-on plastic top, which I see she has also left loose.

 

I think I understand that though it seems a bit of a hit or miss thing at least to me. If these things get stopped up when ventilating they will blow the top off. I've had that to happen when grapes raise up while fermenting and stopping the lock up. But leaving the lids some what loose might work, obviously it does, as the escaping gasses could prevent outside pathogens coming in and spoiling the whole thing. I think that you would have to know exactly what you are doing with this technique. Obviously you wife is very clever.

 

When I first started making wine when I was but 15 years old, tough by my old great uncle George, I would make a stopper out of a corncob, take a length of copper tubing 1/4 inch and push it through the soft center, bend the tubing so that it would curve downward and the other end would be in a glass of water and the glass was kept full of water from evaporation, then the corn cob was sealed in the jug, usually about 5 gal., by mixing a paste of flour and water and smearing it onto the corn cob to seal the corn cob as they are very porous. But the first thing was the jug had to be sterilized of harmful bacteria, in order to keep it from turning into vinegar, before adding the contents, grape, sugar and water. This was the old way of doing it. Now other thing are added to stabilize it, to clarify and preserve it. Of course other things can be mixed in as well to obtain the taste that you desire. Things like corn meal can be added to make the alcohol content higher. It can get as complicate as you would like for it to but I have, over the years, reverted back to the old adage of KISS, keep it simple stupid. Your wife's way is certainly about as simple as you can get, that's for sure. I don't think that I could reproduce that. I guess I am indeed stoopid da man as Charles says.

 

Enjoy

 

Larry

 

By the way that is some nice looking furniture and floors.

 

 

 

Thanks - will do. Wine making is a very big deal around here, so I expect the jars are made to function for exactly that purpose. She's never done any sterilization, though - just wash 'em out with soap and water. Won't be long now!

[amberjack1234]

 

 

 

I think it just relies on a positive pressure gradient and a loose fitting cap making a very simple check valve. The new ones at the end have a red, screw-on plastic top, which I see she has also left loose.

 

I think I understand that though it seems a bit of a hit or miss thing at least to me. If these things get stopped up when ventilating they will blow the top off. I've had that to happen when grapes raise up while fermenting and stopping the lock up. But leaving the lids some what loose might work, obviously it does, as the escaping gasses could prevent outside pathogens coming in and spoiling the whole thing. I think that you would have to know exactly what you are doing with this technique. Obviously you wife is very clever.

 

When I first started making wine when I was but 15 years old, tough by my old great uncle George, I would make a stopper out of a corncob, take a length of copper tubing 1/4 inch and push it through the soft center, bend the tubing so that it would curve downward and the other end would be in a glass of water and the glass was kept full of water from evaporation, then the corn cob was sealed in the jug, usually about 5 gal., by mixing a paste of flour and water and smearing it onto the corn cob to seal the corn cob as they are very porous. But the first thing was the jug had to be sterilized of harmful bacteria, in order to keep it from turning into vinegar, before adding the contents, grape, sugar and water. This was the old way of doing it. Now other thing are added to stabilize it, to clarify and preserve it. Of course other things can be mixed in as well to obtain the taste that you desire. Things like corn meal can be added to make the alcohol content higher. It can get as complicate as you would like for it to but I have, over the years, reverted back to the old adage of KISS, keep it simple stupid. Your wife's way is certainly about as simple as you can get, that's for sure. I don't think that I could reproduce that. I guess I am indeed stoopid da man as Charles says.

 

Enjoy

 

Larry

 

By the way that is some nice looking furniture and floors.

 

 

 

Thanks - will do. Wine making is a very big deal around here, so I expect the jars are made to function for exactly that purpose. She's never done any sterilization, though - just wash 'em out with soap and water. Won't be long now!

 

To sterilize them I use to use boiling water that is if the container will take that. Some glass containers will break. I broke one of mine that way. It belonged to my grandfather. I was heart broken. For cold sterilization I use some kind of chemical such as a mild solution of Clorox say 1/4 cup per 5 gal container. Fill with water and Clorox, let it sit about 30 minutes and then rinse it out thoroughly.

 

Larry

 

PS I won't bother you any more as it seems as though the wife has everything well taken care of. I just wanted to chat with you about this issue a little. Like I said you can add some corn meal to some and that will make it stronger but the alcohol content will only get so high before the alcohol kills the fermentation process. Good luck and enjoy.

[Randy W]

She had a few of the lids cocked to the side last night - made the whole living room smell of yeast. I like to be able to drink a whole glass (about 6-8 oz.) without feeling the alcohol, so the alcohol is already just about right (too much in some cases)

 

She seems to have the process pretty well down, and keeps it under wraps. She was commenting on the colors the other day - some differences there.

[Randy W]

She's out there now - stirring things up. She gave me a taste from one - very nice, about the right amount of sugar. Still some yeast flavor to it, though.

[Randy W]

She says it's just sugar, water and grapes. Nothing else.

[amberjack1234]

You are saying that it has a smell of yeast. Does she put yeast in it too. I use to order those expensive wine yeast but I never did like using them so I eventually went back to the old way. You know that the grapes have their own yeast on them provided by nature.

 

You say that she removed the jar tops and even gave you a sip. I could not imagine that. In wine making here that would be the most serious mistake a person could make. I certainly have learned a whole new way of making wine. It has been a real experience for me.

 

Let me know how it turns out. I know that it will be great though as it has in years past.

 

I been out all day to the dentist.

 

Larry

 

PS As I was just about to post this I remembered something from some of those old Chinese movies. I remember seeing some very large terracotta pots with just a rag tied over the top of them and the wife told me that it was wine. Also some of them got broken of course and it was said that it was wine. Every day that goes by that you don't learn something is a day wasted.

[Randy W]

No, I'm pretty sure she doesn't use any extra yeast. It's all tried and true. The most amazing thing to me is that our floors aren't stained a grape red.

 

Good stuff.

[Randy W]

Our new shopping mall - they even bought their own fleet of buses to make sure people would be able to get there. We'll have to drive from where we are (just ½ km away)

 

[Randy W]

I just thought this image was interesting for some reason - near Yulin today

 

[amberjack1234]

Me too. Gooda.

 

Larry

[Dennis143]

I just thought this image was interesting for some reason - near Yulin today

 

I agree, Randy.There's something about these images of old China... They give us a story.

[amberjack1234]

That's right they have history and cultural flavor. I showed these pictures to my wife and she said SO. No modern skyscrapers here.

 

Larry

[Randy W]

Someone left a flower behind

 

[warpedbored]

That's right they have history and cultural flavor. I showed these pictures to my wife and she said SO. No modern skyscrapers here.

 

Larry

I think it's residual from the cultural revolution when the slogan was "Destroy the old world; Forge the new world."

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ab/Destroy_the_old_world_Cultural_Revolution_poster.png

[Randy W]

The supermarket has installed these little miniature swamp coolers (evaporative cooling) for when they don't want to run their A/C. There's a tank of water in the base, and the water evaporates through the white disc. They stand about six feet tall. The supermarket has installed about half a dozen, and they are surprisingly effective this time of year