This was the last time Hui Chin and I were going to walk into this shop. This year anyway. Unless we were to run out of wine labels.
Bottling day. After sitting at the Wine Making store for two months, our wine was finally ready for bottling. 30 bottles of Merlot.
We started by extracting a wine sample using the siphoning beaker a.k.a. the wine thief so that we could determine the alcohol level of the wine. I believe it was 11%. Or was it 19%. Oh, never mind. I think I sometimes give out too much information.
The next step in bottling involved a device that pumped the wine out of the vat into the bottle. The device works a little like a gas pump as it stops pumping once it detects that wine has reached the neck of the bottle. Having as little bubbles on the surface wins you the distinction of good pumper.
Next, we cork the bottles. I would have to say that this was my favorite part. This is what the corking machine looks like, it has a long lever, a base on which to put the bottle, and a slot in which to put the cork. You start by putting the bottle on the base, insert the cork into the cork holder and pull the lever. Pulling the lever does two things; the cork gets squeezed in the cork hold, and a rod like thing comes along and pushes the cork into the bottle.
The final part of the bottling process involved sealing the bottle. Hui Chin and I had a field time picking from the store's wide selection of seals. Bottles are sealed by putting the seal over bottle and turning it 360 degrees with the neck of the bottle sitting in a heating coil. Sealing was really tricky as you had 2 seconds to put the bottle in, twist it and pull it out.
And voila. 29 and a half bottles of wine. It's a pity Hui Chin and don't drink wine.
Bottling day. After sitting at the Wine Making store for two months, our wine was finally ready for bottling. 30 bottles of Merlot.
We started by extracting a wine sample using the siphoning beaker a.k.a. the wine thief so that we could determine the alcohol level of the wine. I believe it was 11%. Or was it 19%. Oh, never mind. I think I sometimes give out too much information.
The next step in bottling involved a device that pumped the wine out of the vat into the bottle. The device works a little like a gas pump as it stops pumping once it detects that wine has reached the neck of the bottle. Having as little bubbles on the surface wins you the distinction of good pumper.
Next, we cork the bottles. I would have to say that this was my favorite part. This is what the corking machine looks like, it has a long lever, a base on which to put the bottle, and a slot in which to put the cork. You start by putting the bottle on the base, insert the cork into the cork holder and pull the lever. Pulling the lever does two things; the cork gets squeezed in the cork hold, and a rod like thing comes along and pushes the cork into the bottle.
The final part of the bottling process involved sealing the bottle. Hui Chin and I had a field time picking from the store's wide selection of seals. Bottles are sealed by putting the seal over bottle and turning it 360 degrees with the neck of the bottle sitting in a heating coil. Sealing was really tricky as you had 2 seconds to put the bottle in, twist it and pull it out.
And voila. 29 and a half bottles of wine. It's a pity Hui Chin and don't drink wine.
on January 29, 2012, 10:42 pm
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