The Ferm

There is the Ferm Bible. And there is the referm. The Ferm Bible is a marble notebook that I often heard referred to during the past week. Brix testing and temperature results are recorded in the book.

Fermentation is usually left to occur on its own with naturally occurring yeasts but when the little guys don't behave, store bought yeast is a last resort to reinvigorate the fermentation process. This is called referm.

There were two errands today: go to the yeast department store and go to the wine making hardware store where tanks of SO2 are sold in the same method you'd get a tank of butane for a grill.

Speaking of grills, lunch was at Dan's Giant Burgers. A greasy spoon icon in Fairfield where two young ladies flip and fry patties while chatting up customers. Abe, Graeme, Helen and myself sat at the counter next to a case where strawberry cream pie awaited should any of us have room for dessert.

Dan's Giant Burgers is a slice of Americana as big and bright as the quarter inch slabs of American cheese they use there. This week was as much about learning wine making as learning about the locals, and the people passing through, like Helen. I'll save my final post to talk more about Helen and some other of the characters of the cast who colored my week so vividly.

I can't believe tomorrow is my last day and it is bittersweet.