We Are NOT Dead!

It's the start of the Halloween Season so the Heading seemed appropriate. I just wanted to get that in because it has been a long time since we've posted anything and it's a shame, cuz there is lot's to post.

We got our grapes from Prosser a week ago and the crushed grapes that became our must is currently percolating away. We pitched the yeast on Sunday after crushing the grapes last Wednesday. All seems to be going along smoothly. In a year, we will be bottling another batch of Tempranillo.

October 21st is the record set many years ago for the Boiler Game. Even though it has been an incredible Autumn with temperatures ranging in the 80's, it is getting close to time to fire up the boiler. I was prompted to make this post because I was checking the Blog to find out the exact date for the Boiler Game Record. I decided that since I was here, I should Blog. And so I am.

The boiler hasn't been fired up yet mainly because I was having leakage issues with the new radiator in the Living Room. We had it returned to the system earlier this Spring as we completed the Living Room project. It turned out to be a major project and I called in Handy Man Shaun to handle the re-installation. I had not filled the system until a week or so ago. I discovered a small but prolific leak in the right side joint. So I drained the system again and arranged to get my Boiler Guy (Shaun) here.

We finally arranged it for this evening. He arrived at 5:30 and the system was already filling. We enjoyed a beer and chatted while we waited for the system to fill and the leak to begin.

It took a while but the system was finally filled and to my surprise and Shaun's pleasure, no leak materialized. I just checked it again and it seems to be holding.

So now, the dilemma is whether I should fire up the boiler. I would like to go for the record, but the way the weather is, we are not going to make it past next Tuesday, which will be the 21st. So it really isn't a dilemma at all. I shall fire up the system and make sure it remains leak free.

10:10 PM: The system is fired up and operating. There is an ever so slight leak in the coupling joint of the Living Room Radiator. It drops a tear drop of water about every three minutes. It is collecting in a little bowl. It is slow enough that it should not be a problem through the night or through the work day, as long as we empty the bowl regularly. I'll contact Shaun and see where we go from here but I'm hoping it's small enough that it will seal itself. Yeah, sure! That happens all the time!