Month: October 2023

October 17, 2023 – Lessons From Deer Camp

October 17, 2023 /

When I was young, I used to envision that I would hunt and fish to my heart’s content. Getting married and setting additional priorities has changed that. I still wish that I would have the freedom and not feel guilty about taking time to do what I want but make no mistake, there is a changing of philosophy.

This year, deer camp was more about father/son time. I brought my son with me and of course I was hunting with my dad (and uncle and brother). When I was young, around eight, my dad used to alternate taking me and my brother hunting. I used to look forward to this time for weeks ahead of time. When it was my brother’s week I used to spend an hour questioning and trying to get the low down on what happened. It is hard to express how jacked up I was by missing out and looking forward to my week.

Now that my dad is in his mid-seventies, the opportunities to spend this kind of time is dwindling rapidly. And more so than that, my son’s time is dwindling as well. He is a senior this year and a lot of his familial interactions have been with his mother’s side of the family. So, it is kind of a opportunity to make up for lost time. I was really a senior when I started to spend time with my mom’s father so it is not too late and was definitely a worthwhile endeavor.

The season that we had tags for lasts nine days. It started on Saturday and ended on the following Sunday. The weather was not favorable for hunting. Yes, mid-eighties sure is nice camping weather but it makes for a pretty dire chance to see animals. For that reason, we did hunt but I also took the opportunity to look around too.

One afternoon, the temp was in the mid-eighties and my son and I went to to see something called ‘Hole in the Ground’. This was apparently a geothermal vent where water got trapped and ultimately exploded causing a giant depression. Unfortunately, the picture does not do it justice. I would say that it this is why going to deer camp was valuable. I would never just spend the time to drive to it or make it a deliberate destination but it is something that we can share as unique to this trip.

I used to be pretty rigid about missing school but that has changed. Not only is my son a senior so there is not much more that he is really going to learn but my observations of the quality of that time has been diminished. I observed in 2020 that seniors just graduated at spring break. This tells me that even the school system really doesn’t take those extra months of ‘education’ seriously. What is a couple of days?

Weighing the time spent family bonding versus a couple of days of school is no question. These are memories that don’t come any other way versus another forgettable high school day. All that being said, I could only afford to take one day off because of my new job so he only missed one day of school. In that case, it really was a minimal disruption.

Ultimately, I don’t really care if my son develops a desire to hunt. I am relatively certain that my vegetarian son won’t. So whatever our future looks like, we will have to meet where we are. I happen to hold many of the same interests that my dad has. That makes it relatively easy. I plan on half-heartedly pursuing hunting and fishing the rest of my life. But, my son’s and I may have to find other places to meet in the middle.

We did see other things, like we saw a wild badger; that was a first for me. We saw how men should behave in an all male setting. I gave him a the freedom to go explore on his own and make some of his own decisions in this setting. I taught my son how to perform a proper deer drive. I think all of those things are character building experiences.

End Your Programming Routine: We left with only three days of hunting put in while everybody else was going to stick out the rest of the week. For our portion, it was scarce on seeing deer and nothing bagged in camp. That is OK because what we got was much more valuable than a trophy. It was me and my son spending time together that we rarely do and hopefully this will be a worthwhile memory. It was for me.

October 16, 2023 – Do You Want To Be Recognized or Accomplished?

October 16, 2023 /

In an interview that I recently heard with the author Robert Coram about John Boyd. You can listen to hear all of the details but the interview introduced this topic of career recognition versus career accomplishment. This in turn revealed the source of some internal turmoil and made some sense out of it for me. If you are like me, then maybe it will be for you too.

October 13, 2023 – We, Records 36-40

October 13, 2023 /

This is the end friend. Yes for the book and for the story. It definitely doesn’t have a happy ending but again, you can see the influence that the story has on 1984. It is almost the same story with different characters and a different plot story.

And now for a quick plot summary. D-503 was discovered and knocked out before he could implement the plot to hijack the Invictus. As a result, he is brought before the Benefactor to explain himself. D-503 revealed some details of the plot and was inexplicably let go again. This led to one final meeting with I-330 whereby D-503 revealed that he has already implicated I-330. He couldn’t bear to live with himself as is and decides to have the surgery to eliminate his imagination. After that, he confesses all and I-330 is captured and sentenced to death.

As you know, next week I will do a complete review of the book. But, before that what can we learn about this section? What I take away is that it is hard to do the thing that is contrary to the flow. It becomes even worse when that thing is potentially life risky.

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I don’t think every 1940s German thought that Jews/Gypsies/and others should have been exterminated. We have heard plenty of stories of people that risked everything to save someone. But, that was a very difficult decision to make. In fact, I think that there were probably plenty of people that felt the same way, they were too scared to act on that belief.

To make it more complicated, what if it was your spouse on the target list and you were part of the Nazi party, totally bought in on the platform? Imagine the mental anguish in that situation? I think that most people would probably compartmentalize their safety over that of someone else. I am not making a value judgement, it is simply how I evaluate human nature. I don’t know how I would behave in that situation. I do know that I have had a number of opportunities to be a contrarian.

About two years ago, I went to the Elks meeting where we voted to accept and offer to sell the gun club. We already knew that the fix was in. The local lodge was in dire straights when it came to finances. A majority of the active members desperately desired to use the proceeds of the property sale to finance a new lodge. Mind you, this is the same group that is struggling to pay weekly bills.

Only two of the members voted no for approving the sale. It was me and the head trap coach. After the meeting was over, there were several members that came by us and said ‘I really wanted to vote no, but I was afraid of what so and so would think’. And that is the power of group think. People did actions that they otherwise did not believe in because of the potential repercussions.

So goes life. Fortunately, we are not dealing with a genocide decision. Probably what makes it easier for me is that I joined the Elks because of the range. That makes me an informal participant, not really what a member is supposed to do. In fact, you are technically supposed to ask for permission to not attend the weekly meeting. It is not that I don’t believe in the mission, but the reality is that I am less connected and so it is a lot easier to cast a dissenting vote and leave. I have other stories about situations where I am more invested but I will save that for another time.

Getting back on topic, D-503 is in an untenable position. He doesn’t have the guts and conviction to follow the lead of I-330 nor does he have the fortitude to stand against United State knowing that is likely a death sentence.

End Your Programming Routine: Truth and righteousness is really a subjective topic. Is it really lying if someone is asking questions that is none of their business? Yes, it is but the subjective part is whether they are worthy of the answer in the first place. Therefore, the morality question is much deeper than a simple binary truth/lie. We need to be prepared to justify our positions on contentious subjects if that is the case. I hope that you consider this point of view the next time someone is prying into your life.

October 12, 2023 – I Hate Pumping

October 12, 2023 /

Every since I purchased my Crossman Optimus spring piston, air rifle my Crossman 1000 has sat in the corner. I don’t think that there is anything wrong with it but that it is a variable pump rifle. That means to get the same performance (actually less than) from the 1000 to the Optimus, it takes twelve pumps. I know that I am aging, but this wears you me as well as it takes a long time for a follow up shot.

I continue to collect pellet ballistic data, looking for that magic combination of energy between velocity and weight. The other day, I was thinking, I should do some work with the Crossman 1000 because it also shoots BBs. Maybe I can practice even cheaper? Maybe I can burn up those BBs I loaded on day one and haven’t shot since I went to pellets with the Optimus?

I am not going to bore you with more numbers. I find it interesting and maybe if you really want, e-mail me for the results. But, one of my going in theories was that BBs would not be accurate. As I was trying to measure velocities across that 1 1/2″ window, I was struggling. I shot probably 30 shots to get ten measurements. When you have to pump the rifle 12 times with increasing force, it really gets to be a chore.

The scope that comes with the rifle is cheap and barely useable. I do not recommend the Crossman 4×15 that you can purchase for $20. Since mine came with the rifle, I will use it for now until I get fed up with it. The point of that is that it is not easy (or clear) to see through it well. But, from what I could see, it looked like was shooting all over the place. Hence, why it took me so many shots to get measurements.

All of these shots were from a rest with 12 pumps at 10 yards. The ones in the red represent the first 5 shots whereas everything else happened afterwards. It is no wonder I struggled to get measurements with the chronograph.

I started out with a whole series of velocity/energy measurements with BBs and pumps just like I did with pellets. This time I went 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12 pumps. Skipping all of those other intervals saved my arms a lot of movement and I didn’t really care to get that much data. I am pretty sure the velocity curve follows the one that I previously calculated for pellets. The other thing that I did differently was measure the velocity at the target (10 yards). The reason I did that was because I am trying to determine how effective this rifle with BBs really for pest elimination.

I already know that 8 ft/lbs at the muzzle is lethal on pests. The last thing I want is an ineffective tool. After I got all of my measurements, the next thing that I wanted to determine was how accurate is this rifle with BBs anyway. So, I just started shooting at targets. At first, my groupings were pretty tight, then things started to go a little wonky.

By the time I got through my planned magazine, I was struggling to pump the rifle even on the first stroke. After I ran my magazine dry, I tried another test. I simply cocked the bolt and pulled the trigger. Low and behold, it fired. Then I did it again and it fired again. I did it a third time and it was just the thud of the spring.

So, it appears that twelve pumps puts more air in the chamber than is used to drive the BB. This is the cause of the increasing difficulty to charge the rifle after firing. I believe that it is also the cause of increasing inaccuracy. I really don’t know where the line is between expected results and chaos, but I would say five shots is a safe bet since that is where I got my best groups.

I am going to continue this test with other pumps groups. The reason being is that I am trying to determine if it is even worth training marksmanship with this rifle and BBs. Ideally, I would like to know this rifle well enough that I could say, this is where I train and this is where I could use it if need be. After all, an inaccurate rifle is pretty much useless. You don’t do anything for marksmanship or pest elimination and you might shoot something that is not intended.

End Your Programming Routine: The big drawback is the multiple pumps. I am hoping that my data says that 3 pumps is adequate. This would relegate the Crossman 1000 to mostly just target shooting, but it would be worth it for the practice. If the accuracy proves to be a problem, then it may relegate the rifle to the garage sale pile.

October 11, 2023 – Totality Again

October 11, 2023 /

What kind of nerd would I be if I didn’t get excited about somewhat rare astronomical phenomenon? The video I am posting today was from our total eclipse in 2017. We didn’t even have to leave our deck to watch the several minutes long spectacle. The video my son took and we had a small party. At that time, I was letting him post on my YouTube channel and so it is still there.

The video does not do it justice. The time was approximately 11 AM in August and you can see that it looks like twilight for several minutes. For those of you not in the path of totality like I am on this one in 2023, you might not see much. We are expecting about 90% coverage in this area.

What you see is it looks almost normal until right before the moon totally covers the sun. Then all of a sudden, it is like a dimmer switch rapidly turned down. It goes from normal brightness to a twilight feel in a matter of seconds. They sky is a grey/blue not like the colors at sunset but a unique hue that comes with the sun being blocked by the moon for a couple of minutes.

I personally did not notice this, but I heard reports of birds and insects suddenly quiet. There was much excitement in the air anyway. Towns hosted festivals and for a few minutes, all eyes were in the sky.

We started hearing about this event (2017) about a year before it was to happen. I think we heard about this current eclipse about the same time frame. It has been on our calendar for months anyway. For us, the eclipse will be Saturday October 14, at 9:18 AM give or take a few minutes. I would err on the side of give if you want to ensure you will see it. Be sure to get some specialized glasses to protect you eyes, especially if you want to watch the partial process. I am seeing them in the stores for $0.99 a piece, a small price to pay for safety.

If I want to travel about 45 minutes south, then I could be in the path of totality. As it is, we are volunteering at the OSU Beavers football game to raise money for our son’s senior party. And so, I don’t know if we will even be able to watch. That being said, you can see the path, times and locations of the solar eclipse here.

Another factor to consider is the weather. Having an eclipse in mid-August in Oregon is a near guarantee that things will be clear and visible. It is the driest month on average. That being said, the forecast as I write today is overcast. This means that there is a good chance that we will not be able to see the eclipse at all. That also means for the best chance to see it, head southeast of Eugene to central Oregon. Weather on that side of the state is typically 25-50% better in terms of cloud cover.

End Your Programming Routine: You don’t have to be a nerd to enjoy this event. I think everybody would be awed by totality. I highly recommend that if you are close and you have never seen it to do it. Having experienced totality, I think that the extra effort is worth it considering you hardly notice a partial eclipse. Regardless of where I am at or what the weather is doing, I am going to look if I get the chance.

October 10, 2023 – Talkin’

October 10, 2023 /

As part of my recent deep dive into technojunk, today I am writing about GMRS (General Mobile Service Radio). You know, those inexpensive walkie-talkies that advertise a 20 mile range. But, before that I am going to update my status with my other endeavors in this arena.

Since I am coming back from a long weekend of hunting, I am writing this ahead of time. At least at the time of writing, I have successfully installed the driver for my SDR (Software Defined Radio). I can hear consistently broadcast FM stations. I am still working on installing the program that I want to run on Linux called SDR++. Eventually, I will need to add a second SDR in order to make the scanner work.

I also purchased a CB last week. This is a great tool if you are going to be in the woods during the week. The reason is that it helps you stay in touch with what is happening. Log trucks are on the CB frequency and I don’t know if you have ever seen the roads, but you don’t want to come head to head with a semi truck. This will be my entry into CB because you know it takes two to communicate. I have plans to add more radios. One final reason that I did it was because my dad has a CB and so I think it offers communication is an area that phones will not work.

When you buy these inexpensive walkie-talkies and read the instructions, it says that there are some frequencies that require a license. FRS stands for Family Radio Service and I already said what GMRS stands for. But what does it mean? Well, FRS frequencies are from 462.5625 to 467.7125 MHz and GMRS is 462.55 to 462.725 MHz. And what it really means is that these walkie-talkies can operate on both spectrums. Furthermore FRS is open like CB whereas GMRS is supposed to require a license.

As far as I know, no one has ever been prosecuted for using a GMRS frequency without a license but you should know before you use those channels what the expectations are. I am not entirely sure why they actually require a license to use, but regardless it is a pretty low bar of entry. The license only requires paying a fee and it is good for ten years. I am thinking that I will just go ahead and get the license.

I have been aware of this requirement for a long time. My frugal solution was to stick to channels on the FRS band. Over time, I don’t have all of those channels and frequencies memorized and I don’t remember what I should and should not use. I think that the cost of entry is pretty cheap and if I am thinking of going further into radio I might as well be above the board.

In case you didn’t get the title innuendo, you have to go back to the mid-2000’s to the song Ridin’. “Try to catch me ridin’ dirty.” I heard this phrase when I lived in SC and it means driving without tags (or legally). That is what it is talking on GMRS without a license. Anybody can buy a radio and in theory start using it. This is also true in the ham radio band in the 144.0-144.1 and 219-220 MHz. That is the honest truth, while it does require a license to use these radios, there is nothing stopping you just like speeding.

Generally, I am not for most sorts of regulation. In this case, it probably isn’t a bad thing. I don’t know if you noticed, but GMRS and FRS overlap in their frequency range. What if you started broadcasting over the cell phone range? We have collectively agreed that there should be some boundaries in use of the electromagnetic spectrum for purposes of safety and privacy and even exclusivity.

I know that it is strange to hear, but not all government rules are useless. It is the purpose of the federal government to setup rules when common interests overlap. Some of the intent of the mission is to keep noise off of frequencies used for safety and security. I think that we all want the ambulance to arrive in our time of need. They lose their way when it comes to administrative power and enforcement and move beyond scope of purpose.

I realize that I went kind of technical today. For me, I am learning so much about what things use what frequencies, it is kind of like assembling a puzzle. I will try to keep the jargon down to a minimum in the future, but I may do a more technical post so that I can refer to that as a baseline.

End Your Programming Routine: In the end, I don’t really care whether you use the GMRS frequency without a license. I feel like the radios are so inherently limited in range and usefulness that it really doesn’t hurt. I have had trouble using them from car to car on a road trip, so it is a really localized problem and whatever harm can be had by improper use is pretty well contained. That being said, I feel like it is my duty to investigate the process, benefits and drawbacks.

October 9, 2023 – How to Keep From Getting Old

October 9, 2023 /

I think that we all want to be comfortable. It’s OK to take advantage of the experience that we have hard earned. After all, why not benefit from the work we have done? It’s not OK to never learn anything again. I know, it is hard to step outside when it is cold and raining and do the hard work but it is necessary for us to continue to push boundaries and keep trying if we want to stay young.

October 6, 2023 – We, Records 31-35

October 6, 2023 /

I can say that I finished the book, but no spoilers for you. It was probably silly to break 100 page book up into eight segments, but I did. I only had 18 pages remaining at the beginning of the chapter so I went ahead and finished it. I actually debated on just ending the review here, but I need to time to catch up on some other reading and if I push this forward, it will make me have to start the next book sooner. So, you will have to bear with me.

In these five chapters, you have primarily the internal struggle that D-503 has after agreeing to participate in the destruction of the Invictus. I-330 of course suspected that he would have moral dilemma about following through. The subplots that are happening are O-90 does actually want to go beyond the wall to raise the child and D-503 figures out that U- is an informer to the Guardians. Finally, there is something called the Operation that is going to remove the numbers imagination. Everyone is scheduled to have it performed.

I want to talk about bad tactics and strategy. I think that it is bad strategy to rely on someone that is not completely bought into the idea of participation. I think that it is pretty natural that someone where an idea is just revealed that there may be some trepidation. At the very least, they more than likely cannot be convicted to the cause.

When I was in Boy Scouts, I orchestrated an stunt that failed. I was going to get some scouts to capture some patrol flags in the middle of the night. I had printed up posters with mysterious sayings and had someone there go up early and post them around camp before all the other troops arrived. I even sought permission from the adult leaders to do this. When we went to bed, one scout was supposed to set an alarm and wake us up at midnight.

Guess what didn’t happen, they didn’t wake up to the alarm and therefore we didn’t do it. I was crushed and upset for all the effort that I put in to do this and it failed. I think silently, this was one of those events that led me to feel like I can’t trust other people with something that I really wanted to do. More so than that, it lead me down the path that whatever I really wanted done, I needed to do it myself.

I think in retrospect, this might have been a good thing. It was a little risky as in not really Boy Scout behavior. But, it also changed something in me, not just mindset for a drive to make myself better. I decided to join high school wrestling because I thought that it was the best opportunity to become fit and a better ‘warrior’. I never wrestled because I loved it or was good at it, I wrestled because I thought that it made me tougher and more hardcore.

I never was the even a good athlete, but I became tough and strong. I could outwork most people physically and I had a never give up attitude. I had strong personal discipline based on regimen and denial. I am nowhere near that rigid today, but the one thing it did for me was give me the confidence that I could set my mind to a something and pursue it no matter how hard it was.

OK, so that was a bit of a diversion. What I am trying to get across is that people not fully committed to a cause are going to have moral conflict. Or at least, they are not going to prioritize it to the same point that believers are going to. This leads to a higher degree of failure.

Clearly the resistance had some prior knowledge of D-503. He was targeted for his position with the Invictus project and they had research him and his habits. I think that it is a stretch to think that someone is going to be bought in with limited exposure to what is happening. This is particularly true when they didn’t even explain what they were up to until days before he was supposed to initiate the most critical part of the plan.

Quite frankly, there are lots of times that I agree to something because I think that it is the right thing to do or it would be good for me. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have some angst or anxiety or regret associated with the decision. These are not life risking decisions either. I suppose that it wouldn’t be a humanizing story without the element of doubt and risk. Stay tuned to next week for the exciting ending or read ahead to find out for yourself.

End Your Programming Routine: I think that if you are going to belong to a radical group, there is probably some sort of loyalty test that you need to develop if you are going to hinge your revolution on an unknown commodity. I mean, doesn’t that seem obvious. Seriously, I think that it is the same psychology that goes with the saying that partnerships struggle. You never know what the other person is really thinking or if they are totally committed to the endeavor. No surprises here but this is why my wife calls me glass half full. I almost expect failure and success is a pleasant surprise.

October 5, 2023 – It’s War!

October 5, 2023 /

We have become soft, most of us anyway. We live in a mostly sterile and sanitized world away from things that we perceive as icky. It wasn’t that long ago that we more or less coexisted with other creatures. In those times, it was more of a cat and mouse game, I will get you if you are in my space uninvited. After all, why do you think there was Tom and Jerry cartoons in the first place?

This goes part and parcel with the ever increasing urbanism. The farther we get from the edges of the wild, the less tolerance we have with interaction of the wild (at least on our terms). I don’t like having vermin in my house anymore than anybody else, but it happens. It is my turn again.

I was helping my dad the other day and we were wandering around his orchard picking apples and other things out of the garden as my ‘payment’. He showed me the holes around one tree and we discussed the particular type of vermin it might be. Was it a mole, a vole, a gopher? It’s hard to say without actually seeing it. More importantly, it better not impact the tree, that would be a death sentence.

This wasn’t the only thing we looked at. We saw where the mice? rat? chewed on the power line feeding the shoreline power to his camper. Then we went into the pole barn and saw droppings on top of the boat cover and speculated whether they were from bats or mice. My point with this was that these things are all around us.

I am an advocate for keeping a good, hunting cat. They will police the basic perimeter and do the day to day work of keeping vermin numbers lower. But, there becomes a certain size that they just cannot handle. Anything bigger than a small rat is too large for a cat. I have had my share of rats, squirrels, racoons etc that I have had to deal with over the years.

I can’t say what my exact problem is right now. I have not seen any droppings only some signs that an animal has gotten into some stuff. It almost makes me wonder if it is coming and going. Nevertheless, I don’t want it in and around my pantry goods. I didn’t start the fight, but it is on now.

I have been successful with both traps and bait. The last thing that I dealt with, I never saw. It helped itself to cereal, so I just mixed some cereal into the bait and that was the last time anything got into the cereal. I had an aggressive rat a few years ago. It was eating onions, peppers and dry goods every day. I used rat traps on that one. But, it was big enough that the trap didn’t actually kill the rat. I had to manually dispatch that one.

I have caught mice with sticky traps as well. The problem with those is humanely ending the problem. The solution that I find is quick is two bricks and a total crush. It is over in a split second for the unlucky mouse.

We had a bit of a mouse problem when we first moved in. Because I was renting a unit, I went ahead and paid an exterminator. He said that mice can get in within the space of fingernail. Rats can get in a hole the size of a quarter. Don’t forget that they also come in when the door is left unattended. The point being is keeping them out in the first place.

For bigger pests, the pellet rifle is a good friend. That of course means that you have to see them. The good news is that when they take up residence in your home, they are often around more frequently. I want to point out that many of these critters fall into the game regulations so do what you will with my recommendations. Also be aware that discharge of air powered weapons are likely not legal within city jurisdictions as well. As always, be mindful of the backdrop and your capabilities before doing anything.

End Your Programming Routine: My home is for invited guests only. I don’t say this with pride but I have had to kick out people that were a threat to my enjoyment of my property. That goes the same with animals that I didn’t invite in. It will end for that unfortunate animal at some point, I just have to be patient.

October 4, 2023 – Grape Juice, Method 3

October 4, 2023 /

This was not just a good year for apples but also for grapes. I got plenty of Concord grapes which best use is for juice. I have made wine with it before but the criticism for this wine is ‘grapy’. I concur. If I was to make wine with it, then I would probably use it for mulled wine or cooking. It is really not a sit down and have a glass situation.

If you recall last year, I attempted to use the apple press to squeeze the juice out. That worked, but it also required a lot of cleanup. Several years before, I used the Norpro Juicer. That worked as well but it sure packed the skins into the screen and required multiple stop and clean out operations. I stack rank the apple press over the Norpro but I want something better.

I did do some research on other options. Results I got that I am sort of loathe to try were to put the grapes in a blender or use a potato masher. I decided to try a third option. This was a light simmer.

The knock against this method is that heat potentially kills beneficial compounds found in the raw grape. If you were going to can the juice or make jelly, I don’t think you should give it a second thought. You have to heat those anyway to do those forms of preservation. My plan is really just to make juice to drink, but I am more interested in how easy and the mess factor that is involved rather that the nutrition nuances. Lets face it, if the option is less nutritious juice or letting them whither on the vine, you can guess where I come down on that decision.

Like all food processing, I start with cleaning and grading. I want to remove all of the split, moldy grapes as well as the insects that came around for the ride. Truthfully, if I am going to heat an pasteurize everything it probably really isn’t necessary but the thought of bird poop in my juice is quite a turn off.

I decided to de-stem all of my grapes. The reason that I did so was to give extra quality control. It allowed me to observe which grapes I was selecting. That being said, this took quite a bit of time. If I was truly looking for the simple button, then I would throw the whole cluster in the pot.

I turned the pot on medium low and set about to prepare dinner. Once the bottom layer started boiling I kept turning down the heat. I was trying to minimize the amount of heating, but I was doing other things so it was a low effort operation. I would say it was on the stove thirty minutes and probably simmering for twenty.

What you see in the picture was about a quarter of a 5 gallon bucket of grapes. That yielded about 1 quart of juice in this method. This took me about 30 minutes to prep and about another 30 minutes of filtration and clean-up. Still a lot of work.

I only juiced part of my grapes in this test. The next thing that I am going to do is try different levels of filtration. I used a hop bag to do this and it was too fine resulting in a lot of squeezing and manual manipulation. I think that it will be faster to do a two step filtration. An initial coarse filtration for the first press followed by a fine filtration for the finished juice. Of coarse, that will make more clean-up work, but I am hoping that the there is less clean-up time than squeezing time.

End Your Programming Routine: I am no juice connoisseur, but it tastes pretty good to me. My observation of the wine industry is that it takes a lot less care and handling with the grapes than I did for the juice. The reason is that it is too labor intensive to do what I did. That being said, don’t worry it will be fine. If you choose not to process your grapes, I wouldn’t blame you either.