Clan of Vintners : Duty Log

[RAGNAR]

(20:58:58 ) ST


: The Watch Commander walks towards Mercilayne and meets her about halfway. "Mercilayne of the Vintners Clan... Orders from the Ubar. You are now the Vintner Clan Elder. Arlon remains of the Clan but is relieved of duty as the Elder. Take over and good luck!"

[Mercilayne]

We resupplied at Turia on the way to our current camp site for this summer.  The supplies are in good order and we have plenty.  It was definately needed as a lot of the supplies were at a low.  Everything should be up to par supply wise and what fixes were needed for the vats and barrels were gotten and have been placed since we stopped.  Everything was unpacked and set up so we can being our work.

The Clan has already started one batch of ta grape wine and it is currently aging before we will bottle it.  It shouldn't be too long before it is ready to transfer ino the bottles if needed.  A batch of honey mead is completed as well and lacks a hand in being ready to be put out for general consumption. 

Tonight another batch of the ta grape wine was pressed and settled into the first of the four rackings that we will finish over the next 4 days before the yeasts and then later, the fixers added to it.  An ale was also started tonight and should finished in around 3 hands once it was aged to be drinkable. 

Some fruit has also been pressed and the juices bottled along with a second pressing of the fruits which would result in a slightly weaker juice but still tasty.  We are attempting to restock on this as well as the juices practically ran out during migration.  This is being done mostly by the apprentices just now with supervision. 

I hope to start a batch of ka la na wine in the next few days.


If anyone has anything that they would particularlly like to see made or something specific, let me know and we'll see what we can't do. 

[Mercilayne]

Fresh batches of ka la na as well as honey mead and ale are ready for the camp.  Various bottles of fruit juices have been pressed as well and made ready, as well as the second pressing of them too, which are slightly more watery than the orginals, but just as good and will do just as well to rid one of thirst.

I've been considering making a batch of the Anisette that is in the Clan knowledge to see if it would go over well in trading the next time we are in Turia.   I'll probably start on that in the next day or so.

We have also made a small batch of Peach Wine.  There isn't much of it, around 30 bottles total.  They will be ready at the end of the hand.  As promised, first bottles are to be delivered to Sarant.  If it is sucessful, I'll consider another batch soon.  Maybe for trade as well. 

[Mercilayne]

Why is it that I'm always so behind in these logs?  One of life's mysteries I guess.


Winter Migration is over with now and we are at the new camp site, the clan wagons are being unpacked and set up for use once more.  As soon as we get to resupply at the Point, the wine vats will be put to use, they are currently unpacked and being set up.  Paga will have to be made as well as soon as some Sa Tarna is acquired as well.  Of course fruits for juices will be needed as well.

We did manage to get a batch of honey mead started and it's now on its first day.  In about 2 weeks it should be ready for consumption.

The clan is currently in the process of sorting and reorganizing.  The wines, meads, ales, various drinks, and juices that are the oldest and in the back of the wagon are being pulled to the front and piled up to be taken to the commissary wagon.  It's a various mix of things that have been pushed to the back and overlooked.  It frees up a lot of room as well for what will be made and stored soon.

The palm wine that was bought in Turia had somehow been put into the freight wagons of the clan instead of the camp wagons, it's in the process of being transfered out as well.  Although we're keeping 10 cases of it back in the Vintner's freight wagons just so that the camp wagons won't be overwhelmed.

If anyone has any requests for anything, either juices, wines, liquors, etc...  Let me know and we'll see what can't be done.

[Mercilayne]

It seems to be nearing Migration time once more, how long is still anyone's guess.  Acutally a lot has been accomplished during the recent months since we managed to set up and get started once more.  Production has been steady, gone fairly smoothly with minimal losses.  Some bottles and crates as well as a few casks will have to be replaced soon seeing as how some were broken in various times lately.

Once more, I have been experimenting with the wines.  The peach wine seems to be a pretty good success and a few more batches of it have gone out.  This last batch, one case (20 bottles) went to the Hunter's clan wagon for Sarant.  I might to try to add some other herbs and flavors in the next batch, that will depend on when it is and what my mind is occupied with if I recall to try it or if it gets put off again. 

I've also tried to make some larma wine as well.  It is a small batch, just to see if it's well received and any good.  Since Salem's the one who suggested it, one crate (20 bottles) of it is being sent to his wagon so he can be a taste tester.  One crate is also being sent to the Ubar's wagon for him to try out as well.  I don't expect to hear from either for a couple hands as I know how busy that they both are.  The wines will do wel in sitting though, so it will not hurt them.

I also sent 20 bottles of honey mead to Taryn's wagon.  I know that she didn't request them, but as much as Taryn's been working lately, when she gets a chance for a break, she deserves it. 

My idea on the next hand or so, is to start to thin some of the fruit juices out.  put them into casks, mix most around 1/3 juice and 2/3 water for the upcoming Migration.  Keep everyone hydrated as needed with a little flavor as well.  I plan on asking Taryn when I see her next if she wants to keep the casks in her wagon where she often serves people from, or if they should stay in the clan wagon for now. 

The water barrels and what empty casks that we have as of now, will also be used to fill and store water soon enough. 

[Mercilayne]

Migration is over with and the Clan is once more set up and operational.   The Camp has been restocked from the wagons.. What little was needed.  During the Migration itself, not a lot was lost.  Some yes, but we expect some losses.   

A quick resupply in Turia has us back up to what we should be on supplies for the Clan.

We have recently come into possession of quite a bit of fruits that will go bad quickly.  So the Clan is pressing them as quickly as we can and a call was put out to the Camp to eat fruits if they wished before they went bad. 

[Arlon]

Wow, is this log overdue for updating... Winter Migration is done, everything secured in its place and operating. I started a fresh batch of honey mead last night -- a test batch before filling the three-cask order already on the books. Some will of course go to Dragonslair as always, some will go to the Commissary Wagon for the Home in general, and Izee has offered trade for some as well -- some of her reportedly excellent stew, which I will be delighted to try.
The supply run to The Point is imminent, so I've been busy today greasing axles and checking harness. I don't want anything untoward happening on the trip. I'm hoping I've enough coin from my recent travels to buy enough fruit, grain and especially yeast to keep things running at capacity for the Home. Supply levels are about as one would expect right after Migration -- namely, pretty darn low -- but I aim to solve that issue at The Point.

[Arlon]

Okay, so thus far at The Point, I may have gone... a touch overboard...? I have procured for the Clan the following:

1000 flats of Ta grapes
1000 crates Ka-La-Na fruit
1000 crates Larma fruit
5.5 Gorean weight of yeast

It is likely that much of this will get sent to the Commissary wagon eventually, as I have my doubts about the Clan using so much fruit no matter how hard we run the fermenters, but Tuchuk will <i>not</i> run out of spirits before Summer Migration. Also, Merci has returned to us and will have her still up and running to produce paga for Tuchuk.. and for DRAGONSLAIR and the Med wagon, since that was the trade for the captured Kassar wagons I had to trade with the bulk-goods merchant to carry the larma and kalana (and, frankly, probably part of the grapes as well).

Since the merchants are in good spirits this trip, I may check with the Vintner's Supply Lodge and see about acquiring another fermenter and perhaps a second press as well. So far I've spent all of 42 of the clan's gold, so I don't think we're hurting overmuch yet. Especially since with so much stock to bottle, I'm hoping to maybe put some of these next runs back to trade in a year or two, after they've aged.

Last point, but by far the least -- WELCOME HOME MERCILAYNE!!!!

[Arlon]

Alecya and the thralls and myself delivered numerous kegs, casks, cases, etc of various spirits to the Commissary yesterday: ale, honey mead, paga, juices, wines both grape and ka-la-na, even sul paga and rence beer, all for the Yule celebration tonight and tomorrow. Tuchuk will not be partying on a dry palate! *W*

---Arlon

[Arlon]

On another note, the test batch of honey mead I had started before the trip to The Point had been safely removed from the fermenter and bottled by the time we returned, thanks to the efforts of the Clan in general. 53 of the small mead bottles made 6 cases of 8 bottles each, with 5 bottles left over. Honestly not a very bad yield, I'd say, but it will be the last batch bottled into those small bottles. After this point the mead will go into wine bottles like everything else we ferment, to simplify logistics for the Clan at resupply time.

---Arlon

[Arlon]

On Buddha's wagon porch, delivered two nights past by thralls and a cart: One keg fresh-brewed paga with complimentary carrying skin for convenience. Enjoy!

---Arlon

(Copying this to the Requests and Services thread for convenince....)