Showing posts with label shop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shop. Show all posts

Friday, August 21, 2015

How to Stock a Wine Cellar (8 Steps)


Start with a small inventory of 50 to 100 bottles, including two cases (12 bottles each) of wine for aging and a case of your favorite drinking wine, either white or red.
Taste, taste, taste! Tasting wines will help you discover your personal preference. Avoid buying wines just because they received a high rating from professionals or friends. See if you like them before you make an investment.
Balance your inventory. Indulge in one or two wines you particularly enjoy, and mix in bottles of other varietals and regions to suit guests' palates.
Save by stocking up on aging wines in their youth when prices are lower. Talk to someone at a reputable wine shop and get suggestions on particular wines that would benefit from aging. Bordeaux, Barolo and Brunello usually take up to 10 years of aging and can be purchased for a song ($15 to $20 a bottle) in their infancy. Some whites, such as grand cru and premier cru white Burgundy, high-quality white Bordeaux, German Riesling, Sauternes and Gewu'rztraminer, can benefit from aging as well.
Add several bottles of aperitifs and dessert wines. Dry sherry, champagne and sparkling wine suit late-afternoon sipping. Sauternes, vintage port and late-harvest Rieslings offer an after-dinner treat. See How to Select Good Champagne.
Draw the line on buying more than a case of wine if it's a new vintage or blend with no proven track record for aging; the merchant won't be able to give you an accurate estimate of how long to hold onto it before drinking.
Know what you own and be able to find it quickly. Make a database of your cellar's inventory. Give each wine a location number and listing, and include the wine's name, vintage, producer, appellation, vineyard name, region, country, type (red, white, rose', sparkling and so forth), quantity owned, price paid per bottle, value (latest estimated worth), and size of bottle (half-bottle, magnum and so on).
Keep the temperature of your wine closet, refrigerator or cellar between 50 and 65 degrees F (10 and 18 C) for reds, and 45 to 60 degrees F (7 to 15 C) for whites, or as directed by the vintner or wine merchant.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

How to Improve the Sound of Stock Harley Pipes


Remove the exhaust system from your Harley motorcycle. Most systems are attached with two bolts per pipe at the cylinder head and two bolts per pipe at the rear exhaust mounts. Because every Harley model is different, you will need to refer to your owner's manual for specific removal instructions.
Cover your motorcycle if you leave it outside, using a tarp or a bike cover. Take the exhaust system inside, wrap it in a towel or shop rag and clamp it securely in a vice or pipe-clamp. Attach a drill bit extension and a 3/4 inch metal-cutting drill bit to your hand-held drill.
Insert the drill bit into the end of one of the exhaust pipes. Push the drill bit into the pipe until you can't push it through anymore. You've just found the first baffle. Drill through the baffle carefully.
Push the drill bit further into the exhaust to locate the second baffle. Drill through this one in the same way as the first, then repeat the entire procedure for each remaining exhaust pipe. When you're finished drilling, remove the exhaust from the clamp and tap the end a few times to expel any remaining metal shavings.
Uncover your motorcycle and reinstall the exhaust system on the bike. Make sure every bolt is secure and tight, especially the cylinder head bolts, which create a necessary exhaust seal for the engine. Fire up your bike and have a listen to the new, louder, deeper exhaust tone.