Bare necessities?

[brasschef]

So, I've decided to start picking up all the information I can pertaining to wine making in preparation for this summer, when I will be trying it for the first time. I've been looking around online and see nothing but premade kits when I try to find out everything I need (and how much I can avoid paying for. I also found a (rather old) book in my school library but I'd like to get a few thoughts from the wine makers here.

So...in simple terms...what do I need to get started, and whats the best way of getting it on college student budget?

 

[TonyP]

In terms of what's needed, the basics to get started are a primary bucket, carboy (6 gallons), some 3/8 hose, a hydrometer, thermometer, siphon to fit the hose, some cleaner and sanitizer, a bung, and an airlock. Look at the sponsors here for some deals. Depending on where you are, Craigslist may be an option for used stuff. Also, a local wine making club may be a source.

 

[Arne]

Primary buckets may be had from local bakeries. Most times you can get them for nothing or a small charge. Tony P. gives you a pretty goodlist of what you need. Possibly something to bottle with also. Maybe find some gal. jugs and use those. A gal. is about as much work to make as 5 gal. tho and it seems to disappear in a hurry. Some wines come in gal. jugs. They are usually pretty inexpensive, but you can drink it and have a free jug. You really should have a hydrometer, but they are less than 10 bucks. Havn't bought one lately, but think the last one was around 7$. Host for siphoning/racking is pretty cheap. Can use clear tubing from a hardware store. Make sure you sanitize it before you use it. A few basic chemicals help. K-meta is cheap and used as a sanatizer and for protecting your wines. A couple of packs of wine yeast are not expensive. A racking cane is nice to get to the bottom of the carboy or bucket when transfering. Most of this stuff is pretty inexpensive. If you get into the winemaking thing you can slowly start buying stuff that costs more. I know over the years I have spent quite a bit on my little hobby, but a lot of the more expensive things are reusable. Carboys are reusable til you break them. Botttles are cleanable then reusable. Anyway you can start cheap and work your way up. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[brasschef]

Thank you so much, I'll definitely be looking in with a friend of my moms for his old throwaways, but for the most part this doesn't seem like it will be too much trouble

 

[brasschef]

If I may ask, why a 6 gal carboy specifically?

 

[novalou]

If I may ask, why a 6 gal carboy specifically?

Wine kits come as 6 gallon volume. You can get by with a 5 gallon carboy and a 1 gallon jug.

 

[Arne]

If I may ask, why a 6 gal carboy specifically?

I am not quite sure, but some of the kits are for 6 gal. Personally I do not own a 6 gal. carboy, but I have never done a kit. All mine have been made from scratch. I seem to be able to scrounge fruit and don't buy much of it. Bout all I have in my wines money wise are a few chemicals that don't amount to much, sugar, yeast, and cleaning materials. Don't count the fermenters and carboys as I reuse them. It is a fairly inexpensive hobby if you can find something to ferment without paying an arm and leg for it. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[jimmyjames23]

I've seen my friends father in law make wine from grapes with nothing more than a bucket and a lid.
No cleaning agents, no homogenized yeast, no hoses or even a hydrometer.
His wine is not very good.
But you can get away with a bucket, hose, Some potassium metabisulfite and most importantly of all… A hydrometer.
Plus. Look into buying juice from a wine makers outlet. I buy my juices from Vin Bon for $45 for 20 liters. And it comes in a food grade bucket.

Maybe your first batch should be "hobo wine".
Buy some Welches (or Walmart Great Value) unsweetened pure grape juice. Add sugar until your hydrometer reads between 1.080 and 1.090
Let sit 24 hours.
Drill a hole in the lid to affix a bung and airlock.
Stir.
Pitch yeast and cover with lid.
I've heard of people making 5 gallons for under $20 with this method.

 

[jimmyjames23]

Where are you located? See if one of us can find you a local source for juice. They're half the price of most kits.

 

[brasschef]

I'm planing to use my own fruits, actually. The previous owner of my dads house was a huge gardener, and left behind tons of scuppernongs, plums, figs, apples, and pears. Im in york SC, though if you think it'd be wiser to try with professionally farmed juice.

 

[jimmyjames23]

Beer and Wine Hobbies in Monroe is probably the closest. But I don't think you'll find fresh juice unless you try one of the 10 vineyards around Charlotte.

 

[brasschef]

Since I'm about 45 mins from charlotte I may have to look around a bit for future endeavors...or if the scuppernongs are less cooperative than expected. thank you for the recomendations. By the way, would a collapsible fermentation jug be an acceptable alternative to a carboy? I'm finding 5 gallon ones priced pretty far below anything else that size.

 

[jimmyjames23]

If you can fit a bung in it with an airlock and its food safe I don't see why not.

 

[Arne]

If you are going to start off with fresh fruit, if I may give you a small hint. Go buy a little bit of concentrate juice at the grocery. Make a gal. batch or two or five. It will give you some idea of the process and give you a little confidence when you start with the fruits. Make a batch of skeeter pee, won't cost you much and you get to drink it pretty early. Lets you try some of your product fast. Get your feet wet with something simple and when the good fruits come along make some good wine. Also, make sure the fruit is good and ripe when you start using that. Good fruit makes good wine. Arne.

 

[seth8530]

Yeah, pretty much what everyone else said. Get some practice with the process. I would recommend a skeeter pee for your first wine just because it is so simple and would help you understand how everything works. Also, you would have something drinkable in a relatively short amount of time.

 

[brasschef]

Thank you for all of he help, I think I will try making a batch of skeeter pee so I dont gt confused and waste good scuppernongs....plus since they dont really grow untill summer...I think I'll have time for both.

 

[garymc]

Right now is the time you need to prune those vines and fruit trees. Google, visit a nearby vineyard, or research this site to learn about pruning and caring for the vines. Just about every major state university in the south has muscadine research published. Making wine from muscadines is not rocket science. Just read up on it between now and then right here on this site. One thing, though. People up north who grow bunch grapes and have no experience with muscadines will give you advice that is not applicable to muscadines. They're trying to be helpful, but you should always determine if your source of information is talking about muscadines or bunch grapes. Here's a pretty complete guide to muscadines: http://www.smallfruits.org/Muscadines/production/MuscadineGro/toc.htm

 

[garymc]

I guess I pushed the thread drift here. Continually monitor Craigslist searching carboy and carboys or other items you're looking for. Often someone quitting the hobby will have other items for sale with their carboys. I've bought carboys, chemicals, a corker, a syphon hand pump, etc on Craigslist over a period of a year.

 

[jimmyjames23]

I looked on CL for him. It's pretty sad in York for wine hobbyist. We may have to get a donation pool going.

 

[garymc]

Like I said, continually monitor. Over a period of months, something will come along. I've also bought from Amazon, and from an actual, physical, real world wine supply store.