Equipment Recommendations

[MikeC]

Hello!
I know this has been touched on in other posts, but some of those are somewhat old and I thought I'd make my first post with this question.


I'm going to dive into home winemaking, and I'm considering the Deluxe or Premier starter packages. In addtion to what is offered with these kits, is there anything else that is recommended? Any experiences with additional items that are "well worth it"?


Thanks!

 

[sangwitch]

Welcome MikeC! Glad to have you on board.


Well, I just checked out George's "Deluxe" and "Premier" starter kits. I would say you're going to be fully equipped with either kit. It looks like the main differences are the bottle filler, mix stir (plastic vs. stainless steel) and the corker. If you can swing the money I would recommend the Premier kit. The floor corker is going to make bottling 100% easier. And if it turns out that winemaking is not for you, there is a lot more resale value in the floor corker than the hand corker. As for the filler... I still use a wand and I'm happy with that for now, but I hear the gravity filler makes things a lot easier as well. The mix stir... stainless is better. I broke one of the plastic ones the other night.


As for what other equipment you might need... I have several of those big blue tubs that I bought from Walmart, which come in real handy. Also, I highly recommend (I'm sure everyonewillagree) getting a carboy handle. And since I'm spending your money here, a bottle brush and a spigot brush will help with clean up. The only other things I can think of off-hand are more cleaner and sanitizer. What's included in the kit will not last long at all.


Let us know what you decide. Good luck and, again, welcome to the forum. I'm sure you'll soon be buying extra carboys, bungs, air locks, etc.

EDIT: A bag de-capper will help save some spills if you're going to be making kit wines. Edited by: sangwitch

 

[masta]

Welcome MikeC,


I agree with sangwitch and the Premier starter kit is the way to go since many of the extras will be what you end up buying in the future if you get addicted like many of us here.


I would add an extra carboy since evenmaking one kit at a time it will save time and extra work....and handles are a must have with all your carboys.

 

[sangwitch]

great point masta. There will be a point in the process where you have to transfer the wine from the carboy to a clean carboy leaving the sediment behind. Withouta second carboy you'll have totransfer the wine into the primary bucket, clean the carboy and thentransfer back from the primary to the carboy. This will leave your wine exposed to oxygen for too long.

 

[masta]

We all know what happens when you get two carboys and leave them alone for too long !!!

 

[sangwitch]

No... what happens when you leave two carboys alone together?

 

[smurfe]

The other fellows covered it pretty well. I really don't consider the Premiere kit as Premiere. I view it as necessary. You will use all of the items and as stated, you will probably end up buying the stuff anyway. So, if you can afford it, go for the premiere kit.


The extra carboys are a great idea as well. I would recommend at least one extra and then go ahead and start figuring space for all of the other carboys you will buy. I made it to 7 really quick and cut myself off. I am now considering a few more as I have been bulk aging my wines instead of bottling as soon as I could. That is because I am lazy though. I have 3 batches that could of been bottled last August.


You picked a great place to shop and a great forum to hang out at. Welcome aboard and get that starter kit ordered. One other thing I can add is to carefully evaluate the various levels of wine kits. You might want to upgrade your first kit wine kitdepending on the varietal you choose. Just ask about any of them and I am sure you will get an honest evaluation from one of the members here.


Welcome aboard!


Smurfe

 

[Steve]

If you have the money get the Ultimate Starter Kit.

The hobby is very addicting. I have only been doing this for about 2 years and have spent well over the cost of that kit...

 

[MikeC]

Thanks for the great advice. I like the ideas of the the extra carboys, handles, and even the Ultimate Starter Kit, although I'm sure I'll never get the Ultimatepast the warden (wife).


I have to add thatI'm impressed with this forum. I am a member of a lot of discussion forums, from old tractors to motor oil to computer technology. This is by far the most civil, friendly forum I've seen in a long time. I spent a lot of time reading through the forums for information and it's clear that the members here have a lot of class. I look forward to asking a lot of questions and someday answering a lot of questions to another "newbie".

 

[geocorn]

Sang,


I love the picture. I may have to steal it for something... maybe a wine label or a sale. I sure I can come up with something.


The pic is great and says it all!


BTW, my kits have included the bag de-capper for quite some time and I have recently added the bottle brush to the deluxe and premier kit. I have thought about adding the carboy handle and airlock brush, but that just keep pushing the price up and my kits have become some of the pricier starter packages on the net. Yes, they are the most complete, but not everyone is looking for the complete package, just something to get started and they plan to add to it, if they like the hobby.

 

[geocorn]

BTW, MikeC, welcome aboard. Please call if you have any questions about the packages or would like me to customize one for you.

 

[Wade E]

Welcome aboard Mike. Youve come to the right place! George is by far
the best buisnessman Ive ever delt with and his shipments are prompt.
His brother Mark handles most if not all of the packaging and problems
are very few and far between and if something does happen, They are on
it like white on rice. The people here can answer any question you have
if given the proper info. When you start keep good records of what
youve done like exactly what and how much you put in and your starting
SG. Oh and youll need a digital camara to take pictures and post them.
We like pictures here if you can.

 

[kutya]

Welcome Mike. I know any and all of your questions will be answered here.

 

[jsmahoney]

Hello Mike! You've come to the right place!

 

[sangwitch]

Sang, I love the picture. I may have to steal it for something... maybe a wine label or a sale. I sure I can come up with something.

I'd be honored if you used it! I threw it together real quick because of masta's post soif I have some time I'll mess around with it and come up with something that looks better.


I thought of another piece of equipment if you're going to be hanging around the forum... a camera!

and joking aside... a notebook.

 

[MikeC]

It's ordered! I've ordered the Deluxe kit, along with a few other items I'm sure I'll need (thanks to the help from this post).


I also have to thank George for the quick email response to my shipping questions. It's refreshing to do business with someone who clearly has an interest in customer service.


You can bet I"ll have lots of questions, and when it's ready, I'll raise the first glass from the first bottle to the folks here.

 

[Wade E]

And well most likely have a glass in our hand at that moment to say Salute!

 

[PolishWineP]

It's ordered! I've ordered the Deluxe kit, along with a few other items I'm sure I'll need (thanks to the help from this post).


I also have to thank George for the quick email response to my shipping questions. It's refreshing to do business with someone who clearly has an interest in customer service.


You can bet I"ll have lots of questions, and when it's ready, I'll raise the first glass from the first bottle to the folks here.

Congratulations!

And, welcome to the forum. We look forward to hearing your questions. And I think the reason George gives such great customer service is the fact that he really enjoys what he does!

 

[MikeC]

The toys arrived yesterday. Everything was well packaged and arrived faster than I thought it would. Guess what I'll be doing this weekend?


I do have a new found respect for the powerful combination of static electricity and packing peanuts after unpacking everything!

 

[grapeman]

Nice kit Mike. Good luck with it. When you get the money, order the floor corker-either type. They are both worth the money.