Equipment

[bstnh1]

Some of the best advice I ever got on this forum was this: Skip the 1 gallon stuff and just get yourself a standard 6 gallon wine making kit, you'll end up making more wine anyway. You can get equipment kits anywhere from $70-$150 depending on the quality or at a minimum get yourself a 6 gallon bucket, hydrometer/measuring tube, siphon, and a 6 gallon carboy. The cost for the rest of the equipment and chemicals/sanitizers is pretty minimal.

I agree. Too much time and effort involved to make just one gallon.

 

[Scooter68]

I will have to respectfully disagree - for those starting out with limted budgets, or those doing fruit wines, 1 gallon batches are pretty sensible, especially if you are doing it with home orchard or garden source grapes/fruit.

Not everyone has the resources or maybe simply the space to spend on the larger amounts of wine. I started small and will probably never go beyond 3 gallon batches. That's all I need or want to do.
Secondly for someone starting out 1 gallon batches are a lot less worrisome - Messing up a 1 gallon batch, well not good, but; not a budget buster for most folks. I respect and fully understand those not willing to dive headlong into 5 or 6 gallon batches. Been there done that and I understand. I respect those folks far more than those who pop on here looking for a fast and easy source to get buzzed with homemade wine or 'hooch.'

 

[Gerry Congleton]

I like the variety of responses. I’m the kind of person that has to develop some confidence before doing something like this. Doing it with a 1 gallon kit will help me more completely understand the process. And, I would rather ruin 1 gallon than 6 gallons. My next attempt will be with 6 gallons.
Thanks for the input!

 

[Scooter68]

I like the variety of responses. I’m the kind of person that has to develop some confidence before doing something like this. Doing it with a 1 gallon kit will help me more completely understand the process. And, I would rather ruin 1 gallon than 6 gallons. My next attempt will be with 6 gallons.
Thanks for the input!

I agree and it's also a way to experiment with different blend or new types styles of wine making before upscalling.

Three weeks ago I lost my first batch of wine through a careless mistake, I left the wine unprotected (Without K-meta Treatment) too long. It fermented just fine but it had a
'wang' taste to it. (If you've ever had a citrus juice start to turn on you, then you know what I mean - it's not fermentation it's a bacteria rot.)
Long story short - lost an investment of about $50.00 in fruit and sugar.

 

[Steve Wargo]

I too recently started my wine-making hobby this year May 2019. I used my years of beer-making experience to make an initial easy wine-making equipment buying decision. Important things to consider: 1.) Clean and sanitized equipment, 2.) Bacteria free ferment with a steady fermentation. 3.) Reliable wine yeast. My goal was to get my first wine ferment under my belt, nothing else, without making a major investment.

I bought two 1-gallon plastic Jugs of Kirkland (COSTCO) 100% Apple Juice, no water added. The Juice and the inside of the bottles are already sterilized (bacteria-free). Perfect. I have my juice and two fermenters for about $8.00.

Pour out and reserve about three cups of juice into a sanitized container and use the Juice bottle as your fermenter. (insert prepare must wine-making steps here----)

I drilled a hole in the top of the bottle cap large enough for an airlock About 10mm. Then cleaned and sterilized.

Top off the Kirkland 1-gallon apple juice jug using some of the reserved juice to the shoulder (curve) (do not overfill) and put the sterilized cap with filled airlock onto 1-gallon juice jug and tighten. Put concoction in a cool dark place for three weeks. Then (insert more post-fermentation steps here----)

By the way, that first batch was very drinkable after about 6 weeks. Yea it's gone now. Tasted clean, had decent shoulders. No added sulfites or sorbates. Turned out better than bottom shelf wine bought at retailers.

Since then I've bought additional winemaking equipment and chemicals. Those Kirkland apple juice jugs are a gateway to an addictive hobby. I usually like dry red wine. I will be moving into red wine-making soon.

 

[mainshipfred]

I lost my first batch sometime last fall. It was 5 gallons of a White Zinfandel and being a White Zinfandel it didn't really hurt too bad. I also on occasion lose some smaller topping up wines but don't want to add bad wine to good. One thing I learned though is when wine oxidizes it does it from the top down. So my preferred method is to rack it from the bottom and check periodically to see where the oxidation starts. You do lose some wine but I feel it's better than trying to get id of it by splash racking.

 

[Gerry Congleton]

I agree and it's also a way to experiment with different blend or new types styles of wine making before upscalling.

Three weeks ago I lost my first batch of wine through a careless mistake, I left the wine unprotected (Without K-meta Treatment) too long. It fermented just fine but it had a
'wang' taste to it. (If you've ever had a citrus juice start to turn on you, then you know what I mean - it's not fermentation it's a bacteria rot.)
Long story short - lost an investment of about $50.00 in fruit and sugar.

Scooter68 - I made a trip to the recycling center and gather about 30 wine bottles. Spent the next couple of days removing labels and adhesive residue. With the more difficult sticky stuff I used powdered cleaner Bartenders Helper. A little elbow grease and they cleaned up pretty good. I will wash and sanitize again before racking.

 

[monty]

... I used powdered cleaner Bartenders Helper. A little elbow grease and they cleaned up pretty good. I will wash and sanitize again before racking.

Is that a distant relative of Barkeeper's Friend?

 

[Scooter68]

I wish I could create a chart of the best methods of removing the different wine brand labels but then they would change the label type..

Some will come right off with a good soak in soapy hot water. Others will peel off dry if you put hot water in the bottle but don't get the label wet.
My bottom line is if any part of the label is a clear material I don't take them - for me they always require some sort of petroleum based cleaner and I don't like getting any petroleum products near my wine.

Good luck to you Gerry. It's a great hobby and one that produces something you and friends can enjoy. Your cleaning method sounds great. Letting them set while the wine ages is nice because when bottling day comes around, all you have to do is a quick sanitize and bottle. (Hunting for enough bottles when you are READY to bottle is not a lot of fun -went through that about 4 weeks ago and after wards I slapped myself because I forgot about a large plastic tub of bottles I had waiting - DOH! )

 

[Gerry Congleton]

Is that a distant relative of Barkeeper's Friend?

Ahhhhhhhh, I think so!!!

 

[mainshipfred]

I wish I could create a chart of the best methods of removing the different wine brand labels but then they would change the label type..

Some will come right off with a good soak in soapy hot water. Others will peel off dry if you put hot water in the bottle but don't get the label wet.
My bottom line is if any part of the label is a clear material I don't take them - for me they always require some sort of petroleum based cleaner and I don't like getting any petroleum products near my wine.

Good luck to you Gerry. It's a great hobby and one that produces something you and friends can enjoy. Your cleaning method sounds great. Letting them set while the wine ages is nice because when bottling day comes around, all you have to do is a quick sanitize and bottle. (Hunting for enough bottles when you are READY to bottle is not a lot of fun -went through that about 4 weeks ago and after wards I slapped myself because I forgot about a large plastic tub of bottles I had waiting - DOH! )

I guess I should consider myself lucky. I have 70+ cases of new commercial quality bottles. Half of them I got for $9.50 a case, the other half I got from a winery that over bought last year and got them for $5.00 a case. All were local pick ups so there was no shipping involved.

 

[bstnh1]

I guess I should consider myself lucky. I have 70+ cases of new commercial quality bottles. Half of them I got for $9.50 a case, the other half I got from a winery that over bought last year and got them for $5.00 a case. All were local pick ups so there was no shipping involved.

$5 a case. Wow, that's even better than a good deal!

 

[Mike Dunlap]

I too recently started my wine-making hobby this year May 2019. I used my years of beer-making experience to make an initial easy wine-making equipment buying decision. Important things to consider: 1.) Clean and sanitized equipment, 2.) Bacteria free ferment with a steady fermentation. 3.) Reliable wine yeast. My goal was to get my first wine ferment under my belt, nothing else, without making a major investment.

I bought two 1-gallon plastic Jugs of Kirkland (COSTCO) 100% Apple Juice, no water added. The Juice and the inside of the bottles are already sterilized (bacteria-free). Perfect. I have my juice and two fermenters for about $8.00.

Pour out and reserve about three cups of juice into a sanitized container and use the Juice bottle as your fermenter. (insert prepare must wine-making steps here----)

I drilled a hole in the top of the bottle cap large enough for an airlock About 10mm. Then cleaned and sterilized.

Top off the Kirkland 1-gallon apple juice jug using some of the reserved juice to the shoulder (curve) (do not overfill) and put the sterilized cap with filled airlock onto 1-gallon juice jug and tighten. Put concoction in a cool dark place for three weeks. Then (insert more post-fermentation steps here----)

By the way, that first batch was very drinkable after about 6 weeks. Yea it's gone now. Tasted clean, had decent shoulders. No added sulfites or sorbates. Turned out better than bottom shelf wine bought at retailers.

Since then I've bought additional winemaking equipment and chemicals. Those Kirkland apple juice jugs are a gateway to an addictive hobby. I usually like dry red wine. I will be moving into red wine-making soon.

Enjoyed your comments!

 

[sremick]

I don’t know if can drink enough to have enough bottles available by the time I brew 6 gallons.

Hmm... I don't seem to have that problem.

 

[jgmann67]

I don’t know if can drink enough to have enough bottles available by the time I brew 6 gallons..

You can do it!