WineXpert How much time do you spend making one kit wine?

[wood1954]

I've been thinking lately about how much time I've put into my new hobby and now after creating my winery, buying tools and supplies, learning the basics, i find it only takes about 2 and a half hours to ferment, rack a few times, bottle and label and put on shrink caps. That time includes cleaning used bottles and sanitizing everything. So far i think it's a great return on my time. Most of the time is spent waiting for the wine to do it's thing. what really cut down on time was using a vacuum pump to rack and degas. It definitely takes alot longer to drink 30 bottles than it does to make it! When i started out making fruit wines it took a lot longer than a kit and now i know I like elderberry, plum and pear so will probably stick to them and kits.

 

[Rocky]

You are right to a degree, Wood. In Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering parlance, there are attended and unattended operations/functions/processes and much of wine making as you suggest is unattended. So while the "elapsed time" is long, the "hands on" time is relatively short. I have told many people that wine making is a lot of concentrated time/work up front with little bits of time spread over many months and a lot of time again in bottling. I think that two and half hours might be a little light but it is not off by much. Or perhaps I am slowing down in my old age.

 

[DoctorCAD]

Wow...it takes me a few days just to clean and prep 30 old wine bottles.

Oh, and I can drink 30 bottles while the second batch is still in primary...but that's just me!

 

[Rocky]

It definitely takes alot longer to drink 30 bottles than it does to make it!

DoctorCAD, I did see this statement in the original posting but I chose not to comment on it. I can definitely finish 30 bottles in a much shorter length of time than it takes to make a batch. That is why I ususally double or triple batch everything.

 

[Noontime]

I haven't figured out the efficiencies yet...so I'd say it usually takes a total of 6 or 7 hours. But my next batch I'm getting organized and pre-planning, so we'll see how easy it gets when it's not a spur-of-the-moment thing on a Sunday afternoon. It's still a wonderful return on investment though!

 

[tonyandkory]

if you don't count the time spent just watching it ferment or checking in on it.
I would say I spend physically about 3-4 hours depending on the batch.
I don't think wood was including the time it was just sitting there and not physically touching, moving, stirring ect ... the wine.

 

[Brent2489]

Time for tasks in order (longest to shortest)
- Waiting
- Cleaning
- Bottling
- Racking
- Start Kit

 

[kat50496]

I haven't figured out the efficiencies yet...so I'd say it usually takes a total of 6 or 7 hours. But my next batch I'm getting organized and pre-planning, so we'll see how easy it gets when it's not a spur-of-the-moment thing on a Sunday afternoon. It's still a wonderful return on investment though!

The actual time spent is an interesting way to look at the hobby, but to your point, I was interested in the return on my investment - or more to the point, at what total cost per bottle am I able to produce wine comparable to respectable commercial products. I have a spreadsheet to enter all of my expenses (equipment, supplies and material costs). Keeping an actual total cost of materials, and the bottles produced, gives me a cost per bottle for my wines. Currently I am at $6.12 per bottle produced. I very much doubt that anyone can find a commercial wine, at $6 a bottle that even comes close to what most of you (hopefully myself as well) are producing. This point really shows the value of my labor (which this thread confirms is not a lot) to my wine drinking friends.

 

[joeswine]

Time????????????????????

NOT ENOUGH

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

2 1/2 hrs covers my washing and removing labels off of old wine bottles.....maybe

 

[tonyandkory]

The actual time spent is an interesting way to look at the hobby, but to your point, I was interested in the return on my investment - or more to the point, at what total cost per bottle am I able to produce wine comparable to respectable commercial products. I have a spreadsheet to enter all of my expenses (equipment, supplies and material costs). Keeping an actual total cost of materials, and the bottles produced, gives me a cost per bottle for my wines. Currently I am at $6.12 per bottle produced. I very much doubt that anyone can find a commercial wine, at $6 a bottle that even comes close to what most of you (hopefully myself as well) are producing. This point really shows the value of my labor (which this thread confirms is not a lot) to my wine drinking friends.

Do you divide the non consumable costs down for every bottle that they produce?

Like a carboy might be $1.00 a bottle at first batch then only $0.50 second batch ect ... (adding in the previous bottles of course)

in the end I think of all my equipment as free because they end up being fractions of cents per bottle.... if you make enough that is

 

[tonyt]

How do we count the 2-3 hours per day/night on this forum?

 

[Bartman]

Do you divide the non consumable costs down for every bottle that they produce?

Like a carboy might be $1.00 a bottle at first batch then only $0.50 second batch etc... (adding in the previous bottles of course)

in the end I think of all my equipment as free because they end up being fractions of cents per bottle.... if you make enough that is

Yeah, I agree that my out-of-pocket costs per bottle are much lower than $6+, unless you are doing the very high end wine kits, or using expensive grapes. Bottles are re-used, equipment, fermenter, carboys, etc.) has yet to need replacement, other than a couple broken hydrometers, and I don't know how to reliably calculate water, cleaning agents, etc. that are household products. Maybe $5 per batch - so $0.16 per bottle? A few supplies (k-meta, acid, etc), but probably less than $3 per batch - so $0.10 per bottle is generous. Corks add about $0.18 per bottle. The rest is 'product' which varies from low-end kits at $1.85 per bottle (~$55 for the VN kits) to $7 per bottle (Meglioli or RQ kits at $210). So, my out-of-pocket costs are about $2.30 to $7.50 per bottle. Pretty nice IMHO - it's what keeps me coming back for more!

'Course, my hourly rate that I bill for my working time is $225, so adding 5 hours 'on-the-clock' time to the cost would add about $37 to the per-bottle cost. Ya gotta pay yourself first, right?

 

[RussR]

Currently I am at $6.12 per bottle produced. I very much doubt that anyone can find a commercial wine, at $6 a bottle that even comes close to what most of you (hopefully myself as well) are producing. This point really shows the value of my labor (which this thread confirms is not a lot) to my wine drinking friends.

You need to start making Skeeter Pee, if you're not already. It'll bring that cost per bottle right down! I think total supplies for a 6 gal batch of pee is maybe $20, giving you $0.67 per bottle!

 

[SarahRides]

I don't think I even want to THINK about how much money I have spend on equipment! I still stand by the fact that I probably wouldn't even have half of it if it weren't for Craigslist! I love my LHBS too and give them a lot of business. I don't really do it to save money though, I love it! And after tasting wines at other places, (most fruit wines I find are too sweet), I am determined to make what I like! I'll enjoy it even more knowing that I made it.