Starting hobby, clean slate, what would you buy?

[NorCal]

I'm transitioning to home winemaking from another hobby (classic car restoration) and I have say 3 thousand dollars to spend on equipment for my new hobby. I plan on making wine from grapes and I live in a region where I have ample access to grapes and plan on making 40-60 gallons per year.

If you were in my situation, starting with nothing, what would you buy? I'm an engineer and can fabricate a lot of what I think I will need; cold storage May-Oct, working bench and perhaps some of the items I will need, like a press.

Analytic tools? Invest in a 30g oak barrel or perhaps buy a variable capacity stainless steel container? Your feedback is appreciated.

 

[jojabri]

As far as the more expensive tools, I can be of little help as my operation is minimal. Currently, my most high-falutin' items are a 15 gal demijohn and a Portuguese floor corker. Planning on purchasing an AllInOne wine pump with the whole house filter and all the bells and whistles.

I highly recommend a good floor corker! Its easy enough to use, my 11 year old son can cork (and he likes doing it.)

I hear nothing but rave reviews about the AIO wine pump. One of the reasons that I'm planning to spend what I would consider a good amount on it.

As far as my subsequent purchases, I plan on getting a good acid testing system and a refractometer.

I'm sure you will get better advice from a more saged member.

 

[cheesehead]

I'm transitioning to home winemaking from another hobby (classic car restoration) and I have say 3 thousand dollars to spend on equipment for my new hobby. I plan on making wine from grapes and I live in a region where I have ample access to grapes and plan on making 40-60 gallons per year.

If you were in my situation, starting with nothing, what would you buy? I'm an engineer and can fabricate a lot of what I think I will need; cold storage May-Oct, working bench and perhaps some of the items I will need, like a press.

Analytic tools? Invest in a 30g oak barrel or perhaps buy a variable capacity stainless steel container? Your feedback is appreciated.

NorCal- off the top of my head i can list a few essentials -- large food grade plastic container for initial fermenting ( 10 gal or more), Hydrometer, thermometer, carboys (glass) bungs and airlocks -an AOI (all in one vacuum pump with whole house filter system, (I should have bought this earlier now cant make my wine without it), bottle washer/ drying tree , floor corker, there are various carboy/ bottle wash attachments for faucets too , carboy/bottle brushes, SANITIZER IS A MUST!!! racking canes, clear plastic tubing/ hoses, if you intend on pressing your own fruit ,then a good press,a stirring wand that attaches to any hand held drill ( make sure it will fit into opening on carboys, there are different sizes and i suggest stainless steel), bottles , good quality corks! you can start with some or most of this and get by, while others use pH testers, acidity testers (lab quality stuff that is $$$) or you can try to take a sample (like i do sometimes ) to my wine & beer supplier to test for free there. I hope this helps and as always if i missed something, just add it to the list. I have been doing this for 3 years now and i find that i still buy more stuff each time i go for equipment of kits. Cheers!!! Cheesehead

 

[Julie]

ph meter and so2 meter.

 

[Rocky]

Welcome to the forum, NorCal. I, too, moved from Classic Cars hobby to winemaking about 4 years ago. You will find that it is a lot less expensive hobby! No more do I have to pay $500 for an air cleaner or $1100 for a Stromberg EE-22 carburetor! I would also mention that my wife never got behind the old cars but she does like the wine!

Tell us a little more about what you plan to make. You say that grapes are readily available to you and that you plan to make 40-60 gallons per year. Do you envision making one or a couple varieties or small quantities of a number of varieties? Do you plan to make wine only from fresh fruit or will you also use kits and juice buckets? What type of facility do you have available to you in which to make wine, i.e. temperature and humidity controlled, space available, etc.? You are in one of the best areas of the Country for winemaking so your entry into the hobby should be easy. I have found that winemaking is a science, the outcomes of which would be totally predictable if and only if we understood the myriad variables (which few do) and therefore we practice it as an art.

 

[NorCal]

Welcome to the forum, NorCal. I, too, moved from Classic Cars hobby to winemaking about 4 years ago. You will find that it is a lot less expensive hobby! No more do I have to pay $500 for an air cleaner or $1100 for a Stromberg EE-22 carburetor! I would also mention that my wife never got behind the old cars but she does like the wine!

Tell us a little more about what you plan to make. You say that grapes are readily available to you and that you plan to make 40-60 gallons per year. Do you envision making one or a couple varieties or small quantities of a number of varieties? Do you plan to make wine only from fresh fruit or will you also use kits and juice buckets? What type of facility do you have available to you in which to make wine, i.e. temperature and humidity controlled, space available, etc.? You are in one of the best areas of the Country for winemaking so your entry into the hobby should be easy. I have found that winemaking is a science, the outcomes of which would be totally predictable if and only if we understood the myriad variables (which few do) and therefore we practice it as an art.

I live in a little community with a working vineyard and have access to purchase cab franc, petite syrah, grenache, mourvedre, petit verdot. Most the residents enjoy the ambience, I see the challenge to learn to make some really good wine. I would like to make a variety, and play with blending, but could also see making single varietal batches as well. The only space available to me would be the space vacated by my current and finished project car. Temp and humidity control is an issue and that is definitely something that I will have to figure out by this time next year. Here is my list thus far.

Crusher/destemmer (make, buy, borrow or rent)
Fermentation vessel
Press (make, buy, borrow or rent)
Pump with filter system
Storage vessels, bungs, air locks,
Corker
Analytical instruments (hydrometer, thermometer, ph,so2)
Cleaning, sanitation supplies.
Cold storage (make)

There is a resident that makes excellent wine and I'm hoping that between what I can learn on my own, along with his advice, I can make something drinkable. I helped him last season on the front end of the process, so I have some idea on what I am getting into.

Rocky, it sounds like you were into V12 Lincolns. I was mostly into 64-66 mustangs, but also dabbled into British; Austin Healey 3000, TR6

 

[olusteebus]

If I had that much to spend at one time, and was going to use grapes primarily, I would buy this press/fermenter combo:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/blichmann-wineeasy-fermentor-20-gal.html

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/blichmann-wineeasy-press-piston-20-gallon.html

and an all in one.

 

[Rocky]

NorCal, if you are talking about making 40-60 gallons per year of several varieties, I would hold up on buying a crusher/de-stemmer and rent or borrow one for the time being. Other than that, you have a very complete list of the requirements in the posts above. If you are like most of us, you will blow by 40-60 gallons fairly quickly considering your ready access to fruit and grapes. Check Craigslist in your area because there are always people getting out of the hobby and selling off their equipment at very attractive prices. Garage sales and antique shops can be a good source also. One thing you should consider if your goal is to make an excellent wine is a barrel or two. I run my reds thru barrels and it really makes a difference.

By they way, not Lincoln but pre-War Packards. I had six over the years ranging from 1933 to 1940. Great hobby but there came a time (really an age) when I had to find something else to do. I did have a '66 Mustang convertible (light metallic green with parchment interior) that had the dealer installed A/C and a bench seat in the front with a fold down armrest. Really nice car which I bought at auction in Ohio and sold about 6 years later in New York. Had a lot of fun with the car and even though I doubled my money I wish I had it today.

 

[JohnT]

NorCal,

I assume that you never made wine before. Can I calmly suggest that before you spend thousands of dollars on equipment, why not get a couple of 5 gal batches under your belt?

Launching straight into large batches without any experience is just begging for trouble.

All you really need is a good starter kit for about $70. I would suggest that you get one of these, experiment with 5 gal batches until you become comfortable with the process, then scale up.

 

[NorCal]

John, thanks for the response. I've made one batch at home and assisted a neighbor winemaker (who makes great, gold award winning wine): I've been through picking grapes, crush destem, punched, pressed, transferred, racked, bottled and drank (the best part . I'm not too fearful of the analytic side, which I have not witnessed.

Since the grapes only come around once a year, I want to be all ready to go by Sept and if I'm going to do it, I want it to be worth the effort (200+bottles worth).

 

[JohnT]

OK, Nice to know that you are not going in cold.

200 bottles is only 150 liters. If you plan on staying at that level for a while, I would go with using 3 demijohns (54 liters each). I would purchase a stainless crusher/destemmer with a motor and a good size press. When it comes to crushers and presses, I would purchase one that you see suiting your needs for the rest of your life.