what do i need to start up
- Thread starter ken67
- Start date
Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:
Maybe you can start by telling us your goals? Are you interested in wine from grapes, or other fruits? Wine from kits, or from fresh fruit? I see from your other thread that you are in England, which affects availability of grapes, for example.
montanarick
Senior Member
I'd look to buy an Equipment Kit which will come with everything you need to get a batch of wine going. It's pretty fail safe and is a good way to learn what it's all about. After gaining a little experience you can then venture into more challenging pursuits - i.e. fresh grapes or other fruit wines. Best of luck
Scooter68
Fruit "Wine" Maker
A standard starter kit (without Juice) will have about 805 of what you need to get started. The common things they leave out are a digital pH meter - very good to have and you can start with an inexpensive one. Just remember ALL of them need calibration periodically - once a month at least. I started with kit for making fruit wines and the book that came with it had fruit wine recipes (nice but not critical) More important are all the basic additives, hydrometer, testing tube, Siphon,/racking cane fermentation bucket. The latter will determined by the size batches you intend to start with. I started with 1 gallon batches and now make 3 gallon and few 1 gallon batches. Some folks don't want to bother with the smaller batches and prefer to make 5/6 gallon batches or bigger. At lot depends on where you want to start.
If you can go to local supply store (assuming they are open soon) you might get a deal on everything. Just remember that a lot of the "Kit Wines" come with "everything you need " FOR A SINGLE BATCH. That translates into you end up with a nice wine but about the only thing you can reuse is the bucket and IF they are generous, a hydrometer.
Don't by a kit with bottles, corks and corker - the vast majority provide a two hand corker that most folks quickly get rid of. Just wait and buy those items separately.
If you can go to local supply store (assuming they are open soon) you might get a deal on everything. Just remember that a lot of the "Kit Wines" come with "everything you need " FOR A SINGLE BATCH. That translates into you end up with a nice wine but about the only thing you can reuse is the bucket and IF they are generous, a hydrometer.
Don't by a kit with bottles, corks and corker - the vast majority provide a two hand corker that most folks quickly get rid of. Just wait and buy those items separately.
Ken67, welcome!
My son has his first wine in production now, a Shiraz kit. He's been helping me for years, and even with that experience, he has many questions as there are things he didn't consider when he was just helping. (My younger son is not making wine [yet] but I can count on him to provide feedback when tasting.)
As Sour Grapes said, a lot depends on the type of wine and the batch size. IMO the best way to start is a wine kit, which (as mentioned above) has all the consumables you need to make a batch of wine. Kits are available in North America in 1, 3 (mostly dessert wines), and 5/6 gallon sizes.
A wine hardware setup kit may be the most cost effective, as it should contain the basic equipment you need to get started. If you have a local supply store, buy local. If not, go online and keep the shipping costs in mind.
The following list assumes a 5/6 gallon batch and needs to be adjusted for smaller batches. I have noted optional items that are nice to have, along with my personal preferences.
Hydrometer -- this eliminates the question of whether your wine has completed fermentation or not; it is essential.
test jar -- I use a wine thief wide enough to hold a hydrometer, makes it easier to get the wine out of the carboy for testing.
8 Gallon Bucket with Lid
No. 2 Drilled Stopper
Air Lock - you only need 1 air lock if you're making 1 batch at a time (have nearly 30)
6 Gallon Glass Carboy
Drilled Carboy Stopper
5-7 Feet (2 meter) Siphon Tubing
Racking/Siphon tube -- a siphon starter makes life easier
Spring Loaded Bottle Filler -- optional, makes bottling less messy
24 inch Plastic Spoon -- I like stainless steel, but in any case you need something to stir with
Bottle Brush -- not 100% essential, but good to have
Carboy Brush -- ditto
Drill mounted stirring rod -- optional, but mixes the wine very well
Corker -- you need something to get the cork in the bottles. If you're unsure of how likely you are to continue, go with a less expensive double-lever corker. A lot of folks who make more wine switch to a floor corker that makes bottling go faster.
Check out a number of web sites local to you and compare hardware kit contents, prices, and shipping costs.
Here is a link to a deluxe hardware kit from my local supply shop. I am NOT advocating you purchase from them, as the shipping costs across the Atlantic will probably be stiff. This is for information only.
If you have more detailed questions, please ask!
My son has his first wine in production now, a Shiraz kit. He's been helping me for years, and even with that experience, he has many questions as there are things he didn't consider when he was just helping. (My younger son is not making wine [yet] but I can count on him to provide feedback when tasting.)
As Sour Grapes said, a lot depends on the type of wine and the batch size. IMO the best way to start is a wine kit, which (as mentioned above) has all the consumables you need to make a batch of wine. Kits are available in North America in 1, 3 (mostly dessert wines), and 5/6 gallon sizes.
A wine hardware setup kit may be the most cost effective, as it should contain the basic equipment you need to get started. If you have a local supply store, buy local. If not, go online and keep the shipping costs in mind.
The following list assumes a 5/6 gallon batch and needs to be adjusted for smaller batches. I have noted optional items that are nice to have, along with my personal preferences.
Hydrometer -- this eliminates the question of whether your wine has completed fermentation or not; it is essential.
test jar -- I use a wine thief wide enough to hold a hydrometer, makes it easier to get the wine out of the carboy for testing.
8 Gallon Bucket with Lid
No. 2 Drilled Stopper
Air Lock - you only need 1 air lock if you're making 1 batch at a time (have nearly 30)
6 Gallon Glass Carboy
Drilled Carboy Stopper
5-7 Feet (2 meter) Siphon Tubing
Racking/Siphon tube -- a siphon starter makes life easier
Spring Loaded Bottle Filler -- optional, makes bottling less messy
24 inch Plastic Spoon -- I like stainless steel, but in any case you need something to stir with
Bottle Brush -- not 100% essential, but good to have
Carboy Brush -- ditto
Drill mounted stirring rod -- optional, but mixes the wine very well
Corker -- you need something to get the cork in the bottles. If you're unsure of how likely you are to continue, go with a less expensive double-lever corker. A lot of folks who make more wine switch to a floor corker that makes bottling go faster.
Check out a number of web sites local to you and compare hardware kit contents, prices, and shipping costs.
Here is a link to a deluxe hardware kit from my local supply shop. I am NOT advocating you purchase from them, as the shipping costs across the Atlantic will probably be stiff. This is for information only.
If you have more detailed questions, please ask!
