Where/How Do You Store All Your "Stuff"?

[Boatboy24]

OK, I've been seeing some pretty cool winemaking areas here and am getting lots of good ideas for a potential work area. But, this hobby involves lots of powders, potions and utensils that need to be stored safely away.

So what do you do with yours? Right now, I simply have little zipper sandwich bags full of starter, nutrient, tannin, kmeta, etc that are just written on with a sharpie to identify their contents. I'm thinking something like large pill bottles would be good for this stuff. Then it could all neatly be put away in a cabinet, or you could even have a sort of winemaking spice rack.

Then there's buckets, carboys, empty bottles and other large items. I don't know where to start with those. It's just a lot of real estate.

Lastly, there are things like stoppers and airlocks. I was thinking along the lines of hardware drawers that might be used to store screws, nails, etc.

Anyway, I'm curious what people use and if you have pics, I'd love to see them.

 

[JohnT]

I tend to go through a lot of the chemicals. I store them in freezer bags (I feel that they have thicker placstic) marked with contents and date. I always toss anything that is over a year old (although I tend to guess amounts I order correctly and very rarely have to toss anything.

Each ziplock bag is then stacked into a plastic bin, which is open and then placed on a shelf.

As far a airlocks and stoppers, I have one of those hand-baskets from a supermarket (it was given to me, so I did not steal it). I find that it is better to leave them to the open air so that they can dry after washing.

 

[ibglowin]

I use inexpensive plastic drawers from one of the the big box retailers I have (2) 3 drawer systems for the small stuff and (2) large bins for the big stuff like racking canes etc. This keeps them organized and pretty protected from dust or any other critters that may find there way into the winery.

 

[tonyandkory]

I use plastic containers with lids ... my powders are in baggies with sharpie labels and are on a shelf with 3 other containers like it one has stoppers and airlocks (which first go into a 1 gallon bucket until totally dry) the third has corks and the 4th has hydrometer, thermometers, other misc this n that ... I have a tall 4 shelf rack that it all fits on in a 3x8 space... there's lots of other stuff on it too though.

 

[BobF]

I use totes with lids, shelving units, cabinets and open shelving. For additives, I use Mason jars with plastic screw-on lids. The lids are pretty cheap at WallyWorld.

I really want to redo my winemaking area, but I don't want to sacrifice productive time to do it. sigh ...

 

[UBB]

I put in 8ft of counter top and cabinets in my "laundry" room along with a wash tub sink. Most of the wine making happens in there. I store the chemicals in 'tupper ware' type containers in the cabinets and drawers along with the empty fermenters, racking canes, corks ect ect.

 

[jswordy]

I lucked into 3 8x4 metal storage cabinets for $15 each at a business sale, snapped them right up. They are in my shop building and everything is stored in there, even my carboys and equipment.

I don't have a winemaking area. I make it in the kitchen and store the must containers and carboys wrapped in towels in a sort of enclosed porch-sunroom immediately off the kitchen. I figure as long as I am in a/c I am ahead of grandpa, who had to make his in the backyard!

I store bulk chemicals in glass jars.

 

[Wade E]

I had cabinets and also made shelves for my supplies.

 

[SarahRides]

My stuff takes up half my basement! All my chemical are in canning jars with the plastic lids (not the rings that they come with), I have a shelf which stores all my chemicals and gallon jugs (got it at Target). I have a few large tables/shelves made up of old counter tops (from both our kitchen before we replaced them and my in-laws old counters) that are held up with cinderblocks which my carboys sit on. All my empty carboys are just sitting on the floor with broken down boxes under them (never right on the concrete!). It is definitely not pretty, but it all works and is VERY sturdy!

 

[ibglowin]

Lots of quotes on this post!

I "had" cabinets and also "made" shelves for my supplies.

 

[keena]

I had cabinets and also made shelves for my supplies.

Jealous... Mines in my basement in a small back room with just a normal table and a freezer in there. Luckily theres a sink in the next room over.