What supplies should the aspiring winemaker have on hand?

Hey guys,

I was thinking of a fun question to ask you all.
My birthday is next month and people have been asking me what I would like to add to my winemaking arsenal.

I was thinking I could would share the things I have on hand at present and perhaps you could chime in with what you think would be a nice addition to the list / get some ideas flowing.

...

What I have thus far:

4 One Gallon Carboy Jugs
Bottle of Pectic Enyzme
Bottle of Superfood
Bottle of Citric Acid
Packet of Potassium Sorbate
Potassium Metabisulphite
Kieselsol, Chitonsan (just enough for one time use)
Hydrometer, Testing Jar
Standing wine corker (lucky score off craigslist)
A complete wine kit for 23L batches:
-23L fermenting Pail (needs replacing sadly)
-5 Gallon Glass Carboy
- Mixing Spoon
- Large Auto siphon, tubing, and cane

On my wishlist:
Fresh pressed cider!
Bottle of Tannin
2 Gallon Fermentation Bucket with Lid
Mini Auto Siphon & racking cane (the large siphon cannot fit into the neck of the one gallon carboy)
Jug of Star San cleaner & sanitizer
Fortified beer, wine or champagne bottles (for carbonated Apfelwein)
Caps or corks

...

Anything I might be missing/would be good to have?

My goal is to eventually scale up to 5-6 gallon batches and try some red wine kits with the juice concentrate. But for now I am happy with the smaller batches as I am just starting out.

Have a good weekend

A floor corker is with its weight in gold.

Indeed. First thing I purchased actually.

Any other items to add to the list?

TrainSafe said:

A floor corker is with its weight in gold.

Click to expand...

Since its you're birthday. Tell them you want a ph meter

6 gallon glass carboys and an 8 gallon fermenting bucket for the 6 gallon kits.

If you are REALLY ready, an All-In-One wine pump is by far the best tool you will ever buy for the home winemaker.

Oh, and a spare hydrometer...trust me on this one!

DoctorCAD said:

Oh, and a spare hydrometer...trust me on this one!

Click to expand...

+1 on this, a couple extra if you don't have a LHBS nearby. You WILL break a hydrometer at some point, or a pet will, or your SO will...they're kinda fragile, being glass -.-

Books, lots of books, preferably academic in nature, though Daniel Pambianchi's "Techniques in Home Winemaking" is pretty essential, and has lots of extra references for continued reading.

A jet bottle/carboy washer and a Sulphatizer. They make your life a bazillion times better.

I don't see that you have on your current list bungs and airlocks. They are a necessity. Useful - IMO - is a a bag that you can use to keep fruit or flowers (or grains) in one confined space while you ferment their sugars and draw out their flavors. Bags make racking off fruit so much easier. You can get bags from your LHBS - and pay a premium or get them from a hardware store from the paint dept. They are used (I believe ) for straining paint.
I also think a funnel is useful (though not necessary). It makes pouring powders and liquids into your carboys much easier.
Another thing you could add to your list is a collection of strains of dried wine yeasts.
Now, none of the above will break any bank but if I were you and it was my birthday and there was someone in my life (there is) who would want to get me something I really want then I might ask for either a wine kit or for fruit wines something like two cans of Vintners Harvest fruit wine bases (one can will make a good 3 gallon batch and 2 cans will make a richer 5 gallon batch). You can expect to pay between $20 - $40 for a can depending on the fruit.

http://vintnersharvest.com/collections/fruit-wine-bases

I hear you on the hydrometer DoctorCAD. I've been resting it in the tall testing cylinder for the readings and that has worked out okay... I put it back into the container it is stored in right away.

I broke a long tube with mercury in it many years ago when I rented a basement suite. Mercury DOES not vacuum up easily. Damn messy. To this day, I am sure some mercury is still embedded in the fibers. Who wants that headache? :-o

DoctorCAD said:

6 gallon glass carboys and an 8 gallon fermenting bucket for the 6 gallon kits.

If you are REALLY ready, an All-In-One wine pump is by far the best tool you will ever buy for the home winemaker.

Oh, and a spare hydrometer...trust me on this one!

Click to expand...

Good eye bernardsmith But I simply forgot to add those! I have a good 4 or 5 of each. And I agree... glad I got the essentials up front. Now I can allow myself a few luxury items here and there as I progress.

Funnel as well! I do have one but a wide-mouth version would work better (as I just learned).

bernardsmith said:

I don't see that you have on your current list bungs and airlocks. They are a necessity. Useful - IMO - is a a bag that you can use to keep fruit or flowers (or grains) in one confined space while you ferment their sugars and draw out their flavors. Bags make racking off fruit so much easier. You can get bags from your LHBS - and pay a premium or get them from a hardware store from the paint dept. They are used (I believe ) for straining paint.
I also think a funnel is useful (though not necessary). It makes pouring powders and liquids into your carboys much easier.
Another thing you could add to your list is a collection of strains of dried wine yeasts.
Now, none of the above will break any bank but if I were you and it was my birthday and there was someone in my life (there is) who would want to get me something I really want then I might ask for either a wine kit or for fruit wines something like two cans of Vintners Harvest fruit wine bases (one can will make a good 3 gallon batch and 2 cans will make a richer 5 gallon batch). You can expect to pay between $20 - $40 for a can depending on the fruit.

http://vintnersharvest.com/collections/fruit-wine-bases

Click to expand...

Knowledge is key, with it you can make wine in everything from a goat bladder to an old shoe, but shiny things are nice. A surplus of large glass carboys is good, also, if your friends are really goddamn generous, a small (20-30 gallon) stainless variable volume tank and fittings with a small furniture dolly to move it around on, super handy.