new to wine making, what to do?

hello all.

i am researching the wine making process. my GF likes wine.
i brew beer, she does not like beer.
so, I need to make wine for her.
her birthday is this sat 27.
i would like to buy her a setup for her b-day.
any suggestions will be much appreciated

i live in houston, tx i do have HBS near.

btw. i am new to this forum. looks like LOTS of activity here.

Welcome to HBT! The 27th is a little close, I'd browse the web for home wine making.

Don't worry, Relax, Have a glass of HOMEBREW!

I don't know your interests or your desired batch size ...for my in-laws, I bought them a 1 gallon batch Fruit kit from Midwest Supplies with the Add-on kit for 1 Gallon Fruit Wine Equipment Kit. It isn't perfect but it would get them started - AND if they didn't like it, no prob ..and if they do, well it gets them into the process and they can always get something bigger.

How much do you want to spend? Assuming that you already have all the equipment do make wine (carboy, bucket, etc..) a wine kit is the way to go. Since it is so close to the 27th already I would look around your area for a local home brew store and get something there.

Also there is this site which I have found to be about the best for prices, They are based in Texas so shipping should be quick and get there before the 24th. They also have equipment starter kits that have everything you would ever need for wine making.

http://www.finevinewines.com/

Defalcos has a great Winemaking Section and the guys there know their stuff. Check them out and I'm sure you'll get what you need. We did the same thing when I started brewing, a lot of my beer stuff works for her wine, so we just bought bottles, some corks, and we were good to go. You can rent the Corkers from Defalcos for $4/Day, so don't bother buying one. They are off of 610 & Stella Link

thanks for all the info.
i have been wanting to visit Defalco's.

i would like to do batches smaller that six gallons.
seems most kits are that way.
i hope they have the wine she likes
i can not remember, its red and starts with a "C"

i will be back.

There is a HUGE difference in buying a one gallon fruit wine making set-up and a 6 gallon kit making wine set-up.

If the GF likes standard "off-the-shelf" wines like Cab or merlot or malbec, you will need a 6 gallon system, as those types of wines generally come pre-packaged in 6 gallon kits. Everything will be in the box, just add water and time, some can be ready in as little as 3 months.

Now, if she likes fruit wines (not fruit-type wine coolers), then a one gallon system will do. YOU will provide the fruit, the yeast, the sulfiting, the yeast nutrient, the finings etc and in a year or more, you will have a fruit wine.

You mentioning that she likes a red that starts with a "c" (probably cab??) indicates to me that the fruit wine set-up won't be what she wants, if you'd have said she likes peach wine, then you would be good to go with a 1 gallon set-up.

Just trying to keep her from throwing it back at you, as GF's have a habit of doing.

1 gal carboy, yeast, sugar, grape concentrate, raisins or sultanas. That's really all you need for wine imo! Collect some bottles and then you can spend plenty of time brewing, watching it, bottling and drinking together

RobWalker said:

1 gal carboy, yeast, sugar, grape concentrate, raisins or sultanas. That's really all you need for wine imo! Collect some bottles and then you can spend plenty of time brewing, watching it, bottling and drinking together

Click to expand...

But if his GF likes Cab, that isn't going to satisfy her and might turn her off to wine making. Its a fine line...

I'd do a kit.

we are going with the six gallon set up.
its too hot now to brew wine
we will have to wait til weather cools down.
my "room temp" is in the 80s
too warm from what i have read
thanks all
for all the options.

golbin said:

we are going with the six gallon set up.
its too hot now to brew wine
we will have to wait til weather cools down.
my "room temp" is in the 80s
too warm from what i have read
thanks all
for all the options.

Click to expand...

Depending on yeast strain, you probably can make wine now. Most wine strains are very tolerant of high temperatures. I think it's montrachet (but double check!) that has a temperature range of something like 57-95 degrees!

Yooper said:

Depending on yeast strain, you probably can make wine now. Most wine strains are very tolerant of high temperatures. I think it's montrachet (but double check!) that has a temperature range of something like 57-95 degrees!

Click to expand...

golbin said:

we are going with the six gallon set up.
its too hot now to brew wine
we will have to wait til weather cools down.
my "room temp" is in the 80s
too warm from what i have read
thanks all
for all the options.

Click to expand...

Could also use a waterbath to keep ambient temperature a little cooler. I'm assuming your "cold" water out of the tap is somewhat cooler than your air temp. get a large inexpensive plastic tub, keep your carboy surrounded by water add ice occasionally if need be.

My advice would be to take a trip to Specs and buy some decent cab for her!! Unless you are really serious and are going to produce multiple batches, you will not save money. There are lots of good wines out there for $15.

we will start saving wine bottles, she likes the Cabernet.

will the wine bottles have to be dark, as they are in the store?
another question, are there any good Chilean Cabernet kits?

she does not drink as much a me.
i can use this equipment to do 5 gallon of beer, once i fine-tune my recipes.
cooler is better, i do not wish to brew anything on the HIGH end of the scale.
i take showers with straight-up "cold" water.
i also have space concerns.
$15x30= $450
i will do multiple batches.
i HATE going to and spending $$$ at ANY store.
thanks

dark bottles will retain the colour in red wine, i think. remember - you drink with your eyes. it's not essential, but it's better.

Your only challenge is going to be controlling the temperature of your fermenting must. It generally takes a week or two to ferment, but the slower the better! This means you have to keep your fermenting must at the lowest end of the temp range of the yeast you select - and thats hard for the home winemaker.Best solution is to control the temperature via putting the carboy in a dedicated fridge or freezer with a temperature probe in the must hooked up to a controller that will cut the unit on and off and keep it in the desired range. You preserve the aromatics when you ferment slowly - and thats means at the low end of your yeast range.

The color of the bottle is steeped in traditions....it really does not matter unless the bottles will be exposed to sunlight! The more critical thing to control is the tepmerature of your finished wine. Any wine (white or red) prefers to be around 60 degrees for storage or ageing. A good wine can get cooked if exposed to 90-100 degree temps for a week or so.

Up date:
we started the wine kit on the 23rd. a winexpert Chilean Cab sauv

i want to thank all, for all the help and advise.

i can maintain ferment temp between 65-75 with no problem
i have must covered with towel.
OG was right on.
pitch yeast at 78, warmer that i wanted, missed measured the hot water.
its fermenting at 70.

with a kit wine, does one stir the cap down /degass during the first week?
before air locking?

so, just have to wait a week.

check SG once below .999 for two days.

transfer to carboy - everything in primary?

add stuff and stir, put under air lock and

forget about it.

Not sure what kit you have. Fermenting in a loosely covered primary for say 7-10 days stir the cap down twice a day. Rack to secondary leaving the lees behind. Depending on what type of wine ,you may have to rack every 30 or more days until it clears. Like beer kit the instruction are probably vague. Look to "jack keller" wine web site; a Texan full of answers on wine. Cheers

we put the winexpert Chilean Cab sauv wine in carboy today 10/29.
on 10/23 the OG was 1.100 at 78 degree F.
today it is 0.995 at 64 degrees. step 2 secondary fermentation.
airlocked with vodka, and getting burps.

the instructions say in 10 days it should be 0.996 or less. it is already there!
this is step 3. stabilizing
so we wait 10 days, then take readings until they are the same for two consecutive days
then do the additions of metabi and sorbate and isinglass
stir stir stir.
top up
and wait 8 days to clear
i will worry about step 4 once i start step 3.
any input will be appreciated.
how strong will this wine be?

thanks

update:
on step three added the other stuff and three bottles of wine to top-off the carboy 11/11/11.

on 11/27/11 transfer to cleaned carboy added marbles to top-off.

on 12/22/11 bottled wine, GF drank the hydro sample.
FG: 0.995

will wait until Vday to try one.
all in all, all is well

we drank a bottle on Vday 2/14/12- the wine was good, strong. much more mellow than when we bottled.

i would get this kit again - once i get another carboy - i broke the 6 gallon glass carboy

thanks for all the help.