Need Info on Equipment, etc...

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Nava

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Hello,

I am new to the wine making hobby and would like information. I am interested in making a red wine and would like to start small (i.e. 3-6 gallon). Does anyone have any information as to what type of kit or equipment I should buy to start my first batch? :confused:

Thanks in advance. I appreciate the info.
 
The basic items you will need are steriliser, hydrometer,trial jar,fermenting jar(s), tubing, bungs,airlock and thermometer. Corks and bottles to store it. Hope thats of some use.

stephen
 
I know this reply might be a little late, but anyway.... I have had great success using the Wine Expert kits. They can be pricey, but it is well worth it. I have done their "Estate Series, Woodbridge Ranch 11 Cabernet" It is great and also a Wine Expert Crushendo Syrah, which includes a grape pack, so you can let the skins sit on the wine for a few days as well, to bring out more tannins. These kits are about $90 and $120 respectivly. I think the price is well worth it. It still ends up costing only about $3.00 per bottle for 33 - 34 bottles. Keep in mind that especially for a red wine you will need to wait at least 6 months before drinking, one year is best.
Well worth the wait!

Good Luck! :)

Toddster
 
Cheap sources of wine/champagne bottles:

Go downtown to some restaurants and ask them to save their wine bottles for you.

Also try local hotels where they are conducting a prom/wedding reception or something like that. Ask them to save their wine bottles and cases and you'll pick them up in the morning.

Chances are they are trying to figure out where they're going to get rid of them anyway.
 
Chances are that if you are going to the extent of making your own wine, you probably drink a healthy amount of store bought beverages. Why not rinse those bottles out and keep them, so when it comes to bottling, you are not stuck with a nasty bill buying 30 bottles per batch, seeing as how your no-good friends keep all the bottles or throw them away :mad:

Just one thing to note, take the labels off the bottles PRIOR to runnning them through the dish washer. First time I seriously started saving bottles, I was so proud when I had a couple cases, that I stopped thinking and put 36+ bottles in the brand, spanking-new dish washer without take the labels off most of them. On the bright side, I discovered that ALL :eek: glues dissolve in the heat/water pressure generated by a spotless, very recently installed, sparkling dish washer :( . The bad side being that I had to listen, with head bowed, to my wife's theories on where exactly the blood that was supposed to be fueling my brain had stopped. I had no good defence :rolleyes: .

A bath in warm-hot water with a good amount of cleanser will do the trick in most cases.

Cheers
 
I have had pretty good Success using Arm & Hammer Washing Soda.

NOTE: Washing Soda, NOT Detergent, or baking soda.

Put a fair to good amount in the bathtub, and fill it up with hot water, soak your bottles there 4 hours or so, and the labels for the most part just fall off.

Kilroy
 
I am no authority on the equipment needed but my wife and I got a complete kit form our local supply store. It ran ~$73 and included:

5 Gal Primary
6 Gal Carboy
airlock
wine thief
siphon tube
hydrometer
sanitizing powder
corker
30 corks

There are also some mail order places that will give you the same kit and your first batch of grape juice for ~$155
 
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