Brewing Beer AND Wine?

[ThirdGen]

Does anyone else here make wine in addition to their beer? I'm curious about making a batch down the line but I'm not sure what extra equipment I would have to pick up. Would you just need the different bottles/corks and a corker, or are there other things you need?

 

[HometownHoosier]

I don't think you'll need much more than your beer brewing equipment. I've been using my 5 gallon secondary, universal stopper, and an extra airlock to make wine. Eventually I'll need a corker and some bottles. Wine can be super simple or incredibly complex, kinda like brewing beer.

Check out the wine, mead, and cider forums. Its a great place to get some ideas. Also, you could start by doing a batch of EdWort's Apfelwein.

 

[Yooper]

Unless you want to get into pH testing or TA testing, you should have everything you need except for bottles and corks and a corker.

The only thing I do differently is to watch the headspace in wine, and to do a secondary at about day 5 of fermentation. Overall, I'd say basic "country" wines are easier than basic beer brewing.

 

[Edcculus]

I brew cider and beer and didn't need any extra equpment. Can't see that it would be any different with wine. Wine makers tend to rack more often than beer brewers, so you might need an extra carboy or two. You will probably want something to degas the wine before bottling, and a corker.

 

[likwidbliss]

I started making wine. I measure pH and total acid(TA). If you do test for that you will need tesing equipment. I do make wine from fresh fruit like pears and elderberries. I use juice from local wineries for red and white wine. I rack wine about three or times in a year. Wine is fairly simple

 

[bob1852]

you should have everything you need except for bottles and corks and a corker.

or just be ghetto like me and bottle in regular beer bottles, and call 'em "splits"

 

[Benjibbad]

I've been doing a few wines and the only thing extra I bought was a degasser. My wife is a wino so I used the old bottles and instead of corks I used Zorks. they fit most wine bottles and you just have to press them on by hand. Worked out pretty well. BTW if you keg, you can also make a decent champagne, or take an island mist kit and make wine coolers!!