Getting into Wine Making

[danorocks17]

This past saturday, after drinking our fair share of wine, a buddy and I decided we wanted to make our own batch of wine. I've been brewing beer since 2008, so I've got an assortment of fermenters and tools related to brewing. What are the absolute basics that I need to produce decent wine? I"m not looking at making very much, this may end up being my only batch, so I"m trying to add as little as possible to my equipment collection. Thanks! :fro:

 

[pumpkinman2012]

You probably have most everything that you will need, what type are you planning on making, Kit, Juice bucket or fresh grapes?
I would absolutely add:

• Fermaid K - yeast nutrient
• Potassium Metabisulfite
• Oak infusion spirals or cubes, french, medium toast
• sorbate if you plan on back sweetening.

If you are considering making a kit, it will include everything necessary, do yourself a favor and buy a premium kit, it does make a difference.
If you are planning on making a white wine, you might consider a fining agent, I let my reds clear naturally.
The biggest hurdle to overcome will be patience, even if you buy a kit that claims to be perfect to drink in a few weeks, let it age for 6 months min., a year or more is much better, you'll need to test the SO2 levels periodically, but we can cross that bridge when that time comes.

 

[K3rmit]

Im kind of in a similar situation as you, minus the previous experience. I made a decent peach wine that got everyone pretty froggy at my buddies wedding with sugar, water, peaches, and yeast. For equipment, I have a 5 gallon steamer pot as my primary fermenter (I should use a food grade bucket) and one of those blue 5 gallon bottles for the upright water dispensers. I slap an air lock on that guy and cut it loose to ferment! With periodic rackings, of course. I siphon it off with a little tube I got from home depot.

 

[danorocks17]

You probably have most everything that you will need, what type are you planning on making, Kit, Juice bucket or fresh grapes?
I would absolutely add:

• Fermaid K - yeast nutrient
• Potassium Metabisulfite
• Oak infusion spirals or cubes, french, medium toast
• sorbate if you plan on back sweetening.

If you are considering making a kit, it will include everything necessary, do yourself a favor and buy a premium kit, it does make a difference.
If you are planning on making a white wine, you might consider a fining agent, I let my reds clear naturally.
The biggest hurdle to overcome will be patience, even if you buy a kit that claims to be perfect to drink in a few weeks, let it age for 6 months min., a year or more is much better, you'll need to test the SO2 levels periodically, but we can cross that bridge when that time comes.

Thanks for the info! I was planning on making a kit, I think it was vintners reserve brand or something. Should I invest in a wine bucket too?

 

[GoldDiggingBrewer]

Thanks for the info! I was planning on making a kit, I think it was vintners reserve brand or something. Should I invest in a wine bucket too?

Basic wine fermenters are usually 6.5 Imp gallon buckets (or 7.9 US gallons). Basic wine kits usually only need 6 gallons, so...

If you are tight on budget, use your beer fermenter for your first (prob need only 6 gallons of space). Trade off is the scent of beer in the bucket, rather than a grape scent you'd get with a dedicated wine bucket.

You will need to buy a 6 gallon plastic or glass carboy and a degassing rod. When you can afford it, buy the 8gal wine fermenter. The beer fermenter should cover you for a basic 6 gallon kit. Don't forget bottles, corks, and a corker.

I am a HB'er that turned into a Wino. I upgraded my kit with a 7.9gal fermenter (wider profile), 2- 6gal carboys, a stirring rod, and the red floor corker. I now prefer making wine over beer. Much less work and more prestige with the end result. You really get into wine making when you start to age various limited editions.

-Currently have CC's Red Mtn Cab on medium oak cubes in secondary.
-2 cases of Winexpert's Cab Blanc bottled, which came out sweet. Very drinkable at 3 weeks. Yum yum.
-Oh, and about 9x 12oz Stone IPA clones left in the fridge. Gotta make more.

 

[danorocks17]

I have a 6 1/2 gal glass carboy that I don't really use anymore for beer, so I can use that. I wouldn't be opposed to buying a 7.9 bucket though, they seem relatively cheap at my LHBS. My idea is to keg the wine and then just put a pound or two of pressure on the keg when I want to dispense it, re-using wine bottles that I already have.

 

[bajaedition]

I started as a wine maker then got into brewing, I seem to make a lot more beer in the winter and as soon as spring hits I am jonesing for fruit and other things to make wines and ciders

I have done a few grape wines from extract kits that turned out good but really prefer to make fruit wines from fresh fruit

most of the stuff you have is going to swap over, besides the obvious corker and corks you need to get a catalog and a basic recipe book and order up a few additives: tannins, yeast nutrient, campden tablets, pectin enzyme etc
you need a fermenter you can get into, lots of wines you add the crushed fruits to and need to get them out, oh and bags for that stuff, I like the Speidels
fining your wind can be different, check that out also
there is going be a learning curve as in beer brewing, read all you can and it will be easy as you are just doing things on a different timescale and remember to be patient as lots of stuff takes longer, and some wines take close to a year to be ready to drink, others take a few months

you can make wines from just about anything you can think of, including frozen fruit juice. It is really a creative hobby not bound by the style categories of beer
oh, read up on degassing and get a degasser

I usally have 2 beers on tap, 1 sitting on the side ready for the tapper, and about 20 gallons of wine or cider in the closet

good luck

 

[vinogal]

I have a 6 1/2 gal glass carboy that I don't really use anymore for beer, so I can use that. I wouldn't be opposed to buying a 7.9 bucket though, they seem relatively cheap at my LHBS. My idea is to keg the wine and then just put a pound or two of pressure on the keg when I want to dispense it, re-using wine bottles that I already have.

I would definitely encourage you to start fermentation in a pail and then rack to carboy for ferm 2!.....pails are cheap and you get a broader yeast pitch in a pail!....curious about kegging your finished wine?.....you will have to let me know how that works for you!.....Vintners reserve are very forgiving....are you doing a white or a red?


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[danorocks17]

I would definitely encourage you to start fermentation in a pail and then rack to carboy for ferm 2!.....pails are cheap and you get a broader yeast pitch in a pail!....curious about kegging your finished wine?.....you will have to let me know how that works for you!.....Vintners reserve are very forgiving....are you doing a white or a red?


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

I think I'm going to do a Pinot Noir, since that is my buddies favorite. I like most red wines, so that works for me too. I like the idea of having a larger pail on hand too, so I'll more than likely invest in that. The kegging thing might be more of a PITA, but I'm willing to give it a shot hahaha.