Where do you make your wine?

[Bucket Head]

Hi everyone, I’m just starting out here, and I wanted to ask some advice on what kind of laboratory you guys use to make your wine.
I mean. Right now. I’m using the family kitchen, the floor of the basement, and under the stairs.
It’s inconvenient, and it’s pissing my wife off.
So how did you guys start out?
How did you get the whole process not on the floor?

 

[Lampy]

I am still in the kitchen and using two closets for storage/aging! Luckily my wife just pokes fun at me lightheartedly.

 

[Bucket Head]

That’s because you’re making something good.

 

[Lampy]

Good... "variable" would be more accurate in my case! But she doesn't drink anything I make anyway.

 

[madscientist451]

Mostly outside, then put the carboy in the basement:

 

[chthon]

In the garage for cleaning, macerating and pressing the grapes. Fermenting in the income hall, racking in the kitchen and then conditioning for six months in the garage. Note that I make at most 10 l of wine, so I don't need that much space.

 

[RevA]

Outside for processing, kitchen for mixing, a spare bedroom for fermentation

 

[Coffee49]

I wish I had a lab room, most of us adapt and overcome. S02 is you best friend when a sterile environment is out if reach, my spare bedroom 150 Sq. Ft. is my lab, startup doesn't require alot of space, just a pitch of yeast and a 22 C ambient temp. I do position my primaries up on a cheap shelf unit but reinforce the shelves for the load bearing 3 carboys. Do secondary racking to floor carboy. Bottling is most critical stage just S02 the entire sink island area in kitchen and keep the dog out while bottling.

 

[Broken Crow]

The first and most important step is to only piss her off the first time, but then serve her an enjoyable product so that she'll want you to continue.
In practice, I've made my equipment with casters so I can wheel it away easily.

 

[Coffee49]

The first and most important step is to only piss her off the first time, but then serve her an enjoyable product so that she'll want you to continue.
In practice, I've made my equipment with casters so I can wheel it away easily.

After my hobby turned into a compulsion, I do half dry and half blended. It works out well for both of us.

 

[hawkwing]

Ha ha between the kitchen, hallway/living room and the bathroom. I wash lots of fermenters in the tub. But it’s only until they go into carboys.

 

[Ren06]

Mostly outside, then put the carboy in the basement:
View attachment 782010

This image brings back memories of my childhood very early 80s watching my father and grandfather go to Canada buy grapes and come back to Buffalo and make wine in the basement.

 

[hawkwing]

This image brings back memories of my childhood very early 80s watching my father and grandfather go to Canada buy grapes and come back to Buffalo and make wine in the basement.

Sounds funny going north to get grapes. I have to import them from the south. Of course I imagine the exchange was the reason.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

In Texas.

 

[Coffee49]

Western new york has the perfect weather for the fall wine making season, after primary racking the weather in November thru Feb is perfect for secondary then cold stabilization outside is available. 2nd racking in February allows the wine to prepare for bottling in July,

 

[Ren06]

Western new york has the perfect weather for the fall wine making season, after primary racking the weather in November thru Feb is perfect for secondary then cold stabilization outside is available. 2nd racking in February allows the wine to prepare for bottling in July,

That is correct and there are several wineries in WNY because of that.

 

[Bucket Head]

Mostly outside, then put the carboy in the basement:
View attachment 782010

 

[Bucket Head]

I got a back yard too. My question is how do you clean, and store all of that without pissing you wife off!🤣
That’s an amazing setup! Cheers!

 

[Wickedwinewitch]

I have a shelf in the laundry closet for tools and supply storage but all of the fermenting is in the kitchen and dining room. I only make 1 gallon batches. I live in a smallish apartment so my dad made me a bookcase that doubles as a room divider to house all my car boys. I can fit 9 at a time. The primary fermentaiont buckets bubble away on the floor under the bar counter.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I got a back yard too. My question is how do you clean, and store all of that without pissing you wife off!🤣
That’s an amazing setup! Cheers!

Well, that’s a tough one. I am the woman of the house and I’m the one brewing. My kitchen is where most things happen and I find places near the kitchen if needed to set up a fermentor or two. My husband isn’t much of a drinker, but he sees the enjoyment I get from it and is really supportive. (We don’t have kids or critters running around either… that adds a wrinkle) Does your wife enjoy wine? If so, it seems reasonable that she could collaborate with you on space. As long as you don’t attempt to tie up the kitchen right before a holiday or big event of course.

 

[Coffee49]

The kitchen gets a good cleaning with sulfite prior to primary start up in Sept. just did 1st racking, small space with controlled temp is all one needs, I am having my wife do her own two carboys this year, we do semi sweets and dry. Bottling takes up the most room.

 

[Erik the Awful]

We have a stand alone freezer in the pantry, and that's where I store fruit until I have enough for a batch of wine. I have a cheap press that I carry out to the back porch to press fruit, and when not in use it's in the spare bedroom next to my wine shelf.

When I make a wine, I tie up the stove for a couple hours, but I cook more than my wife, so I don't get in too much trouble. For primary fermentation I typically have two 4-gallon buckets on the counter (3 gallons each, I expect to lose a gallon on first racking). Once it goes into secondary fermentation it goes out into the garage, which can be anywhere from 20°F to 100°F depending on the season. I use Lalvin EC-1118 specifically because it's hardier yeast and I haven't had any trouble with the yeast dying or stalling out.

When I rack or bottle, I use the kitchen. Once bottled the wine goes into the spare bedroom on my wine shelf. I also store my empty bottles and my bottle washer there. Last time I checked I have about 30 gallons of wine on the shelf.

 

[Bucket Head]

I wish I had a lab room, most of us adapt and overcome. S02 is you best friend when a sterile environment is out if reach, my spare bedroom 150 Sq. Ft. is my lab, startup doesn't require alot of space, just a pitch of yeast and a 22 C ambient temp. I do position my primaries up on a cheap shelf unit but reinforce the shelves for the load bearing 3 carboys. Do secondary racking to floor carboy. Bottling is most critical stage just S02 the entire sink island area in kitchen and keep the dog out while bottling.

We have a stand alone freezer in the pantry, and that's where I store fruit until I have enough for a batch of wine. I have a cheap press that I carry out to the back porch to press fruit, and when not in use it's in the spare bedroom next to my wine shelf.

When I make a wine, I tie up the stove for a couple hours, but I cook more than my wife, so I don't get in too much trouble. For primary fermentation I typically have two 4-gallon buckets on the counter (3 gallons each, I expect to lose a gallon on first racking). Once it goes into secondary fermentation it goes out into the garage, which can be anywhere from 20°F to 100°F depending on the season. I use Lalvin EC-1118 specifically because it's hardier yeast and I haven't had any trouble with the yeast dying or stalling out.

When I rack or bottle, I use the kitchen. Once bottled the wine goes into the spare bedroom on my wine shelf. I also store my empty bottles and my bottle washer there. Last time I checked I have about 30 gallons of wine on the shelf.

You rule Eric.

 

[Bucket Head]

You rule Eric.

Sorry, with a K

 

[Erik the Awful]

No worries. I don't know that I rule; I'm just trying to keep it simple. Wine making is my winter hobby and it's almost free compared to playing with cars.

 

[Bucket Head]

After my hobby turned into a compulsion, I do half dry and half blended. It works out well for both of us.

Interesting. I did the same thing. Because my wife likes dry, I didn’t back sweeten half of my batch. After some aging. The wines flavors, and perceived sweetness increases. The wine I back sweetened turned out too sweet.

 

[Coffee49]

I usually add 1 cup granulated sugar at bottling. Any semi sweet wine will need that addition at bottling, a concord or Moscato will need 2 cups.

 

[Bucket Head]

I’ve just made a 5 gallon batch from a syrup kit. Im not even close to using grapes yet. I just started a mead batch.
I’m literally just figuring out how to complete primary fermentation correctly.

 

[Bucket Head]

I’ve just made a 5 gallon batch from a syrup kit. Im not even close to using grapes yet. I just started a mead batch.
I’m literally just figuring out how to complete primary fermentation correctly.

I’m learning you can’t just time how long something will take to ferment. It’s like cooking. You have to smell, taste, and feel.