A Beginner's Guide to Choosing Wine Making Supplies

By Matthew Campbell


If you are a wine lover but find that purchasing bottles on a regular basis is too pricey, you may want to try making your own. In the past, homemade vintages often were of very low quality but this has changed. Buying the right wine making supplies may seem intimidating but it doesn't have to be. Here are some tips that you can use to take the guesswork out of purchasing the equipment and kits you need to make some amazing wine in your own home.

One thing to consider is the juice that you are using. If you want to make traditional types your choices will be fairly straightforward but if you want to branch out into different varieties you may need to add extra flavorings and additives. You also need to make sure that you have a supply of the various chemicals that you will add to the batch as it is fermenting. While many of these come with pre-assembled kits you can also find these ingredients sold separately.

You should also think about your basic brewing equipment as well. You will need a large container that you put the juice in so that the fermentation process can begin. Often this is nothing more elaborate than a large plastic pail with a tight fitting lid. You need to be able to keep the air out while still allowing gas to escape the bucket. You also need to choose a carboy or secondary fermenting vessel as well. You should consider whether glass or plastic will best suit your budget and your personal preferences.

As well as the basic equipment, you will need juice and several different types of additives. These are added at various points during the fermentation process. One of the easiest things for beginners to do is to pick a kit. This usually comes with the grape or fruit juice, yeast and other additives. There will also be instructions that you follow that tell you how long the batch should sit before you move on to the next step and which chemicals to add at various points.

When you start looking at the different kits you will see that they come in many different wine varieties. A guide is sometimes available from the manufacturer that lists what the different flavors and tasting notes are in each type of wine. Picking ones that sound appealing to you may make your selection process easier.

Bottling equipment will also be needed. You should anticipate purchasing some glass bottles and corks. You should also look at buying chemicals to sterilize the bottles as well as to make cleaning and filling them easier. Once you have the basic equipment you can reuse it multiple times.

Although it doesn't take a lot of equipment to ferment your batch you will need a space where it can rest undisturbed. If you do not have the room at your home you may want to look at making your batch at a self-brewing store.

Its always a good idea to start your shopping process by speaking with staff at a brewing store or by looking at a website. You should be able to find supplies there as well as get some guidance as to which products will meet your needs the best.




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