Lunatic Singe - Getting Started in Wine Making

Getting Started in Wine Making

Necessary Equipment and Supplies

Primary: 6- or 7-gallon white plastic paint bucket is the best all-purpose primary.
Secondary: 1-gal apple juice jugs, 3-gallon carboys and 5-gallon carboys are best sizes (demijohns in the British Commonwealth).
Bung: rubber corks with hole drilled for the airlock to fit in; buy when you buy a secondary so you know the fit is correct.
Airlock: "S"-type is best (also called "bubbler").
Hydrometer: with both specific gravity and potential alcohol scales.
Hydrometer Jar: a tall chimney jar (holds about 350 ml of liquid) in which the hydrometer is floated.
Siphon Hose: about 6 feet of 1/2 inch clear plastic tubing.
Acid Blend: crystalline, 4 to 6 oz.
Pectic Enzyme: dry, powdered, 2 to 4 oz.
Grape Tannin: dry, powdered, 2 oz.
Campden Tablets: for 1-gallon batches, bag of 25.
Potassium Metabisulfite: crystalline, for cleaning equipment and sulfating 5-gallon batches (in place of Campden), 4 oz.
Potassium Sorbate: for stabilizing wines.
Yeast Nutrient: crystalline, 4 to 6 oz.
Wine Yeast: do not use bread or baking yeast.
Nylon Straining Bag: also called a grain bag.
Corks: size #9 fits most wine bottles; buy quality corks.
Corker: buy a cheap hand corker to start with.
Bottles: you will need five 750-ml bottles per US gallon of wine, six per Imperial gallon.

Advanced Equipment

The following list contains equipment you will want if you become a more serious winemaker. None of it is required, but all of it is nice to have if you develop a need for it.

Gram Scale: digital ones are expensive, but worth the money for making small, precise adjustments ;
Acid Test Kit: replace the standards (solutions) as required and it will serve you well;
pH Meter: accurate, reliable, and worth the investment;
SO2 Test Kit: essential for making serious white wines and reds intended for aging;
Grape or Fruit Press: consider this "essential" if you make wine from fresh grapes;
Crusher: If you do a lot of grapes, you'll need this; deluxe models come with a destemmer;
Floor Corker: for 5-gallon batches, you really do need one of these.