I have been brewing beer for 17 years and would like to get into wine making. I know very little about it and was wondering if anyone had information to get me started.
Can I use some of the equipment I already have? What specialty equipment would I need to purchase.
Looking forward to hearing back and thanks in advance.
BV
There should be plenty of online tutorials. If you have a LHBS ask them, many have well stocked wine sections.
I made some years back. It is a different process than beer. Much of the same equipment is used.
it’s easier to make. Much easier to make substandard.
+1 on the post that mentions much of the same equipment is used. I use all the same gear (buckets, carboys, siphons, etc.) for brewing and mead making. Off hand I can’t think of anything I use specifically for just one, except my boiling pot/mash tun because I don’t boil my mead.
There’s plenty of recipes and videos online. Just run a couple searches and find something that looks interesting to you. There are differences from the brewing process, but because you know how to use your equipment, it’s not difficult to adjust. You can also start with a kit if you’re concerned about having to put everything together for a first batch.
The only piece of equipment you might need is something to de-gas the must.
When I was making wine (2 batches, a long time ago) the only thing I didn’t have was a long spoon that fit in the carboy to stir the wine to force out the CO2. I used a plastic spoon with a long handle with one end that would fit through the neck of a carboy, like this: https://www.northernbrewer.com/collections/stirring-straining/products/fermenters-favorites-24-mash-paddle
I’ve also seen these: Wine Degasser - Mix-Stir - Stainless Steel
Getting all the CO2 out was my biggest problem on my 2 attemps. 60 bottles of slightly bubbly red wine was the end of my career as a vintner. Altough it did get use through a large addition on the back of our house. 8^)
Paul
Good call. This is the one that I use.
https://www.midwestsupplies.com/the-stainless-steel-mix-stir
An easy way to get started is a home wine kit. I tried the Wine Expert Cab Sauv recently and really enjoyed the result. After that kit I bought Jon Iverson’s Home Winemaking Step by Step: so far it’s answered all the questions I can think of about wine. I’ve made some of the recipes on Jack Keller’s site as well: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/starting.asp
I’m still beginning to learn about this stuff, but those are the resources I’ve found helpful so far.
This is just my opinion and my philosophy on many interests I have, wine making being just one. I’ve been making wine for 10 years and all grain brewing a little less. I jumped both feet straight to grapes and all grain. I bought a crusher/destemmer and a 50 gallon food grade Brute (white) trash can, carboys and a 35 lb wine press and also the obvious accessories. The two indispensable tools I still reference is Daniel Pambianchi’s book; Techniques in Home Winemaking. ISBN978-1-55065-236-9 and UC Davis Extension (ucdavis.edu) Viticulture and Enology.
Where do you get grapes? I’ve only seen wine juice kits.
I have one of those whizzers that attach to a drill. I used it to aerate my wort in the carboy after pitching yeast.
A question about bottling.
I have 600 12 oz brown beer bottles and quite a few of the 16 oz. rubber stopper type bottles. Is it possible to use and cap them? This thought occurred to me after seeing so many wines these days using screw caps instead of corks.
I’m from NE Ohio. The place I now use is called Luva Bella Winery (M&M Juice) they are in Lowellville, Ohio. I’ve also used grapes from Presque Isle Winery in Presque Isle PA and Collinswood Grape in Collinswood, Ohio. All of these guys sell both grape and juice from California, New York, Pennsylvania, Italy and Chile. Google fresh wine grapes and juice and I’m sure you will find a plethora of purveyors.
Great wine is easy to make. All that’s required really is patience. Pitch yeast, rack it once in a while if you feel like it, add clarifier if you feel like it, and otherwise just walk away for a few months.