Must Have Wine Making Supplies

Not every wine making kit necessarily has all the wine making supplies. Therefore you have to check whether you have everything you need to start making homemade wine. Nowadays many people started to make their own wines. Some homemade wines are even better than commercial ones and they tend to have a high level of alcohol. This is due to the fermentation stage. This article will describe the various essential equipment and supplies needed for wine making.

(Fermenting Equipment)

Gallon Jug

This is used to store sterilized equipment. A plastic gallon jug should be fine but if you manage to buy a glass one it is better since glass is much safer for sanitary reasons.

A Carboy

A carboy is used to store in the wine mixture. They are generally made from glass, having a largish base and a narrow neck.The more carboys you have the more mixtures you can store. A typical carboy should hold 5 to 6 gallons.

A Long Handled Plastic Spoon

This is mainly used to stir the wine mixture when it is fermenting. The spoon should be hard enough so that you can stir a five gallon mixture. Due to its long hand it can be easily inserted into the neck of the carboy.

Airlock and One-hole Rubber Stopper

This piece of equipment is used to prevent air from seeping into the carboy whilst allowing carbon dioxide to escape. This is essential in wine making because harmful pathogens can enter the carbon, contaminating the whole wine mixture. 

A Hydrometer

A hydrometer is used to measure the specific gravity of the wine at each fermentation stage. It normally comes into two separate pieces. The first piece is the hydrometer and the other is a plastic or glass cylinder used to trap wine in it.

A Wine Thief

A wine thief is made out of a long plastic tube. It is used for extracting wine samples from the carboy and inserting them into the hydrometer plastic cylinder for measurements. A wine thief would normally have a valve underneath it so that wine is trapped in it. You then turn the valve to release the wine for testing.

A Thermometer

This is a special type of thermometer. It is normally 4 inches in length with floating capabilities. It’s markings represent the ideal temperature for yeast growth.

(Siphon Equipment)

A Siphon Hose

A flexible 5 feet food-grade PVC hose used to transfer fermented wine form one carboy to another. Actually it can be used for any type of wine transfer.

A Siphon Rode

A 9 inch to 24 inch hard plastic rode. This piece of equipment is put into the carboy.

The Siphon Hose Clamp

This is used to close the tube but without loosing any siphon suction.

(Wine Bottling Equipment)

Corks

Ideally, use good-quality composite corks rather than the previously used agglomerate corks. Buy as many as you can because normally the more you buy the cheaper they cost. Remember to leave at least half an inch between the cork and the wine to allow for normal wine expansion during the fermenting process.

Shrink Caps

These are essential because they protect the cork whilst allowing the wine to breath

Corker

Any model will do. This is used to insert the corks into the bottle.

An important thing in wine making is to sterilize all equipment coming in contact with the wine. This is a very satisfying and rewarding project but you must always drink in moderation.