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rpdranc

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I have 120 vines, this is only 2nd year, knowing I still have another year to wait, I at least want to get my shop ready for 2018 when I make my first wine.
Would someone be kind enough to get me started on what the heck I'll need?
I will be making a white blend from Traminette & Brianna(27 vines)
& one red blend (75 vines)
Vineyard-18 Traminette,9 Brianna, 9 Steuben and 9 Concord. 45 Marquette,15 Noiret,and 15 Corot Noir.

1)Stainless Steel tank brand, size for red & white...
& everything else I would need:)??

Down to what size workbench should I build? Going to crush in one pole barn and roll into climate controlled pole barn right after for fall and winter. I have spent so much time on the viticulture end researching, figured I'd spend next year and a half researching actually making wine & getting equipment in place this winter and next year!

Any info appreciated!!
 
Wow, such planning. Things I've done, I started with 150 red vines, now up to ~ 900 of 15 varieties, yup crazy:ib

Anyway my shoestring approach.

Brutes make good open top fermenters. I bought a 20 gallon, but 35s are only a couple bucks more, so that is what I've bought since. So what if it isn't full? Your harvest will grow. You'll need one for each ferment you will have at the same time. I'm guessing one will do for each blend and they won't overlap.

I'd love a ss tank, but did I say low budget? I have found several full and pony kegs, ss, at the local scrap yards. Yup a bit of work to make sure the are clean but the make nifty fermenters and aging tanks for $50-60. Nice thing is the size is close to a 50l barrel for the Reds. I wouldn't go for the barrel right off until you have the timing right. Barrel care is a pain and the best scenario is to bottle one vintage and fill immediately with the next. The kegs let me buffer so my barrels are always full.

I've made dollies for my kegs and barrels. Just roll them around. I ferment in a pole barn down the hill from my winery. I use my tractor bucket to transport. I used to just lift the barrels and kegs, but last December I did that for a move to cold soak and took out my bicep tendon, can you say getting older? I put in a 440lb electric chain hoist from harbor freight in the winery. Cat's meow. A couple of slngs and up goes a barrel or keg. This weekend one goes in the pole barn.

I also have a hydraulic lift table, makes it easy to rack by gravity and move Carboys around, did unsay getting old?

As for a bench, can't be too big. In the pole barn I ferment in I have a 60inch workbench borrowed from woodworking the rest of the year, and an 8 ft counter and laundry sink. In the winery, daylight basement of the house, 18 ft of counter and laundry sink. Sometimes, like now, it is all covered with chemistry stuff, Carboys and books:h

For the first five years I used a fruit crusher and homemade destem er. Last year I sprung for a crusher-destemmer. Love it but $1,200 to use 6 times a year.......

I'd recommend the best pH meter you can afford, a good titration setup and SO2 setup. Gram scale is a must.

Oh, the list can go on and on. Fermenter, storage vessels, testing equipment - those are the essentials, good luck!
 
Thank you so much for taking the time, I really appreciate it! That's a great start for me!
 

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