Beginner with a few quick questions

[Tengu]

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all doing well. I have made wine once before but I just bought my own stuff off a guy second hand and I think I have pretty much everything I need, 2 carboy's, tubing, chemicals, and others. however I do have a few quick questions.

I don't have a plastic buket to use a primary fermenter. Is this a major requirement or can I use one of the carboys?

Would it be safe to use the chemicals as I don't know how old they are?

Any new and exciting tools or gagets I should know about?

Thank you for reading,

 

[diggerdan17]

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all doing well. I have made wine once before but I just bought my own stuff off a guy second hand and I think I have pretty much everything I need, 2 carboy's, tubing, chemicals, and others. however I do have a few quick questions.

I don't have a plastic buket to use a primary fermenter. Is this a major requirement or can I use one of the carboys?

Would it be safe to use the chemicals as I don't know how old they are?

Any new and exciting tools or gagets I should know about?

Thank you for reading,

Check this out
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13578

 

[ibglowin]

You for sure need a good primary bucket. The carboy doesn't have enough headspace/air for yeast to ferment. They are cheap and a must have. What chemicals do you have? The only thing you really need (at this point) is Sulfite powder for sanitizing and topping up SO2 levels down the road. Again cheap $5 a pound and it will last a year or more depending on how much you make. I would buy new unless you can ask the previous owner how old it is.

Welcome to the forums!

 

[Tengu]

Thank you for the great link, and ya I think i will get a good primary bucket, there is a wine making store close to my work which is good right now, in the future could be a bad thing LOL...

I'll also look at the sulfite powder, Thanks for all the help.

 

[robie]

At Lowes and Home Depot, some of the 5-gallon paint buckets (with lids) are food grade. Look at the bottom and you will be able to tell.

Wal-mart, target, ..etc have in-house bakeries, so they throw away lots of 2 gallon to 5 gallon food grade buckets and lids. The icing and batter come in them. Usually, they will give you more of them than you would want. They clean up nicely.

I'd buy new chemicals, except kmeta, as long as it is nice and dry.

 

[closetwine]

You definately need a hydrometer if you don't have one! And buy 2 you'll want a backup... trust me. Also a tube that you can use it in.