Hello from Ontario (east of GTA)

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drgronk

Caveman Psychologist - (PhD - Prehistoric Dumb@ss)
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Well I've taken the plunge and purchased some carboy's, a primary fermenter, racking, floor corker, a mini-jet, etc from kijiji at a decent price. I've also picked up a paklab double pack of red (a Cab sav and a Barolo) from Costco I'm threatening to get started even though I hear they may be mediocre at best (lack body). At 40$(10$ off) for 2 23l batches, what can you expect right? At least some wine for topping up, and opening once the good stuff has been flowing a while.

I've been reading a lot but struggling with some topics which should seem straightforward though there are many differences in opinion out there.

For example, what is the best/cost effective cleaning/sanitization route?

B-Brite and StarSan? Potassium metabisulphite?

I may look at a batch of beer in the near future as well if that makes any difference.

I also have some hardier grapevines out back (Frontenac, Sabrevois, Geneva Red #7) and produce some decent fruit. The vineyard has been tastefully dubbed Make BeLeaf Gardens (the same as my backyard rink in the winter). Once I get going and make a few batches I'm curious on augmenting with some of these as grape packs (if I can keep the bees and ants away this year).

In any case, thanks to all the contributors, there is a wealth of information here and I'm glad I found these forums.
 
For example, what is the best/cost effective cleaning/sanitization route? B-Brite and StarSan? Potassium metabisulphite?

I may look at a batch of beer in the near future as well if that makes any difference.
AFAIK, B-Brite and StarSan are still very difficult to find in Canada. K-meta (aka Potassium metabisulphite) is a sanitizer (but not cleaner) for wine but not beer. Iodophor is a sanitizer for beer & wine, but may be difficult to find (look for a store that carries RJ Spagnols products).

Steve
 
Welcome to a great forum, drgronk.
I now use EcoLox as a cleaner and Oxysan as a sanitizer - they are more environmentally friendly than some and since I am on a septic tank/disposal field, that is important to me. No toxic fumes either. I also use them for making beer.
Unfortunately, the Oxysan is only good for about 12 hours after mixed, so I do use some Sodium Meta in my spray bottle and to keep in unused carboys.
 
Welcome! You'll find some things posted that we just can't get here in Canada but you can have things shipped(expensive though.) If you can find a Spagnol's supplier near to you I would suggest Sanibrew for wine and Beer for cleaning and for sanitizing, K-meta for wine and Iodophor for beer. Also I would suggest using separate fermenting pails.(the beer can make your wine taste off)
 
Thanks for the advice and the warm welcome. I'll do a search but a thread for Canadian supplies or supplier recommendations would be a great resource.

Regarding beer vs wine in the primary fermenter. As I bought the equipment used would it make sense to get a brand new fermenter or should a thorough cleaning do the trick (I assume the previous owner only made wine, however who really knows)?
 
There appear to be some local home brew shops near you; have you tried them yet? They can be a great source for supplies and advice.
 
Hello from Ajax, Ontario

Hello - My name is Tino and I too am new to the group, from Ajax, Ontario.

From a supplies perspective, I found Danny's Wine and Beer. They seem to be a great resource and reasonable pricing, but they deliver (out of London Ontario). Here is the link below and enjoy!

http://shop.dannyswineandbeer.com/wine-making-equipment.html

PS - I love the "Make BeLeaf Gardens" - Making your own grapes, sounds like a neat hobby as well!
 
Tino_C said:
Hello - My name is Tino and I too am new to the group, from Ajax, Ontario.

From a supplies perspective, I found Danny's Wine and Beer. They seem to be a great resource and reasonable pricing, but they deliver (out of London Ontario). Here is the link below and enjoy!

http://shop.dannyswineandbeer.com/wine-making-equipment.html

PS - I love the "Make BeLeaf Gardens" - Making your own grapes, sounds like a neat hobby as well!

There's a Vin Bon in Whitby. Much cheaper than online and they have juice buckets.
 

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