Hello from Westminster, Maryland

[xanxer82]

Hi everyone!
I'm Dan from Westminster/Finksburg Maryland. This is the beginning of wine making for me. I have a pretty basic fermenting kit and I have my very first wine kit arriving this weekend.
Equipment wise this is what I have to start out with...

7.5 gallon plastic fermenter with lid
6 gallon Better Bottle

Stoppers
for each fermenter (2)
Airlock - 3 part
Bottle brush for
cleaning
Wine hydrometer to measure alcohol
8 ounces of Easy Clean
No-Rinse Cleanser
Plastic plunger corker
30 corks
Racking tube for
siphoning
5 feet of siphon tubing
Bottle filler
Shut-off valve


This is what I ordered to supplement my gear and my very first kit.

1 Airlock S-Bubble type
1 Carboy
Wedge
1 Glass Wine Thief (12" x 3/4"
diameter)
1 Vintner's Reserve Kit - Bergamais
(Beaujolais)

The next things on my list are

Mix Stir (drill attached)
Brake Bleeder
6 gal. Glass Carboys (2 more hopefully if I can find them cheap)
an upgraded corker
Some large containers to santize things in.
Wine bottle racks
an autosiphon


I'll add some pictures of myself and hopefully, soon of my wine.

Nice to meet you all!

 

[Scott]

Welcome Dan,


Sounds like you have a nice startwith the equipment, many more items to be added

as the obsession grows. A must is a second or third hydrometer.


When upgrading the corker IMHO go with the floor corker and don't hesitate with any questions and oh boy yes we like pictures!

 

[Tom]

Welcome to the err... OBSESSION.
I would add a pound of potassium Metabisulfite for sanitizing.

 

[xanxer82]

I think a pound of K Meta sounds like a good idea.

 

[xanxer82]

I was looking at floor corkers today. Kinda of pricey but look worth it especially for corking large quantities of bottles. X-mas is comming maybe the fiance will feed the obsession a bit. She's interested to see me get started too.

 

[uavwmn]

Welcome, Dan. I was raised on the Eastern Shore of MD.

Miss all the water and seasons as I retired in AZ.
Great hobby this is!!! Ask lots of questions and we love pictures!!!
Enjoy~

 

[Runningwolf]

Welcome aboard. Floor corker is a must. You can get em less than 60.00

 

[Waldo]

Welcome, glad to have you onboard

 

[Wade E]

Welcome Dan. I have the cheaper Port. Floor corker and have well over 2000 corks under it so far and it works great and ice and easy. My 5 year old son can even cork bottles with this. Looks like you either have or are looking to get all the right stuff! Glad to have you here!

 

[pelican]

Welcome Dan - and dang it now I have to find yet another pic... good taste in icon/avatar/whatchamacallit!

Floor Corker... Floor Corker.... Don't even kid yourself that the only excuse for that is "bottling a large number of bottles". No no, once you try it for even 1 bottle, you will never go back to the plastic plunger corker.

Keep an eye on ebay, craigslist etc. but the Portugese Corker (which I have and am happy with) is not all that pricey and even having it shipped to me from Texas to the Frozen North I feel it was well worth every penny.

I especially like being able to "try" a tasting bottle of wine... and if it's not ready to drink I can have it recorked in about 30 seconds and most of that is the time it takes to go from kitchen to where the corker lives and get a fresh cork. I don't know that I'd believe anyone who says they can get a regular size cork into a bottle with the plunger corker in 30 seconds!

Now ---- here's what we all REALLY want to know...

WHAT KIT DID YOU GET????

And by the way, welcome to our board

Mrs. Pelican

 

[xanxer82]

Wade
The Port corker sounds like a good deal.
We have a 5 year old too and perhaps I'll let him give corking a try.

I was looking at the posting about you wine cellar. Nice job. I asked a couple question in the thread too.

 

[xanxer82]

Welcome Dan - and dang it now I have to find yet another pic... good taste in icon/avatar/whatchamacallit!

Floor Corker... Floor Corker.... Don't even kid yourself that the only excuse for that is "bottling a large number of bottles". No no, once you try it for even 1 bottle, you will never go back to the plastic plunger corker.

Keep an eye on ebay, craigslist etc. but the Portugese Corker (which I have and am happy with) is not all that pricey and even having it shipped to me from Texas to the Frozen North I feel it was well worth every penny.

I especially like being able to "try" a tasting bottle of wine... and if it's not ready to drink I can have it recorked in about 30 seconds and most of that is the time it takes to go from kitchen to where the corker lives and get a fresh cork. I don't know that I'd believe anyone who says they can get a regular size cork into a bottle with the plunger corker in 30 seconds!

Now ---- here's what we all REALLY want to know...

WHAT KIT DID YOU GET????

And by the way, welcome to our board

Mrs. Pelican

I'm in the process of making or finding a custom icon. no need to change, but I do agree we have good taste in imagery.

That plastic plunger does seam a bit daunting for 30 bottles.
I got my kit from Midwestern Supply. I want to try some of the WinExpert Kits after I make my first one. It's a Vinters reserve bergamais.

 

[NEBama]

Welcome to the forum,and the floor corker is the only way to go.AL

 

[hannabarn]

Welcome to the forum! As you can see, you will get many answers and opinions here. All of them great!!

 

[Runningwolf]

Hi Dan, the only thing you haven't mentioned is bottles. Now is a great time to start looking around for a good source for collecting used bottles. Resturants, bars or wineries are excellet places to ask, beg or dumpster dive. If you have a winery near you they are are happy to unload them for a few bucks a case and some give them to you for free.

 

[pelican]

Hi Dan,

I haven't made the VR Bergamais myself but have heard many good things about it. My "want to try" kit list grows longer all the time .... Will be looking forward to your reports from this kit too.



On the corker - if you aren't quite ready to splash out for a Floor Corker, then something like this one might be worth considering --

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Corker - Handheld Portuguese Double Lever



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<td width="15%">

Add to Shopping Cart


Add to Wish List


Shipping Cost Estimate</td></tr></t></table>

 

[xanxer82]

Hi Dan, the only thing you haven't mentioned is bottles. Now is a great time to start looking around for a good source for collecting used bottles. Resturants, bars or wineries are excellet places to ask, beg or dumpster dive. If you have a winery near you they are are happy to unload them for a few bucks a case and some give them to you for free.

I have a local wine bar giving them to me for free. They were very nice about it since they pay for removal.

 

[Joanie]

Welcome aboard the wine train! =)

If you are looking for some good tools for this trade, I recommend a 45 bottle bottle tree and the Bottle Rinser Vinator that sits on top of it. It's fantastic and easy way to sanitize and dry your bottles.

Don't waste your money on a hand corker, go for a floor model. It's so worth the money.

 

[Runningwolf]

Joan excellent recommendation and not much money.

 

[xanxer82]

Hi Dan,I haven't made the VR Bergamais myself but have heard many good things about it.  My "want to try" kit list grows longer all the time .... Will be looking forward to your reports from this kit too.
On the corker - if you aren't quite ready to splash out for a  Floor Corker, then something like this one might be worth considering --&lt;table ="Catalog" id="products" width="100%" align="center" border="1" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"&gt;&lt;t&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td ="table" width="2%" align="default"&gt;<div align=center>4039 &lt;/td&gt;
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Corker - Handheld Portuguese Double Lever


I think that is more cost effective until I can get more than one carboy going. Thanks for reccomending that one.


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&lt;td width="2%"&gt;<div align=right>$16.99&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td width="2%"&gt;<div align=right>$16.99 &lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td width="5%"&gt;<div align=center>Stocked &lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td width="15%"&gt;

Add to Shopping Cart


Add to Wish List


Shipping Cost Estimate&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/t&gt;&lt;/table&gt;