help choosing wine equipment/kit

[jakedasnake]

I am 100% new to home wine making, i have been working in a winery for a while now but would really like to try and get into making my own wine at home. I dont have any of the equipment, i have been looking around and reading quite a bit. I am looking at the equipment kit form the wine makers toy store, i am trying to decide witch one to get the beginners or Deluxe kit and as well to choose what corker to choose. I have also been looking and trying to decide what wine kit to get, i have been looking at the all juice buckets from mosti mondials from the wine makers toy store as well, i am thinking just a simple chardonnay, i cant post the links to the page that i am looking at because i am so new to the forum but it is all from the wine makers toy store.

Any good advice or tips on what to choose would be great. thanks all hope to get some good responses and advice.
Jacob

 

[rhoffart]

Welcome Jacob, it's hard to tell you what equipment to get it really depends on your budget. As far as the kit to get I have made several of the white MM kits and just bottled 3 kits (90 bottles) yesterday.

Last night the wife and I sampled all the of the kits I bottled and by far the MM Masters Edition Outback Chardonnay was the best IMO ... of course very green but it had the best body of all three.

I ordered another one of these kits last week and it is on back-order. I called George and he said it is one of the fastest selling white kits.

 

[Tom]

Welcome!
Best to CALL George. Tell him what you have and want. He will figure what's best for you.

 

[Runningwolf]

Jake welcome aboard. I suggest you call George at FVW. He actually enjoys talking to his customers and will steer you in the right direction without taking advantage of you. My biggest suggestion is to make sure you get a portugese floor corker and NOT a hand corker.It will save you the money of just up grading later and probably only cost another $40.00. Well worth the money. There's lots of neat little gadgets that will make things easier but George will suugest the right things to get you started.

 

[jakedasnake]

What about withe the corkers, do you think it would be worth it to get the italian floor corker rather than the portuguese double lever corker, or would that one do just fine for me being a beginner. And i am looking to make some good quality wine and want all the right equipment.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Hi Jake....welcome! Before you rush off and start buying a equipment package learn what you are going to need then see what is the best choice cost wise.

Let's see, you need, primary bucket, hydrometer and samoling tube, potassium metabisulfate, pectic enzyme not absolute but recommended (I like liquid), Plastic stirring spoon (long enough for a carboy, a carboy or better bottle, funnel with screen, sparkolloid or bentonite not absolutely needed but is nice (I prefer spark.), potassium sorbate, yeast and nutrient, spray bottle.

A corker and corks you do not need now, but will in the future along with bottles. You will need a racking tube and carboy cap, plus a bung and airlock will be needed shortly.

It is very nice to have 1 more carboy per size than wines you are doing but you can get thru it with an exact number.

I think thats it for now but you never know I may have overlooked something. In time you'll have all kinds of gadgets.

 

[Runningwolf]

The Italian one is better if money is no object. Most of us have the Port. floor corker and have done 1000's of bottles with it.

 

[Wade E]

I agree as the Italian 1 is better but Ive had my port corker for like 8 years now and just 4 months ago only needed the nylon jaws replaced which costed like $14 and took about 2 minutes.

 

[Tom]

I L O V E my Italian !

 

[Runningwolf]

I L O V E my Italian !

TOM....we are talking about corkers, not women!!!!

 

[Tom]

DUH !

 

[AlFulchino]

"would be worth it to get the italian floor corker rather than the portuguese double lever corker, "


they both wear out after a few thousand corkings....i had hoped the italian one would last longer... but in the end even it needed refurbishing earlier than i had expected....so you can save $$$ w the portuguese one.....i have 3 portuguese corkers and one italian...all better than a hand corker and as mentioned earlier, worth the up front cost

aside from that i would go grab ( when you think it is time of course) an Enolmatic Vacuum bottle filler and in line filtering system from George....it lifts your home wine making to a nice and very respectable level

of course the wine that goes into your efforts is the key component and that should be your first concern, but after that it is about refinements...what kind of bottling and corking procedures...labels and their quality....what kind of corks etc but after you pour that wine glass to yourself and friends and family it all returns to one thing...what you put in the bottle good wine can come in a nice package or a nice second hand jug

 

[Runningwolf]

"aside from that i would go grab ( when you think it is time of course) an Enolmatic Vacuum bottle filler and in line filtering system from George....it lifts your home wine making to a nice and very respectable level QUOTE]

Al since I have one does that now make me a respectable winemaker?

 

[rhoffart]

+ 5 (I think) call George

 

[jweger77]

Welcome! Tons of info here!

 

[AlFulchino]

Dan....'we report, you decide"

 

[docanddeb]

Hey... I watch that channel!! LOL... good one!

You work at a winery.... you must have access to some equipment and chemicals there, don't you? Probably grapes/juice in season as well.

Lucky YOU!

Debbie

 

[AlFulchino]

Debbie, my boss doesnt let me touch the chemicals

 

[docanddeb]

That depends on the chemicals, now doesn't it?? THE BOSS.... is she nice otherwise though??

Debbie

 

[tonyt]

I don't think the country of origin of floor corker is near as important as being sure NOT to go with the hand corker.

Be sure and get both 750 and 375 ML bottles. The smaller splits are great for early tasting and helps keep you out of the standard bottles till you know they are ready.

As stated, call George. If anything he might tend to undersell you. He'll help with choosing an early maturing kit too.