New and about to buy initial equipment and kit.. Please advise!

[amytmock]

I have caught the wine making bug, and I am about to buy my first equipment and wine making kit. I am trying to figure out though, is it worth the extra money for me to get the floor corker, or will I be able to manage the standard #9 corks with a double lever?

Also, I am looking for suggestions for a wine kit -- I am a fan of red wines and I generally have a pretty experienced palette. Is there are particular brand, or even a type of wine you might recommend I attempt for my first batch?

 

[BobF]

As far as the corker goes, IMO, Yes it's worth it. Every penny!

I can't help on kits ....

 

[Tom]

1st, Welcome to your NEW addiction.
Best to spend what you can afford. That being said its not that much more for a floor corker. They make #8 corks for dbl leaver hand corker. Also get a glass carboy.
As for kits get a middle of the road ones since you have a good pallet. I suggest that you get a kit of something you like (cab,merlot etc)

 

[amytmock]

Thanks for your opinions so far! These are the two kits I'm torn between right now (both from Northern Brewery)

The deluxe is $80 more, but includes extras like the floor corker, a wine thief, plastic paddle, another bucket (not sure what to use it for) and a few other things. I just want to make sure it is worth it...

I was actually planning on the Better Bottle since from what I had read it was about equal in in production.. But maybe I was wrong. The glass one really makes a difference?

Oh, and as far as the ingredient kits go, are they any particular brands?? I had read some good reviews on the CC Red Mountain Cabernet...

 

[twistedvine]

I agree with everything that has been said. When I first started just a few short years ago, I purchased a kit with a better bottle and gilda corker. It didn't take long to replace the better bottle with a glass carboy (seven actually) and a floor corker (love it). I have also upgraded to a vacuum pump used for degassing, transferring and filtering. Too bad you are starting now, Wade was a great hook up for the pump setup.

Good luck and remember to have fun

 

[Tom]

Agee. A BB is good just remember when you pick it up it will flex. You cant use a vac pump later on. If they off a equip kit w/ a glass carboy and floor corker go for it.

What wine kit U looking at?

 

[amytmock]

Wine Kits

I really don't know on the wine kits... I guess that is what I need the most advice on still. The only red that I've really heard any reviews on is the Cellar Craft Red Mountain Cabernet. However, for $120, I want to make sure it really is that much better than some of the $60 kits out there....

I figure that I don't want to go TOO expensive for my first batch, but I want something that I will really enjoy.


P.S. I've been hearing that some people leave wine in the carboy for several months on end.. Is that common for the better wines, or just certain recipes? If that is the case, I'm definitely going to want to buy a couple carboys..

 

[Runningwolf]

Amytmock, welcome to the forum. You are about to enter a fantastic hobby you'll be able to pass down to your kids and grandkids. I would suggest yo call George at Fine Vine Wines. He is a straight shooter and reasonably priced including shipping. Tell him what you like and he'll make a good suggestion for a wine kit. If you can do it, I would get a floor corker now rather than up scale later on. George will not over sell you on anything. Ask lots of questions and we'll walk you though anything.

 

[Tom]

Look at it this way. Its only $4.00 a bottle. And YES it is a good kit. Yes even these kits I would bulk age longer that their instructions.

 

[amytmock]

Sorry, I'm still getting used to the lingo... Bulk age... Is that just keeping it is the carboy longer? Are there any rules or is it just the longer the better?

That's for the suggestions on fine vine wines! I'm looking at their website now

 

[ibglowin]

Welcome aboard Amy!

If you are sure you will stick with this as a hobby the floor corker is totally worth it. I can't count how many of us have brand new unused double lever hand corkers on this forum. If you can, get the floor corker by bypass the hand corker.

If you like good wine and can tell the difference between a bottle of Yellow Tail Cabernet and a bottle of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet then you will want to go for a higher end kit.

The best ones IMHO are either the Cellar Craft Showcase line of kits or the RJ Spagnols Winery series line of kits. My first kit was the Red Mountain Cabernet. It is now 2 years old and I still have 8 bottles left and they are indeed wonderful.

 

[Runningwolf]

Sorry, I'm still getting used to the lingo... Bulk age... Is that just keeping it is the carboy longer? Are there any rules or is it just the longer the better?

That's for the suggestions on fine vine wines! I'm looking at their website now

That is correct. White wines a good rule is 6 months or more and red wines bulk age 9 months to sometimes 24 months.

FVW's also offer 10% off when you register with them. If you do decide to buy from them, do call and talk to george and let him know we recommended him. He'll take care of you.

 

[amytmock]

Bulk aging

That is correct. White wines a good rule is 6 months or more and red wines bulk age 9 months to sometimes 24 months.

FVW's also offer 10% off when you register with them. If you do decide to buy from them, do call and talk to george and let him know we recommended him. He'll take care of you.

I was probably going to just order online, but at your insistence, I will definitely give him a call then sometime tomorrow. I didn't realize the wine would spend so much time aging in the carboy! I thought I could turn it around every couple months, and they would spend most the time aging in the bottle... I guess I should consider buying a a second carboy huh?

I've heard that it is also good to do a third racking, even though it isn't in the instructions... Would I let the wine bulk age, inside the carboy, after this? I just keep in in there, for a year or so (lets say for now) in my cool safe place before bottling?

(Thanks again SO much, you guys have been incredibly helpful!!!)

 

[Arne]

Make sure you order an extra hydrometer. They break pretty easily, are not too expensive, and if you have 2, they usuallly last longer. Arne.

 

[ibglowin]

If you have two, you will never break a single one. If you only have one, its a guarantee that you will break it when you need it the most! ::

 

[amytmock]

hydrometer

Ouch! Good advice, thanks! I will be sure to get a couple! If anyone else has good advice, or suggestions of your favorite wine kits, let me know! I'm hoping to order tomorrow!

 

[ibglowin]

You should plan on bulk aging for a minium of 4 months and 6 months if you can wait that long. No real point in bulk aging longer IMHO. One reason (there are many others) to bulk age in a carboy is that the wine will usually continue to drop sediment albeit a very fine sediment even after you rack off the fines. If you bottle early your wine will have that fine sediment in the bottle. Most of us go an extra step and filter on top of that just to make sure the wine sparkles.

 

[amytmock]

Wine Kits

Thank you all for your advice! I'm very excited. Just out of curiosity, have any of you had experience with sparkling wine kits?

 

[jet]

There is another camp that considers bulk aging a waste of resources. They say to bottle when the wine is clear and bottle age. That frees up your carboys for more wine.

 

[Tom]

Thank you all for your advice! I'm very excited. Just out of curiosity, have any of you had experience with sparkling wine kits?

Unless you have a CO2 system .. forget it.