New winemaker!

[TomK-B]

Thought I'd weigh in on this discussion as well, although it looks to me like you've been getting great advice already, jlbeck. First, I want to echo what Kraffty just said, "Jump in, the water's fine." Now, when I got started a couple of years ago I got the Deluxe Wine Equipment Package with Glass Carboy from Fine Vine Wines. That's a store north of Dallas in that metroplex mess they've got out there. But George is very knowledgeable and has been excellent to work with. The only things I've added to that kit in the past two years have been carboys. OK, I've replaced the corks many times over, and the chemicals. Oh, and the hydrometer. There's a general rule of thumb around here, I've learned. If you have one hydrometer, it breaks often. If you have two, they never break. Also, on the Fine Vine Wines web site you can find good videos for the beginning wine maker. I found them invaluable.

As far as a kit matching what you're looking for, I'd suggest you think about the Winexpert Selection Series Amarone. That's not what anyone around here would classify as a "beginner" kit. But, Joeswine of this forum is currently giving a tutorial on making this kit on the last few pages of the thread "when good wines gone bad." http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f6/when-good-wines-g-ne-bad-29481/ You could follow that tutorial and make a wine you will be very happy with. After that, make one of the "mist" kits that are drinkable in four weeks.

Glad you're here! This is a great place to learn about home winemaking.

 

[bchilders]

Well there is a wine/beer making store close to me that offers a "deluxe starter kit" containing a 6.5 gal plastic primary with plug and airlock, 6 gal glass carboy, racking cane, clip siphon hose, shut off clamp, bottle filler, and sanitizer (mind you this is their description on the site) all for 65.99 which seems like a great deal from what I have been looking at online, I know a hydrometer is also a need in the process, would this be a good start? Or is there more that will help?

Welcome, you are about to start a life long quest for the perfect glass of wine.

The kit you describe sounds fine. I started my first batch with an all inclusive kit and it should have all that is needed. Since kits are designed to almost be fail proof optional equipment is not necessary unless you plan to tweak it.
Another great resource is http://grapestompers.com/
Tom has a lot of information and is a good source for comparing prices. Midwest Supply is another good source. http://www.midwestsupplies.com/

And no I don't have stock in either one

 

[Fordguy]

Well there is a wine/beer making store close to me that offers a "deluxe starter kit" containing a 6.5 gal plastic primary with plug and airlock, 6 gal glass carboy, racking cane, clip siphon hose, shut off clamp, bottle filler, and sanitizer (mind you this is their description on the site) all for 65.99 which seems like a great deal from what I have been looking at online, I know a hydrometer is also a need in the process, would this be a good start? Or is there more that will help?

Jlbeck, if you are talking about the starter kit from the brew shop in OKC, that is what I started with, they are nice folks over there. I am about 20 miles east of OKC so welcome to the site. It seems you have already gotten some good advise in this thread, so as other have said, just jump on in. Welcome aboard!

 

[jlbeck]

Awesome thank you everyone for all the advice, I think I will try an island mist white cran gris kit to start, maybe pick a second quick kit in between and start work in December on my commemorative edition. I have a book called strong waters about the process and equipment but it has seemed like a somewhat daunting process until I joined here, but everyone has been so friendly and kind with advice that most of my fears about it have been subsided, I do have another question tho, is there a better temp and humidity for the process of fermentation?

 

[jlbeck]

Jlbeck, if you are talking about the starter kit from the brew shop in OKC, that is what I started with, they are nice folks over there. I am about 20 miles east of OKC so welcome to the site. It seems you have already gotten some good advise in this thread, so as other have said, just jump on in. Welcome aboard!

Yes that is the shop, I am about 100 miles west in the middle of nowhere, but am in okc at least once a week, glad to know it is a good place to go! Thanks!

 

[cimbaliw]

Welcome jlbeck, around 70-74f is ideal. There are all manners of maintaining fermentation temp from ambient air to brew belts to aquarium heater rigs and converted freezers. You might want to visit the WinExpert web site and pull any of the instruction manuals, they'll give you a good clue as to what equipment you'll need and process to follow. Cleaning and sanitizing are two important features of wine making and are probably worthy of thought before starting.

BC

 

[Fordguy]

Yes that is the shop, I am about 100 miles west in the middle of nowhere, but am in okc at least once a week, glad to know it is a good place to go! Thanks!

It sounds like you're pretty close to Foss Lake. I am over that way (Sayre and Arapaho) every couple of months or so. That's not the middle of nowhere, that's God's Country!

 

[jlbeck]

It sounds like you're pretty close to Foss Lake. I am over that way (Sayre and Arapaho) every couple of months or so. That's not the middle of nowhere, that's God's Country!

Don't get me wrong I love it here in Elk City, but in respects to wine making not exactly a growing trade lol

 

[jlbeck]

Welcome jlbeck, around 70-74f is ideal. There are all manners of maintaining fermentation temp from ambient air to brew belts to aquarium heater rigs and converted freezers. You might want to visit the WinExpert web site and pull any of the instruction manuals, they'll give you a good clue as to what equipment you'll need and process to follow. Cleaning and sanitizing are two important features of wine making and are probably worthy of thought before starting.

BC

Thanks for the advice on temp, I have a thermostat that I'm going to take daily readings on for a couple of weeks to make sure. I'm am going to do this in the coal room in my basement that I am in the process of converting to a wine cellar, it will just do double duty as my "mad scientist lab" until I expand my basement and make a lab room all to itself, I think the temp is going to be fairly dead on most of the time

 

[jlbeck]

So far the temp has stayed constant between 67.5 and 68.5 with humidity 62% to 65%, will that be ok for fermentation?