planning my first wine

[captainl]

First post here. Hello from houston. I have done 2 beers, and working on my 2nd batch of apfelwein. With Christmas ahead I am trying to plan some presents my wife can get me...and to tell you the truth I always wanted to make wine. My local HBS has a lot of the Wine experts kits. So....

1. What equipment will I need?

I currently have 5 gallon carboy, 6.5 gallon bucket, bottling bucket, syphons, hydrometer, thermo, airlocks, idophor, starsan.....

I am assuming all I need a 6 gallon carboy and a 7.9 gallon bucket. Does that sound right???

I am considering these kits:

Selections international - Australian Shiraz (15 ltr) $87

or

Vinters REserve - Shiraz (7.5) ltr $53

I know the more expensive kits with more juice are better, but being the first one I would rather mess up a cheaper one.


Thanks.

Mike

 

[Buffman]

You definitely need the 6g carboy for aging and the 7.9g fermenter. That should be enough. Your beer equipment will meet the rest of your needs.

My advice is to go with the more expensive (i.e., more and better juice) kit. I've made beer for years and just last year started making kit wines (on my third now). The wine kits are very hard to screw up and the Winexpert directions are easy to follow. The hardest thing about making wine is PATIENCE. It takes much longer than beer (e.g., I made a Zinfandel in November 2009, bottled it in June, and tried it (probably too early) last week)

Bring any questions back to this forum - the people here know what they're doing!

 

[Tom]

I would tell her to call George at http://www.finevinewines.com/ and tell him what you have. He will sell you only what you want. As for a kit what do you like? Just tell him.