restarting

[nealc]

I made homemade wine maybe 15 years ago using Winexpert kits and had a lot of equipment but then had kids and moved and etc etc and sold off all my equipment. Then couple years ago a friend gave me all his beermaking equipment. So I'm thinking of restarting up my winemaking hobby, maybe the Winexpert Nebbiolo, this fall. I looked over the instructions and I think I basically have just a couple of items I will need.

So I have a large plastic fermenter, airlock, valve nozzle, lots of hoses and things. I don't really remember the exact details of each step and so I'm wondering what's the bare minimum additional equipment I need to make the wine. Is the primary in the plastic beer fermenter OK? I remember I used to have some 6L glass secondaries but is it possible to somehow reuse the primary? What's a reliable simple sanitizer these days (I remember using a powder with oxygen in its name).... Thanks for any and all help!!!

 

[sour_grapes]

I made homemade wine maybe 15 years ago using Winexpert kits and had a lot of equipment but then had kids and moved and etc etc and sold off all my equipment. Then couple years ago a friend gave me all his beermaking equipment. So I'm thinking of restarting up my winemaking hobby, maybe the Winexpert Nebbiolo, this fall. I looked over the instructions and I think I basically have just a couple of items I will need.

So I have a large plastic fermenter, airlock, valve nozzle, lots of hoses and things. I don't really remember the exact details of each step and so I'm wondering what's the bare minimum additional equipment I need to make the wine. Is the primary in the plastic beer fermenter OK? I remember I used to have some 6L glass secondaries but is it possible to somehow reuse the primary? What's a reliable simple sanitizer these days (I remember using a powder with oxygen in its name).... Thanks for any and all help!!!

Glad to see your interest!

My opinion is that you really want to have a glass carboy. You will be much happier if you have a way to age the wine without its suffering oxygen exposure. You might be able to get away with an airlocked bucket if it seals well, and you don't open it much, but it is taking a big risk.

For sanitizer, I highly recommend StarSan. (Interestingly, there is a product called One-Step, which is an "oxygen-based cleanser." Back when you were brewing beer, that was marketed as a sanitizer. However, that product is no longer called a sanitizer, just a "cleanser.")

 

[nealc]

Thanks @sour_grapes!! Btw is it possible to use a bottle capper on wine bottles - i used to have a big wine bottle corker but rather just use caps if possible

 

[sour_grapes]

Thanks @sour_grapes!! Btw is it possible to use a bottle capper on wine bottles - i used to have a big wine bottle corker but rather just use caps if possible

No, with one exception. Champagne bottles have a lip for standard beer-bottle caps (although there is a difference in size between European and American sparkling-wine bottles).

However, there is no law against putting your wine in beer bottles.......

 

[winemaker81]

I advise against using the primary for bulk aging. There is too much headspace in the bucket, and there is no way to determine how much of that is actually CO2 and how much isn't. Your risk of oxidation is high. Also, wine is acidic and exposure to plastics marketed for winemaking is on for short term, but long term brings in the risk the wine leaching the plastic.

@sour_grapes is right, crown capping beer and/or champagne works just fine.

OneStep is a great cleaner, and IIRC it is a sanitizer, but requires lengthy contact to sanitize, so it's no longer marketed as such. Star San is probably the most popular quick no-rinse sanitizer.

This thread discussed equipment and may help you:

https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/first-time-kit-advice.74382/

 

[Rice_Guy]

The basics of making wine or beer is to keep air away from the wine, thus the use of air locks and glass/ pet carboys. , , , ,
the basic sanitizer is potassium metabisulphite (or 0.5 gm Campden tablet)