What size/type of space do I need...should have?

[mlomeli]

Hello all,
I've been lurking for a couple days and finally registered. So, HI! Ok, I don't have any "unused - non carpeted" area in my home, that isn't a bedroom. I do have a garage, but not sure what temperature I should have during the process. I'm super interested in Wine Making (you either like wine or you're wrong), but don't know if I should venture into this area, if my space isn't "optimal".

I'm open to answer questions if I should have provided more information.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[shoebiedoo]

A lot of that depends on how much you plan to make. When I started, I used the Kitchen to do the racking/mixing and stuff, and while in use the Carboys and fermenting bucket stayed in a corner of the dinning room. I really didn't have room to do more that 2 batches at a time but it worked great!

 

[robie]

Welcome to the forum.

That is a hard question to answer. If you have a bathroom, which in not carpeted, it will work. If it is carpeted, I promise you the carpet will get ruined within a few short months.

You also need a place to store supplies and equipment. I'd say to start out you need a large closet. If it has shelves, you will do better. A way to gauge this is to go to The Wine Maker's Toy Store and look at one of the starter equipment lists. I would look at the middle one at least. Figure out how much space you will need to store this stuff.

Next, you need an area where you can leave a filled fermentor and/or carboy for several months at a time. Again, the bathroom can work as long as you can leave the carboy/fermentor in there for extended time. You want this area's temperature to be 72F or lower. Lower the better.

You can always do your bottling in the kitchen, as it takes only a few hours.

Hope this helps, even though it is VERY GENERAL and doesn't allow for expansion. (I started out with one carboy and one fermentor. Now I have 13 carboys and 5 fermentors.)

If you really want to make wine, you can find a way...

Good luck.

 

[loumik]

You will probably want to setup in an area where you can keep the temp around 70* F or higher while fermenting and degassing, etc. A storage area in the upper 50 . would be ideal but many people operate in cooleer or hotter areas very successfully.

I would suggest you go to the home page of this site and click on the heading "wine makers tools". There is a lot of good information in this area and after reading through it you will be better prepared to make wine and to ask the questions that are certain to arise.

Welcome to wine making and good luck. You will always be able to find help on this forum.

LOUMIK

 

[mlomeli]

So, if a bedroom is what I have that's hard wood flooring and just a spare...you'll be all over it (I actually have two spare bedrooms with hard wood floors)? The closet is used for...well...junk.

Maybe put a thick tarp (painter's tarp) down under the carboys?

Does the room start to smell?

 

[robie]

A bedroom will work for storage, fermenting, and aging, but you really need to have quick access to water. You will constantly be cleaning, spraying, rinsing, sanitizing.

If your area is cool, you can (and most everyone should) buy a brew belt, which goes around a fermentor/carboy to warm it up.

 

[jdrum]

you can start in a closet, and when the bug gets it's teeth in you, you'll want a warehouse. any small bedroom close to water can work for a long time.

jim

 

[mlomeli]

you can start in a closet, and when the bug gets it's teeth in you, you'll want a warehouse. any small bedroom close to water can work for a long time.

jim

Cool, the bathroom is 1 giant leap across the hall.

 

[Arne]

If you decide to use a table in there, make sure it is a sturdy one. You are putting a lot of weight on it and they will collapse. Bad enough to have it over a basement floor, you do not need it in your living area. Also, I usually set my fermenter in a large garbage bag. I just leave it sag around the base of the fermenter just in case you get a wild ferment. Once in a while one will come out the top of the fermenter especially if you get it alittle full before starting. Tryin to help you avoid some of my dumb mistakes. lol, Arne.