Winemaking supplies storage

[tegster]

Hi all!!

I have been lurking here for the past couple weeks and just bought my first wine making kit (vinters reserve shiraz) and supplies (fermentation bucket, 6 gallon carboy, etc.). I am looking to start this batch this weekend. I have some experience brewing beer several years ago but only limited success (I could never get the hops right). Anyway, I was looking for some advice on how you store your winemaking equipment when it is not in use? I am assuming most of you clean everything and dry it before putting it away, but how do you ensure everything is dry? Do you seal your fementation bucket and carboys or leave them open for air to circulate? How do you store your wine thief and hydrometers? I have done some research and cannot seem to find this information. Any advice you can give me would be much appreciated!!

Thanks!

 

[Luc]

I keep all my buckets, fermenters and carboys sealed. But I fill them with a sulphite/citric acid solution to keep them sterile.

I have one large fermenter and in this one I put all my equipment like autosiphon, winthief, hoses, etc.
This one is also filled with about 2 liters of a very strong sulphite solution mixed with some cirtic acid to keep everything inside sterile.

Anything that is kept in open air with some water drops in it is asking for mold or other bacterial infections.

Luc

 

[Jags]

I'm confused, what do you mean not using your equiptment? Just get a new kit and another carboy and refill that primary. Then if you end up with too much wine we can come help keep your stock in check.....





I'm still fermenting my first kit so haven't had to store anything yet.

 

[smurfe]

I went to Wal-Mart and got a little 3 drawer cabinet that is plastic. Normally found in the aisle where the Rubbermaid totes are. Some people buy one of those large Rubbermaid totes and keep their stuff in. I keep all of my stuff in there except for my auto-siphon which is too long to fit in the drawers. I keep it a large fermenter like Luc except I don't have any sulfite solution in it. I dry it by standing it upright on the counter and let it dry them put it away. I do keep solution in my other 2 primary fermenters that I use regularly.

Smurfe

 

[Caplan]

I store my big bits of kit (brew buckets, carboys, etc) clean, dried, aired and covered from dust (but NOT sealed) in my 'wine cellar' and spare room. The smaller bits (airlock, bungs, hydrometers, etc) are kept clean, dried and aired in a 'brewing' cupboard in my kitchen.

I rinse and sanitize anything I think I'll need before I start brewing.

 

[cpfan]

Winemakers seem to be split about storage. Many like Luc put a bit of sanitizer in them to ward off the baddies. Many others (like me) allow carboys/hoses/etc to drain somehow, and dry other things as well as possible. Others never have to store anything cause they're always doing something.

Better Bottle does not recommend storing sanitizer in their equipment because it will eat away at some of the fittings. I believe they have changed composition since then.

I recall that Winexpert's tech guru (Tim V.) also does not recommend storing equipment wit hsanitizer in it.

But like many aspects of winemaking, individual preferences & practices differ.

Steve