A question for winemakers?!
Answers: i've been wanting to make wine at home for a while now just for a hobby and i just started looking into it. and i went to a website for a list of things i would need to get started and it said it was the minimum just to get started. does anyone know about the range of money it would cost to get started. any help would be appreciated greatly. thanks
A Hydrometer and thermometer would be What you want the most.
As well as any other lab equipment.
Fermenters I'd say don't get too big too fast as well as kits and all that I would start with Either frozen concentrated Grape or apple juice And see what you come up with.
If your doing this primarilly to save money IMHO you won't save verry much the value in Any DIY endever is making something that you like makeing it the best quality While yes it will be cheaper to make yourself it takes a while to reoup intital expenses
Ill give you some links
Two things Do not use Table sugar sugar in the raw Go with either dextrose or fructose.
Table sugar doesn't ferment completely
And you Can boil fruit juice when makeing wine
Makes it cloudy so thats why everyone says sulfite tabs
And with wine you need to rack at least once if not twice
I would start really small because you can always upgrade later depending on how much you want to drink you could just get more smaller size fermenters and than you can have a constant rotation going which isn't a bad idea seeing wine takes so long 6+ months of fermenting another 3+ in the bottle in a decent celler.
Also if you do bigger batches you need to clean more bottles at one shot have bigger equipment to take care of.
And don't be afraid to run your numbers 12X750ml = rougly 2 1/4 gallons
Factor in waste and dregs and that sort of thing thats about a 3 - 3 1/2 gallon batch per case of bottles
Case of bottles = 11-14 bucks
2 cases of bottles 22-28 bucks
3gal carbouys 17 bucks X 2 $34
3-4 gallon buckets $6 ea with lids 20 bucks
Lab ware $20
Air locks $10
On this budget your running roughly $100 -$125 before expendables
And a setup like this could easily put out a case every-everyother month
Being how their small batches if you get vinegar in one your not out too much on the cost of your expendables and its small enough to mix it up and experiement and tr different flavors yeasts wood chips flavorings
Skys the limit
-Cheers and GL
l. Buying grapes cost about $1/#
2. One Carboy (glass) $20
3. One Airlock $6
4. One Container to ferment (reds) in $20
5. Fermentation container for whites $20 (2nd carboy)
5a. Temperature probe $15
5b. Pusher (make one) buy one at $15
6. Yeast $5
7. Potassium Metabisulfite $5
8. Bottles $12/case
9. Corks 25 cents each
10. labels - you make them yourself
Borrow the destemmer/crusher and press from the local wine shop.
I make grape wine and it is so cheep to make , concentrated grape juice , in cans ,,,5 to 10 pounds of sugar and wine yeast , water and let sit in semi warm area , i use my closet , I would have to find my recipe to tell you exact and a wine ballon or a condom will work , to put over the top , as the sugar turns to alchol it forms a gas , . if your interested email me and ill walk you though the process , here in arkansas we are allowed to make 200 gals a year per household , its just me so 200 a year is alot of wine , but my friends and i have a wine and diner once a month and we take turns of bringing a hardy snack to go with it ,,its fun and great , i also found recipes on the net but you got to have every thing under the sun to make and do not taste the best as say, most important is the consistant tenpature so the sugar will turn to alachol,,,hope this helps my next is pear brandy
It depends on whether you want to jump in with both feet or whether you just want to dip a toe in. A full kit of equipment will set you back about $70; you can usually get it cheaper on eBay. A kit wine will make 5-6 gallons and set you back $50 or thereabouts. The other way to go is to start with a couple of 4-litre jugs, a length of tubing for a siphon, a hydrometer, and an airlock. You will have to buy a sanitizer and some sort of metabisulfite. You probably have enough equipment in your kitchen for the rest. As a base for the wine, you can use grape juice that has no preservatives in it. You could also use other juices or fruit (canned, frozen, or fresh). You would probably have to add sugar. You would also have to buy yeast. I'd suggest a Montrachet as your best bet. Champagne yeast is not bad either.
Berry has written some books on home winemaking. They are suitable for beginners. Some of his recipes are pretty good, too. I am especially fond of his potato, carrot, and lemon wines. (That's three different wines, not a combination wine.)
Sooner or later, visit your local homebrew store. You will get good advice there and prices of supplies are about as good there as they are by mail order, when you consider the lack of shipping charges.
it cost me about 200$ to get started... thats just for materials.. and then i bought the kits to make wine and they have everything in there... Those cost between 50-120$ a piece