After tasting different wines, you probably would want to make your wine at home. Making wine is not a complicated process. You only need to have the right equipment, ingredients and follow the right process. If you feel getting the list of items is a complicated process, this article helps you with what you need.
The good thing about the winemaking items is that they are readily available and affordable. The below are the equipment basics which you can use to make your wine at home. Please note that the list represents only the essentials.
- The raw materials
You can’t make your wine without having the raw materials. The raw materials you chose will significantly affect the taste and appearance of your wine. For the raw materials, we have grapes, concentrates, and fruits. While most people prefer grapes, there are many fruits you can consider when preparing your wine. If you decide to use fruits of any type, you will require adding the crushing and pressing equipment. You can buy or rent one depending on your budget. Some of the fruits you can use in making a home-made wine include apples, blackberries, blueberries, and cherries. All these produce different kinds of wines.
- Containers
There are different types of containers you will need for your wine preparation. Most people use glass water jugs to prepare their wines at home. The glasses are easy to clean and do not react with the wine. But are they the best? Not really, and that’s why wine companies use barrels. Barrels have wonderful characteristics that make your wine have some flavor you will always recall. The experts behind redheadoakbarrels.com/aging-barrel-store/oak-barrels-for-sale/ say that you can get even the smallest barrel to use at home. The smallest barrel can hold 750ml of wine, which is enough for a single person. The barrels are always packed with wine flavor, making it easier to make your preferred wine. If you have a large family, you can use the larger barrels, including the 5-liter barrel.
- Bung and Airlock
If using the carboy in preparing your wine, you may need the bung and the airlock. What are these? Bung and airlock are to seal the carboy as your wine age. These items come in different configurations to fit any carboy or container. You can choose the double bubble airlock or even the s-type airlock for the best experience. How do they work? They seal air from your wine container while allowing carbon dioxide from it to escape when your wine is winding up. The bung and airlock also preserve your wine from contamination. It makes your wine safe until when it’s ready for consumption. You can also get screw cap lids used for gallon jugs, which effectively hold the airlock.
- Chemicals
Do you need chemicals to brew wine? If brewing the grape wine at home, you might need some chemicals to come up with a perfect wine. You may need some source of sulfur dioxide, which includes Campden tablets, to prepare your wine. You may also require tartaric acid and potassium bicarbonate in case you have high acidity in your wine. Other chemicals include potassium sorbate, which prevents the fermentation of sweet wine.
The latter must be used with enough sulfur dioxide to prevent a geranium odor. When making wine with fruits other than grapes, you may need enzymes and yeast nutrients. Other chemicals will depend on your taste and preferences. Ensure the type of chemicals you use to prepare your wine are permitted and do not destroy the taste.
- Cleaning agents and sanitizer
It would be best to observe cleanliness at all times when preparing your wine. When cleaning your equipment, you should avoid bleach or related products since they don’t react well with wine. There are different cleaning products and sanitizers that you can use to clean the equipment. Some of these cleaning detergents are found in small bottles, which you can use at home to avoid damaging your utensils. If you don’t have a budget for the cleaning agents, you can make yours at home using potassium metabisulfite and citric acid. Your cleaning device and detergent should reach all corners of the wine equipment. Ensure everything is sterilized well before putting any wine.
Other items you need to have for your wine preparation are the wine bottles, bottle fillers, corks, corker, wine crates and others. All these are the main items for any winemaking with a kit or wine with grapes and juice. Once you assemble all this equipment, you can now follow the processes and come up with a perfect wine at home. It is essential having a good recipe that goes well with the kind of one you would wish to prepare.