Tuesday, February 16, 2016

A Beginner's Guide to Choosing Wine Making Supplies

By Matthew Campbell


Making your own alcoholic beverages can be a good way to save money. Although getting your initial equipment together can mean a bit of an investment you will end up saving money in the long run. Here are some things that you should consider when you are shopping for your own wine making supplies. It won't be long before you can start enjoying your own delicious drinks at a fraction of the price that it would cost if you purchase it in the store.

Most varieties are made with grape juice. Some fruity varieties will also include the juice of berries or other fruit. To make wine, yeast is added. The yeast consumes the sugar in the juice and produces alcohol. Other chemicals and substances are added at different points during the fermentation process so that the end result is flavorful, clear and delicious.

You should look at the price of a basic kit when deciding whether you want to make your own home brew. You will need to invest in a large pail or bucket to ferment your batch in as well as a secondary fermenting vessel. These usually look like large jugs. Some are made out of glass although there are also plastic ones. If you are brewing red varieties as well as white ones you may want to purchase two sets of each since red varieties can stain the side and may discolor future batches of white wine. A hydrometer is also necessary in order to tell whether you can move on to the next stage of fermentation.

Any type of wine will need several different chemicals added to it. In the beginning, vintners need to add a specific type of yeast to the juice and then later they add other chemicals to remove particles, stop the fermentation process and stabilize the wine while it matures. If you are unsure of what to add and at what point to add it you may want to think about purchasing a complete kit that will have all of these components in it.

If you are unsure about which kit to use, you may want to start by thinking about which variety you like to drink most. You may find that it can be helpful to speak to the staff at a self brewing store as they will often have good advice about which kits work well. Some manufacturers even have guides out that talk about what each variety tastes like and which kit can give you the best results.

Bottling equipment will also be needed. You should anticipate purchasing some glass bottles and corks. You should also look at buying chemicals to sterilize the bottles as well as to make cleaning and filling them easier. Once you have the basic equipment you can reuse it multiple times.

When deciding whether or not you will be able to make your own vintage, you will also need to think in terms of space. You will need room to store your carboy and fermentation vessel as well as a place for the bottles to sit while they mature.

If you are interested in finding out more about making wine in your home it can be worthwhile to find a supply store near you. They can help you find the equipment you need and provide valuable tips to ensure that your batch turns out well. Then, a few short weeks later, you can begin drinking and enjoying the results of your work.




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