The right equipment

As I begin the process of planning my next wine making project, I thought I’d cover the equipment needed to get started.  The gathering process probably takes the longest if you don’t already have all of the equipment necessary (and even sometimes if you do in my case).  I like to make sure that I have all the tools necessary for the project at my immediate disposal before getting started.  So without further ado, here is what you will need to gather for wine production:

(Photo by Melody Flammger) Glass Carboy

Primary Fermenter:

Many use a glass carboy for the fermentation process, but it’s not entirely necessary to use one in this beginning stage.  Although I fermented my first wines in carboys, I found that they are much harder to clean than buckets are and also a lot heavier.  Buckets are also significantly cheaper.  If you are going to use a container other than glass, it’s important to make sure that it is food safe.  Many containers will state on the label whether or not they are food safe, however some may not.  Always play it safe- you are making a consumable.  If the container you’re considering does not list that it is food safe there is another way to tell if it is good to use.  Most plastics will carry a recycling triangle with a number on them.  HDPE 2 is a food safe plastic and will suit your needs for a primary fermenter quite well. 

(Photo by Melody Flammger) Food Safe Bucket

Bung:

No, that’s not a typo.  A bung is the piece that bridges the gap between the top of the carboy or hole in the lid of the primary fermenting container and the airlock.  It’s basically a rubber cork with a hole in it sized to fit your containers.  Bungs come in different sizes, so when picking one up at your local supply store, make sure to know the measurements of the opening of the containers you’re using.

(Photo by Melody Flammger) Bung

Airlock:

These come in many shapes and sizes.   The idea is that the airlock is filled with water (or vodka) and will allow carbon dioxide created in the fermentation process to be released.  This prevents nasty explosions in your wine cellar or other wine making space.  The airlock also prevents the wine from being exposed to the air from outside of the fermenter.  Air from outside the fermenter may contain ambient yeast or other contamination.

(Photo by Melody Flammger) Airlock

Hydrometer:

A hydrometer is going to allow you to monitor the alcohol and residual sugar levels as your wine continues to ferment.   This tool works by measuring the specific gravity of the substance in which it is immersed.  There are a few different types- even digital ones but I heard from a few wineries in the Finger Lakes that they use the same inexpensive model you can find at your local supply store. I use the hydrometer as a tool to craft exactly the wine I’m looking for and generally take a reading at the outset of the wine making and then once per week until the levels get close to the ideal I’m looking for.

(Photo by Melody Flammger) Hydrometer

Auto-Syphon:

This can be made out of plastic tubing or purchased from your local supply store.  The object of the auto-syphon is to make it easy to transfer wine from one container to the other without disturbing any sediment at the bottom which you would not want to include in your final product. 

Brush:

A brush will be needed to clean bottles, carboys and primary fermenters so it’s good to have one handy for this purpose- possibly even several.  Your local supply store should have a variety of shapes and sizes but one will generally suffice provided you wash the brush out thoroughly after each use.  You may want to replace your brushes regularly for best results.

(Photo by Melody Flammger) Straight brush

Corker:

It may seem a bit early to have a corker around, but as I stated in the beginning- I really like to have all of the tools I’ll need at my immediate disposal.  A corker is something you will assuredly need at the end of the wine making process (unless you just happen to have access to a bottling line or something).  Most corkers you’ll find at your local supply store are inexpensive and easy to use.

(Photo by Melody Flammger) Corker