Winemaking Step by Step

For most beginners, the hardest thing about making wine is simply figuring out, in advance, what equipment is going to be needed. This list should set most of these fears to rest.

Equipment

You will need the following:

1. Siphon Hose and Racking Tube
2. Hydrometer (Saccharometer) and Test Jar
3. Acid Testing Kit
4. Sulfite Test Kit
5. Crusher or Stemmer/Crusher
6. Press
7. Corker
8. Thermometer
9. Pressing Bag (optional)
10. Funnel
11. Bottle Filler
12. Small Bucket
    

Wine ingredient kits come with easy to follow instructions and premeasured ingredients, as you move on to grapes, you will need to familiarize yourself with additional equipment and instructions. Read on to see how easy grape winemaking can be.

For every 75 lbs. of grapes:

1. 10 Gallon Food grade Bucket and Lid
2. One 5 gallon glass carboy (water bottle) with a fermentation lock and a #6 1/2 or #7 drilled rubber stopper.
3. Extra glass jugs, each with a fermentation lock and #6 drilled rubber stopper. These could be gallon size or smaller.
4. Twenty-five wine corks.
5. Two cases wine bottles.
   

INGREDIENTS

1. Wine Yeast, (1 gram) per gallon of must or juice.
2. Grapes, (16 lbs.) per gallon of wine.
3. Tartaric Acid as needed.
4. Sulfite as needed.
5. Yeast Food (5 grams per 100 lbs.)
6. Fining Agent, such as Sparkolloid.
7. ML Starter for some wines.
   

Read more about making red wine or making white wine.