Wine Making Equipment

Many of the kits being sold in the market today contain everything needed to brew small batches of wine, except the grapes and in addition to the wine making items in the kit, complete instructions and various recipes are included.

One of the main pieces of equipment that will be needed is a wine press, if planning to use grapes for the wine. Wine has been made from virtually every type of fruit as well as many vegetables, and the method of extracting the juice may vary, but most of the wine making items can be used regardless of the fruit being used. Some older images of people stomping grapes in wood barrels may indicate this is part of the process, but more modern pieces of equipment extracts more of the juice and is more sanitary.

Containers will also be needed for use during the fermentation process, one at least with four gallon capacity made of food grade material such as plastic, as well as secondary fermentation bottles, usually one-gallon and made of glass. Another important part of the wine making items is a rubber cork with an airlock to fit the secondary fermentation jugs.

Optional Equipment

Measuring the acid in the grape squeezing can be done with litmus strips, but a more accurate content can be determined with an acid titration kit. A hydrometer is necessary for measuring the natural sugar to determine how much needs to be added. Other wine making items that will be needed include wine bottles for the finished product, corks and a hand corker. Clear plastic tubing is needed for transferring the wine into bottles and a nylon bag is required for filtering the fermented wine before it is bottled.

Those not using a wine making kit can find most of the other wine making items in a winemaking supply store. Wine yeast, nutrient for the yeast as well as pectin enzyme and grape tannin will be needed during most processes.

Despite the large list of wine making equipment that is needed, remember that most of the equipment and some of the items can be used repeatedly. Ingredients will have to be replenished as needed, but the equipment, once cleaned and sanitized can be used numerous times as well as for making a variety of wines.