Equipment Crossover?

[alfajerry]

Hello Peeps,
Can I make a wine kit using my beer equipment, or do I need extra stuff?
Thanks.
Jerry

 

[Stevieboy]

What would be your batch size? 6 or 30 bottles?

 

[Cwrw666]

If it's 30 bottles just use your 5 gallon fermenting bin. It's what I do. Bottle straight from the tap. I don't bother racking to a second fermenter.

 

[alfajerry]

I'd be doing 30 bottles, I think.
No wine-specific equipment needed?

 

[Stevieboy]

I always put mine through a filter to polish it off (even after fining), and of course cork them, so use a corking tool.

Don't forget to degas properly or you'll get "prickly" wine.

 

[Cwrw666]

Don't forget to degas properly or you'll get "prickly" wine.

I never bother. Can't say I've ever noticed a problem.

 

[alfajerry]

Degas?

I think I need to read a 'how-to' guide!

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Normally get all the instructions you need with a wine kit. So it includes a how to. I've been doing the winexpert kits and they have come out well. You can of course put wine in beer bottles and then just crown cap them or get some wine bags and use those. Either brand new wine bags or recycle ones that originally had wine in.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

If you‘re using a plastic FV I have been advised it’s better to use a separate one for wine in case of residual odour/flavours carrying over into the wine - but perhaps it depends on how delicate or fine the wine is.

 

[alfajerry]

I'd not thought that I could use my beer bottles.

I would be doing it to please my wife really, and she likes 'big' reds so we'd probably be OK with residuals.

 

[Stevieboy]

I never bother. Can't say I've ever noticed a problem.

That's interesting - what wines are you making? CJJ Berry doesn't mention degassing in his book either - I'm assuming because he left his wines maturing so long in his demijohns that they degassed naturally.

 

[Tavi-brewer]

The only issue I noticed was if I didn’t clean up after something hoppy like an IPA then I’d get a faint tinge of hops in the hardware.
It’s really important to clean up well especially if using plastic but you know that
Good luck

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I'd not thought that I could use my beer bottles.

I would be doing it to please my wife really, and she likes 'big' reds so we'd probably be OK with residuals.

I hope she doesn't mind deferred gratification - from what little I understand big reds need a fair old time maturing in the bottle before drinking

 

[Cwrw666]

That's interesting - what wines are you making? CJJ Berry doesn't mention degassing in his book either - I'm assuming because he left his wines maturing so long in his demijohns that they degassed naturally.

Beaverdale reds these days. Only time I drink them is on bottling day. My Mrs is the red wine drinker in our house and she's fine with them from the first day in the bottle, though they do mature a bit after a few weeks.
In days long past we used to do lots of country wines and in those days no-one ever heard of degassing. To me it just looks like a good way of whipping oxygen and bugs into your perfectly ok wine.

 

[crescent city Mike]

Off hand, the only extra hardware needed would be a large mesh bag to contain the crushed fruit. You can ferment on the skins for a red wine and then lift the bag like BIAB and drain for secondary fermentation. If you're using concentrates, you won't need the bag.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Degas?

I think I need to read a 'how-to' guide!

How to degas wine with a home made degassing wand | The Homebrew Forum - Homebrewing Forums

 

[johncrobinson]

Long,Long ago country wines were left to degas all by themselves,Wine would often take 6 months to a year to complete.

Its wine kits that have popularised the practice,So as to get a drinkable wine in about 3 weeks.
Hence no references to it in Berry and other old books.

Wines also used to be stabilised by repeated racking/sulphiting every few months,Nowadays we just bang Pot Sorbate in.

 

[Binkei Huckaback]

That's interesting - what wines are you making? CJJ Berry doesn't mention degassing in his book either - I'm assuming because he left his wines maturing so long in his demijohns that they degassed naturally.

I'm no expert in wine making, but I do know Berry's books are hopelessly outdated as far as the amount of sugar in the recipes goes. And his book(s) on beer terrible.

 

[Stevieboy]

I'm no expert in wine making, but I do know Berry's books are hopelessly outdated as far as the amount of sugar in the recipes goes. And his book(s) on beer terrible.

Agreed - but I was specifically talking about degassing. All the best, Dame Celia Molestrangler.

 

[Binkei Huckaback]

Agreed - but I was specifically talking about degassing. All the best, Dame Celia Molestrangler.

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