Equipment needed to Making Wine at Home

Once you've decided to make a batch of wine, the first thing to
consider is the equipment needed. The following is a list of the
wine making equipment required to make a basic batch of red wine:

• Large nylon straining bag
• Cloth (any kind will do)
• Large pail (with a lid)
• Hydrometer
• Thermometer
• Acid titration kit
• Clear, bendable plastic tubing (a half inch in diameter)
• Two, one gallon glass jugs
• Corks
• Hand corker
• Fermentation lock and bung
• Wine bottles (between 5 and 7)

Steps to Making Wine at Home

After you've assembled the necessary equipment, just follow
these easy steps and you'll produce a great batch of wine in
practically no time at all:

1. Prepare the Produce: First, inspect the fruit to ensure the
   grapes are ripe and free of insects or other contaminants. Put
   the grapes in the straining bag and measure the sugar level
   using your hydrometer. A hydrometer can be purchased at any wine
   making store. The sugar density should be 22 ideally. Also,
   remember to remove the stems from all grapes in order to make
   your wine smoother and sweeter. Finish this step by transferring
   the ingredients into the jug.
2. Adjust the Juice: This is a crucial step in the wine-making process. You must measure the
   acid content using your titration kit. The ideal level is 6 to 7
   grams per liter for red wine and 6.5 to 7.5 per liter for white
   wine. You'll want to regulate the sugar level by measuring it
   with your hydrometer from time to time. Sugar levels should
   remain at 22 for both red and white wines. The fermentation
   should remain around 70-degrees-Fahrenheit for basic red wines.
   Abiding by these temperatures will ensure that the process goes
   smoothly.
3. Rack the Wine: Insert your clear plastic hose into
   the wine jug and attach it to the opening of the other (empty)
   sanitized jug. Siphon the wine from one jug to the other in
   order to keep the wine in a completely sanitized container.
   Next, fit the jug with a bung and fermentation lock. This step
   may take some time, but it's important to be slow and careful so
   you don't stir up the sediment. Let the wine sit for an extended
   period of time (some people choose to wait weeks or even
   months).
4. Bottle the Wine: Bottling your wine is the easy
   part. Simply siphon your wine from the jug into your wine
   bottles. Be sure to leave about 2-inches at the top of every
   bottle, otherwise it will cause overflow when the cork is
   inserted. To cork your wine bottles simply insert a cork into
   the hand corker, position the corker over the lever and insert.
5. Drink and Enjoy!
   

About the author: Bill Kaplan spends most of his free time researching and practicing the art of beer brewing and wine making and serves as a contributing editor for the Beer Brewing and Wine Making website. The site also offers information on making wine.