Topic: Equipment-and-Gear
Go Big at Home
MEMBERS ONLYFirstly let me define what I mean by “big batch” for this discussion. Let’s say a big batch is anything larger than a 6-gallon (23-L) carboy of wine. Many home winemakers begin
Home Glycol Cooling Systems
MEMBERS ONLYGlycol cooling systems have been fixtures in commercial wineries for many years. Often using large, permanently mounted refrigeration compressors, they circulate a chilled solution of propylene glycol through pipes arranged throughout the
The Safety of Brass Fittings
FREEAYou might be encouraged to know that brass fittings have a long and storied history in winemaking. In fact, if you travel the back roads of Europe and poke your head into
At Home in the Wine Lab
MEMBERS ONLYOver the course of an individual’s early experiences as a home winemaker, one will have a few pitfalls and batches that may not be “quite right.” Wines may be perceived as out
Monitoring Your Wine: What to test for and when
MEMBERS ONLYThere are some winemakers who practice the age-old philosophy that the wine will take care of itself . . . but for those who want to produce the best wines possible, monitoring is key. Bob Peak takes readers through the what, why, and when for testing your wines.
Build a Temperature-Controlled Wine Storage Box
MEMBERS ONLYA home winemaker from California’s Sierra Foothills shares his design for an air-conditioned wine storage room he built for his garage.
Build Your Own Basket Press
MEMBERS ONLYBuild this basket press using HDPE plastic.
One Wall Winery: One World. One Winery. One Wall.
MEMBERS ONLYIf you have a free wall in your garage, you can have your entire winery organized there. See the plans by Steve Hughes.
Lab Equipment: Storage Cabinet
FREEOver the years I have accumulated lots of pieces of fairly delicate labware to perform a number of winemaking tests. After recently remodeling my garage winery with some cast off kitchen cabinets
Fermentation Temperature Control
MEMBERS ONLYThis cooling setup keeps wine must within just a few degrees of target temperatures.
Wine Pump Options
FREEWow, can I fly to the Philippines for a little research and equipment-scouting trip? We can sample some of your wine, do a little research into tropical fruit winemaking, go see what
Proper Equipment Storage
MEMBERS ONLYWhen done using your winemaking equipment, make sure it is properly cleaned and stored so it will be ready to use next harvest season.
Screwcap Closures
MEMBERS ONLYThose are all great questions, let me see which order I’ll tackle them in. Firstly, we discuss corks for the most part on the pages of WineMaker Magazine not because they’re the
Introduction to Winemaking
FREEWelcome winemakers! Although you’ve entered a part of the website labeled our “Beginner’s Guide,” we purposely designed it to incorporate the essential skills and knowledge that successful winemakers of all levels must
Fermentation and Aging Containers
FREEOak, Glass, Plastic, and Stainless Steel wine container must be sturdy enough for the purpose and not likely to introduce negative changes to the wine quality. Size is important, depending on the
Fermenter Options for any Size Home Winery
MEMBERS ONLYWhen setting out to make wine from grapes, one of the first major decisions is what you will use as a fermentation container. For most winemaking, you will need a primary fermenter
Choosing Your First Fermenter
FREEExplore the options for your first fermentation vessel.
Design your Home Winery
MEMBERS ONLYWe have had many customers at Blichmann Engineering ask about using our fermenters for winemaking, which is why I decided that I needed to learn more about making wine. My first batch
Using Variable Volume Wine Tanks
MEMBERS ONLYOver the past few years I have made larger and larger batches of wine, and as a result the number of carboys I use has really added up. Each year I try
Empty Airlocks
MEMBERS ONLYIt sounds to me like some “bad bugs” (ambient bacteria or yeast cells) got into your wine. After four years of aging, having a batch infected due to a bad airlock must
Choosing and Using a Wine Pump
MEMBERS ONLYMany a home winery gets by just fine with no pump at all. If your hobby grows, though, you may find that many routine tasks are made simpler with the help of
Build Your Own Destemmer-Crusher
FREEDon’t want to fork over the money it costs to buy a destemmer-crusher? Good with your hands? Try building this!
Small Space Winemaking Techniques
MEMBERS ONLYIn large wineries, functional spaces are usually separated. There may be a crush pad, one or more fermentation rooms, and a cellar or cave for barrel aging. Most of us at home
2016 Best New Gear
MEMBERS ONLYHot new winemaking products hitting the market in 2016.
Moving Wine with Pumps
MEMBERS ONLYWine is frequently transferred or “racked” into another vessel to leave the byproducts of the process (known as lees) behind. If you make larger batches of wine at home, using a pump can make this process easier.