Beer & Wine Making Supplies

Beer and wine making are gratifying and rewarding hobbies. Creating something slowly, nurturing and allowing to mature takes patience and time. The results bring praise and compliments. Both beer and wine making involve acquiring several supplies and completing crucial steps before the finished product comes to life. Most wine and beer supplies are sold together through the same suppliers.

For beer making, a good starter kit is an initial investment well worth the cost. A kit is the best value for the money---it has everything needed to start the first batch of home brew. Some of the most popular online and mail order brew suppliers are Midwest Home Brewing and Wine Making Supplies, and The Brew Hut. Both offer a variety of kits starting at $59 all the way to $319. They include a glass carboy, fermenter with lid, bottling bucket, cleansers, airlock, hydrometer, brushes, thermometer, bottle filler and siphon tubing. The more expensive kits include bottles and keg starters.

For tasty wine and beer, proper cleansing and sanitizing techniques should always be used. Sterlize everything that the ingredients come in contact with. Star San is a foaming cleanser for beer making. This product is concentrated---follow manufacturer's directions according to how many bottles and beer are being prepared. Alpet D2 Surface Sanitizer kills wild yeast and bacteria that hide on reused equipment. This product is economical and is priced under $14. The 14-inch turbo scrubber is an effective tool to clean hard-to-reach places in bottles.

Most beer recipes are created with 24 12-ounce bottles for brewing and filling. Many bottles can be bought with their own stopper or capper or purchased separately. These are essential tools to have during the bottling process. Drying trees are a handy tool to have if the bottles are being re-used. The tree holds the bottles conveniently upside down or angled so they dry completely.

For those wanting to get started in the hobby, a wine making starter kit has everything included to get a batch of homemade wine going. The kit may include a plastic fermenter bucket and a glass carboy. The kit may also contain a rubber stopper, bottle brush, wine hydrometer, No-Rinse Cleanser, corker, corks, racking tube, siphon tubing and a bottle filler. Many wine kits also come with a wine mix that allows the winemaker to begin making wine right away. The cost for a kit is between $32.95 up to $170. Cost depends on the type of wine mix and added accessories such as bottles and professional corkers.

For those who already have the basic supplies or only want to make a small batch, buying individual fermentation items is an option. Carboys can be sold individually in one- to six-gallon varieties. Most carboys are glass but there are also eco-friendly options made from recycled plastic materials. Air locks are important in the fermentation process. The airlock signifies how much pressure is built up in the bucket or carboy. This is an essential tool in determining when the wine is complete. Yeast plays a huge role in the development of the wine. Specialized yeast brands such as Lalvin or Red Star are good options for fine wines. Most cost between 75 cents and two dollars.

Once the fermentation process has taken place, it is time to rack the wine. This is the time in which the wine will age and perfect its taste. Wine is siphoned from the fermentation bucket or carboy directly to sterilized wine bottles to be racked. Racks can be anything from simple wooden crates stacked up, to a wine rack made from oak or cast iron. Bottles should lie lengthwise for adequate aging. Labeling the wine is something that can be done from a basic computer label program. Including the rack date and type is important information to have on the wine label.