A GLOSSARY OF EQUIPMENT
THAT YOU WILL NEED and OTHER TERMS:
An airlock is a fermentation trap that allows the escape of
carbon dioxide gas and prevents the entrance of air.
Books for sale at the shop, ask! information here at www.101winemaking.com, our free winemaking information for amateurs.
.
Bungs or rubber stoppers come as
solid or bored to fit the airlock. PET plastic carboys
(3,5,6) all take a #10 bung. Number 6.5 and 7’s are the most popular size for a 5-gallon glass
jug. Gallon jugs can take a #6 or #6 ½. We also have small
bungs (#2,3) to fit wine bottles for topping fermentations, plus many other sizes..
Buon Vino (Intermediate) bungs have a longer taper and will fit more sizes.They can be also be called
universal bungs.
Brushes for wine bottles or carboys are a must have, not
recommended to clean a PET carboy with a brush. Shake them!
Carboys A carboy is a glass or PET plastic container (jug). Popular sizes are 3,5,6 gallons.
You'll always need an empty one for racking.
GLASS carboys crack if clicked together so always pad between carboys. Use the cardboard box, buy or make
a carrying crate or use a plastic crate to protect your jug. Sometimes we have wooden carrying crates at the shop
for sale. The brew hauler is a great carrying aid and padding could be worked in on the sides under the straps.
When cleaning your jug in a porcelain bathtub or a stainless steel sink, place a towel on the bottom of the tub or
sink so the jug will not click against the hard surface and crack. Glass carboys that are not PYREX may crack with the use of hot water. Use
warm or cool water to clean.
Do NOT use HOT water on your PET plastic better bottle. They can warp.
PET (Better Bottle) is rated for safe use with wine. Your blue plastic water bottle is not.
Containers made of PET  (polyethylene tere-phthalate, a polyester) have been widely used and
rigorously tested for use with foods and beverages and found to be extremely safe.1BetterBottle PET plastics are not made with BPA or
plasticizers.
Fermenters - Pails, Buckets White or food grade plastic or Stainless Steel: Our 7.9-gallon pail
will hold about 70 crushed grapes. They come with a lid that has a very tight fit. If transporting whole grapes in
bushel baskets or cardboard boxes, plastic liners are a must. Plastic liners (clear garbage bags or our fermenting
bags) tied off at the top are advisable to aid in the transportation of crushed must (crushed
grapes). Even if your crushed grapes are in a container
with a top, unless it is a tupper-ware tight seal, a tied bag will prevent sloshing.
Fermenter:
Primary is the first one used. This container will be part full (2/3) of must (crushed grapes) or juice to
allow room for fermentation.
Fermenter: Secondary is the second container the wine is racked into and filled more
full.
Hydrometer is an inexpensive tool to test brix or sugar percentage. The triple scale
hydrometer scales are: potential alcohol, brix, and specific gravity. Hydrometers are under testing and explained in
full.
Hydrometer: +5-5 is a narrow range hydrometer used at the end of the fermentation to more accurately
determine the brix.
Hydrometer jar holds the juice or wine sample for the hydrometer test.
Racking is the transfer of wine via siphon to a clean container.
Racking set up may consist of a racking wand, tubing and at bottling time, a bottle
filler.
Racking wand is a rigid length of
clear hard plastic in different diameters to attach tubing to.
Siphoning is the best means to transfer wine. Attach the tubing to a racking wand and “suck” from
the tubing end, pulling the wine UPHILL until it reaches a point in the tubing that you can cap of the end of the
tubing with your thumb and lower the tubing down into the new container. Auto siphon units that double as a racking
wand are available.
Thermometers are needed to check temperatures of samples for hydrometer readings, water used in
re-hydrating yeast, must or juice temps when adding yeast, checking fermentation temperatures.
Tubing for siphoning, is used in transferring your wine to a clean container. This transfer is
called racking. Your racking set up will consist of siphon hose (tubing) and a racking tube (rigid) and holder for
racking. The image on the left (below) shows a spring clip that holds the tube in place. Siphon can be started by mouth or by automatic siphon. The auto-siphon (on
the right) will replace the racking wand in your racking set up.
Corks: Agglomerated, First, Premium, Thermoplastic! What to use??
* Corkers: hand or floor corker?
Potassium Metabisulfite or campden tablets: anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial additive.
Sugar, corn sugar, which is Dextrose, is used to adjust the "Brix" or sugar
percentage. Dextrose is a simple sugar in powdered form.
Sugar (sucrose, table sugar) is recommended to sweeten to taste if needed at finishing time.
Yeast: Your pick, our recommendation. 1 pack of yeast will inoculate 5-7
gallons. Most amateur and commercial winemakers select
cultured yeast for consistent results and full fermentation.
|