| There are hundreds and hundreds of wine making | | | | that you can use. Oak casks are great, but they are |
| recipes, but they all use the same basic ingredients | | | | relatively expensive and difficult to clean. Instead you |
| and the same type of equipment. | | | | can use large glass jars or even plastic buckets or |
| The basic process of making wine can be reduced to | | | | bins with lids. Just be aware if you do use plastic, |
| three essential ingredients - sugar, water and yeast - | | | | that some colored plastics contain toxic chemicals |
| which are mixed in varying proportions with either | | | | that may be absorbed by the fermenting wine. White |
| crushed grapes, grape juice or a commercially | | | | and transparent plastic is the safest bet, while yellow |
| prepared grape concentrate. Sugar and yeast react | | | | is particularly suspect. |
| with one another and ferment, converting the sugar | | | | Other equipment that you will need includes: |
| into alcohol. As the fermentation process develops, | | | | · a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients, |
| the alcoholic strength of the wine increases and most | | | | · an 8 oz bottle to activate the yeast, |
| of the sugar-sweetness is lost. Even a really dry table | | | | · a large wooden spoon to mix the ingredients |
| wine uses about 2 lb of sugar for every gallon of | | | | together in the container, |
| liquid. Some of the sugar comes from the grapes, | | | | · a strainer to separate the pulp from the juice, |
| while the rest is added to the mix. Some recipes call | | | | · a funnel for pouring, |
| for yeast nutrient, some call for pectozyme (if | | | | · flexible tubing for siphoning, |
| certain additional fruits or vegetables are added to | | | | · fermentation bags to hold the pulp, |
| the recipe, like peaches or cherries), and many of | | | | · a big enamel saucepan or glass bowls to steep |
| them include sulfur-based Campden tablets to control | | | | ingredients in, |
| bacteria. | | | | · glass gallon jars, |
| Of course if you are going to try your hand at wine | | | | · wine bottles with corks, and |
| making, you're going to need a suitable container for | | | | · airlocks (although these aren't always used). |
| fermenting the wine. There are various containers | | | | Then all you need is a recipe! |