new to wine

[johnsonbrew]

I have a few questions.

I have been reading some threads and thinking about making some wine. I have been brewing a while and have most the equipment, my questions are:

1) Do i need new hoses for my auto-siphon, i will use a new fermentor and dedicate it to wine, but not sure about hoses.

2) Where do you get the best price for bottles, I find good deals but then shipping is almost as much as the bottles...any ideas.

3) Do you guys usually follow the recipe on the kit, I am seeing where people suggest to back off on the water and do five gallons when the kit calls for six. Six sounds like they come out watery, where 5 is a better mouth feel and flavor.

I am sure there will be more but thats it for now.

Thanks!

 

[Yooper]

1. I use my equipment interchangeably, and it's worked out well.

2. I just collect empty wine bottles, so I pay nothing for them. You can ask bars, restaurants, friends, etc, or drink a lot of wine, but free bottles are my favorite kind.

3. I always follow the kit directions. Sure, making 5 gallons out of a 6 gallon kit might give more body, but the flavor and acid adjustments and the gravity (and hence alcohol level) would be askew and the wine wouldn't be balanced. All the wine kits I"ve ever done (+/- 100) don't have an issue with body at all.

 

[Inner10]

1 no just clean the hoses you have

2 buy them locally, i get the from lhbs 6.99 for 12...but ask your friends for free bottles.

3 i dont do many kits but i always add the proper amount of water...now the schedule i typically throw to the wind...extending it from 6 weeks to 3-12 months.

 

[johnsonbrew]

Awesome, thanks guys!

 

[johnsonbrew]

One other question, what can i expect in terms of vigorous fermentation? Is it slower and not as active as beer or is it similar? Will an airlock be fine or do I need a blow off tube?

 

[delvorak]

I have never brewed beer, but I've made lots of wine. The fermentation almost never requires a blow off tube, and is usually rather sedate. I've read that beer is much more vigorous.