This page describes the most common winemaking supplies that are stocked by grapestompers. Each piece of winemaking equipment is defined, and its use is briefly described.
Airlocks
Airlocks act as a check valve, allowing your wine to "exhale" during fermentation, while preventing the outside air (and wild yeasts) from entering the carboy. It's easy to use- just fill the airlock half full of cooled boiled water, and plug it into the gum stopper on top of the carboy.
Auto Siphon
Our customers have told us that starting a siphon is the most difficult thing to do properly (without wasting a lot of wine) because it requires a lot of dexterity and timing. With the FermTech Auto Siphon, siphoning has become a snap and nary a drop of wine is splashed during racking. Just attach some tubing, insert one end into the carboy, and give the pump handle a couple of strokes on the other end. Within seconds, a siphon is started and wine begins moving to the other vessel. Even experienced winemakers prefer this siphoning method because it's more sanitary than the old-fashioned way!
Bottles
A bottle is a bottle is a bottle..... right? Sounds simple enough, but the wrong wine bottles may not work with your corker! Typically, the wine bottles with the popular flared tip are not compatible with many of the hand-held corkers. That's why grapestompers is careful to stock only the bottles that will work with all of the corkers we offer. You'll need 27-30 bottles per wine kit, depending on the effectiveness of your racking and the number of samples drawn.
Bottle Drainer
These bottle draining trees hold either 45 or 81 wine bottles at once, depending on the size you order. Bottle draining trees are a great space-saver for any winemaker who needs to drain bottles after washing or rinsing. Easy assembly; plastic construction.
Bottle Rinser
Use this spring-loaded contraption to effectively squirt sanitizing solution or rinsing water into your upended bottles. This time-saving device will literally pay for itself the first time you use it!
Bottle Washer
If you recycle your wine bottles to save money, you'll need this jet washer to blast the gunk out of the bottom of your bottles. The washer attaches easily to a garden hose, or it can be used in conjunction with the bottle washer adapter (see below) to be attached to any standard kitchen faucet. Made of sturdy brass.
Bottle Washer Adapter
Use this adapter kit to convert the brass bottle washer for use with a standard kitchen faucet.
Capsules
Capsules are used to cover the corked end of the bottle, and prevent contaminants from resting in the crevice between the cork and the bottle. Capsules are usually made of plastic or foil.
Carboy
The 6-gallon carboy is an essential part of your home winemaking hobby, because
fermentation occurs within this specially crafted glass jug. It's the perfect
size for all the wine kits grapestompers sells. We prefer the glass type
of carboy, since you can visually track the entire winemaking process, and air
can't travel across the carboy wall (as in the case of plastic carboys). We
also stock other sizes of carboys - 5 gallons and 3 gallons.
Carboy Brush
With its narrow neck and large capacity, glass carboys are awfully hard to clean
properly with this specialized brush. The business end of the carboy brush (bristles)
is bent at a ninety degree angle - just right for ensuring proper sanitation.
Carboy Handle
Did you know that a full carboy weighs upward of 45 pounds? Don't try to move a full carboy unless you have one of these handles or a good chiropractor! They attach easily to the neck of the carboy with a wing nut assembly.
Corks - Altec
Our bulk straight wine corks, made by Altec, have been tested for over 10 years
and have been awarded "winery grade" status because of their effectiveness under
adverse conditions. In producing the superb ALTEC corks, natural cork is micro-fragmented,
and most of the TCA bearing material, called legnin, is removed. The remaining
pure cork flour is blended with a very small percentage of polymer, which enhances
the natural elasticity and sealing properties of the cork. The result is a nearly
100% natural cork, perfect in shape and without defect or pores, superior in
appearance and sealing quality, and with far lower TCA levels than other corks.
The ALTEC corks also recover shape immediately, permitting bottles to be placed
on their sides at once. ALTEC corks give you a perfect seal, and a superior
appearance, every time. Other key features of these corks include:
Cork Retriever
Ever accidentally push your cork inside a bottle of wine? With this magical doohickey, you can easily retrieve that naughty cork and salvage a bottle. It's the wine lover's equivalent to a golf ball retriever!
Fizz-X Mixer
What a great idea! If you've ever needed to mix ingredients within a carboy, you've probably been frustrated by its narrow neck. Just how the heck do you mix effectively with a stick-like object? With the Fizz-X Mixer, stirring in a carboy is effective and simple - just attach it to your portable drill and squeeze the trigger. The centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the shaft throws out the stirring paddles.... and before you know it, your agitation is done!
Hydrometer
This device is used to take many measurements - Specific gravity, potential
ETOH and potential sugar - of a wine sample. The hydrometer works by floating
within a sample test jar (which comes free with the hydrometer) filled with
wine. Measuring specific gravity is important to winemakers, since it can tell
you whether fermentation is complete. A hydrometer should be used in conjunction
with a thermometer, since specific gravity of a liquid depends upon its temperature.
See this page to learn how to use
a hydrometer.
Plastic Paddle
Like its stirring cousin (see description of plastic spoon below), the plastic
paddle is a good way to mix ingredients in the fermentation bucket. One size
available - 18". Made of food-grade plastic.
Refractometer
An optical winemaking tool that allows you to take quick and accurate measurements
of the amount of sugar (Brix) in your grapes in the field, helping you determine
optimum harvest time. Sturdily built out of metal, it offers a rubber grip,
comfortable rubber eyepiece, focus adjustment, pipette, calibration screw, and
a nice protective hard vinyl plastic carrying case. Complete instructions with
diagrams included. The refractometers are equipped with superior optics, an
easy-to-read display, and (for the 0-32 Brix model only) an automatic temperature
compensation (ATC) system - no temperature conversions to worry about! Extremely
easy to use and lightweight; weighs only 7 oz. Easily calibrated with distilled
water and a small screwdriver (included).
We sell two kinds of refractometers:
Plastic Spoon
It ain't high tech, but the spoon is still one of the best methods for mixing
ingredients! Our spoons are 18 inches tall, long enough to get a firm grip upon
even if the fermentation bucket is full of must or wine. It's made of food-grade
plastic, which means it won't stain and cleans easily.
Gum Stopper [Sizing
Chart]
The gum stopper (also known as a bung) works in concert with the airlock to
ensure an airtight seal at the neck of your carboy during fermentation. A hole
is drilled down the center to allow the attachment of the airlock. Order one
for each carboy you own, plus a couple extra, since they have a tendency to
disappear when you need them the most!
Straining Bags
Adding flavors to wine is great.... until you have to fetch the oak chips, berries, etc. from the wine. By using these straining bags, you can eliminate the frustration and time spent gathering up the remnants of your added ingredients. They are used much like a tea bag.
Floating Thermometer
This great temperature measurement device won't sink to the bottom! Use the floating thermometer to monitor the true temperature of your must or wine.... proper fermentation depends on it.
Vinyl Tubing
Vinyl tubing is used to transfer wine between vessels (racking) during winemaking, as well as during the bottling process. grapestompers only stocks food-grade vinyl tubing; it is not the same thing as the tubing one might buy at the local hardware store.
Tubing Clamp
Use one of these clamps to control or shut off the flow of wine as it goes through the vinyl tubing. It's a great help, especially for a one-person winemaking operation.
Vinometer
This instrument measures a wine's alcoholic content.
Wine Thief
As its name implies, the wine thief enables the winemaker to take a small sample of wine without disturbing the carboy. Samples of wine are taken to facilitate measurement of things like specific gravity, sugar content, pH, potential alcohol, and the like. To use it, dip the sanitized wine thief into the carboy. Wine will come into the thief from the bottom. When you're ready to withdraw the sample, simply place your thumb over the top to create an airtight seal.