After a heck of a lot of efforts in making your wine or beer, now comes the problem of storage. A barrel might be an option. But that could cost several hundred dollars. What if you just want something cheap & simple? 5 Gallon Glass Carboy is your solution. It’s relatively easy to pour & move around. In fact you can even use it for fermentation & aging. And of course, you can use it for other alcohol such as beer. Cleaning is easy. Just rinse with soap & water, and let air dry.

And for the entrepreneurs & wine bottlers out there, slap a label on this 5 gallon carboy, and you might even sell your wine wholesale. When storing, obviously remember not to expose your wine to sunlight. The shipping weight is about 15 pounds. This makes a great present to the home wine makers in your life.

Amazon is have one at a great price!

5 Gallon Glass Carboy

There is no better place to taste wine than in a cave. Especially if happens to be a hot day. Then, you can drive to any major winery in Napa Valley, and descend into a wine tasting cave that has either been drilled into a hill or has been built underground.

Each of these caves has an ambience of its own, and transports you into another world. The lighting is soft, and in front of you are some of the best wines waiting to be tasted. Each glass is quarter full, and it is for you to take your pick.

Before that, you are given a crash course as to how to go about your job. You are first asked to take a quick and light sniff. Next, you are asked to twirl the glass gently to let the bubbles rise, and oxygen to flow in. Once this happens, you are told to take a long and deep sniff.

You are now ready to share your first experiences with the bartender. What is it that you felt, and smelt before, and after the twirl? The bartender is all smiles, and encouragement. You are now asked to take a healthy swig, and roll it on your tongue, allowing air to mingle with the wine.

This is a big test, and separates the beginner from the regular. You have the option to spit out the wine or to swallow it. Most beginners prefer to swallow it. Those who want to spit out the golden liquid are cautioned to be careful. They should not let the wine dribble down the chin. It should be one, clean swift act. Only then you would taste wine like a professional.

You can taste as many wines as you want. But you should give your taste buds and olfactory lobes a chance to recover before tasting a new wine. You should also rinse your mouth with cold water to wash away all traces of the sample.

We tried three wines, and found each heavenly. My favorite was a Pinot Noir preparation. It was nice and cool, and flowed smoothly down my throat. I was told that Pinot Noir is a delicate grape and needs special handling. Any rush or hurry in selection of grapes or fermentation may deprive the wine of its flavor. As a special precaution, special barrels made by small cooperages in the Burgundy region of France are used for aging.

I also liked the garnet-colored Syrah. It was dry and earthy, and almost tasted like dark blackberries, maybe with a tinge of cedar and chocolate. I struggled as I tried to define the flavor. But the experience was made memorable as the bartender rescued me with a wonderful description of how the wine had been made.

This is what I liked most about the experience. It was almost like an education, of being a part of a magical tale. I realized for the first time the effort that goes into making each bottle of wine.

So, next time you are in wine country do make it a point to taste wine in a cave. It will be an experience to savor.

Progress is often visible in every industry. However, certain things do not seem to change. Often, this is because they do not have to. For example, when it comes to home wine making, what is there to change? The common equipment used for home wine making has remained the same for centuries. The “old’ equipment works just fine. Well, it works fine if you are patient. If you want “instant” home made wine, however, you were out of luck. Well, all that has changed. The change comes in the form of an automatic, instant wine maker called the WinePod.

For some, this is a heresy. The WinePod often appears like a device imagined by Ron Popeil of Pocket Fisherman fame. However, the Pocket Fisherman sold millions of items to casual fishermen. The WinePod targets a somewhat similar audience. Yes, some folks would like to make their wine at home. They just are not “all that” into it.

The WinePod is a metal, electronic device that makes wine quickly and easily. All you need is $2,000 and a lot of grapes and you are in business. And, yes, the taste of the wine it produces is not all that bad. Of course, the WinePod is not a device that is beneficial to winemaking hobbyists. There is no craft involved with the WinePod. However, it does deliver on what it promises and that makes it somewhat worthwhile.

What would winemaking equipment be without all those little accessories? The answer is that you would have a potentially ineffective the winemaking setup! Yes, a lot of those “little things” may seem utterly innocuous at first glance. However, if you try to make your equipment set up work without them you will discover their importance. In some cases, while they may not to be 100% to make wine, they do make the process easier.

Consider the basic “stopper”. It would seem that a stopper is little more than a “wooden nickel”. In a way, it is. It is merely a round plug of wood (or plastic) that reduces the potential for a leak. Now, imagine if you had no stopper in your fermentation container. Even if the liquid did not all leak out at once, the problems would be vast. Even minor, minimal leaks would prove problematic as any percentage of lost wine is a waste if the leak was preventable. Stoppers are important – no matter how minor they may seem.

This can be said of all wine making accessories. There really are no “add-ons” to be found in wine making kits. Mostly everything in the kits is important. If they weren’t, they would not be in there. Yes, this includes other items such as sanitary filters, bottle neck cleaners, and all the other overlooked items. Actually, can you imagine what the wine would taste like without a sanitary filter? It would not be pretty!

That is why it is critical to never assume something is unnecessary when purchasing wine making accessories. Everything has its place and its duties. When you do not have all the parts in their proper place, things fall apart. If you want a great bottle of homemade wine, then your winemaking kit must be complete.

As previously mentioned, all wine making equipment is important. If you are missing one or two pieces of equipment, you can’t properly produce homemade wine. However, there will always be those little pieces of equipment that will be overlooked. This is because we take them for granted. Spigots, for example, are hardly the first thing that comes to mind when shopping for wine making equipment. But, having the proper spigot on a fermentation container or wine barrel provides a number of benefits.

If a spigot is loose it will end up dripping wine out making it go to waste. If a spigot is clogged it will pose a number of health problems. (Fruit debris will rot and excrete toxins into the spigot) That is why a defective spigot needs to be replaced as soon as possible. Thankfully, there are a number of outlets that sell replacement spigots. They also sell a great variety of spigots. So, no matter what type of spigot you need you will surely find it in short order.

This is not to say you should ever neglect taking care of your current spigot. This is not all that complicated although it be a little time consuming. Taking a spigot off a container and cleaning it will work wonders for increasing the life of the spigot. Neglect will obviously have the inverse effect.

Handling a spigot properly is also critically important as well. If you are too abrasive or rough with the spigot you may end up snapping it. This would necessitate the expense of purchasing a new spigot. However, if you do end up breaking the spigot it can be replaced easily. Granted, you will not want to do this if you don’t have to but accidents and oversights do happen. If they do, don’t worry it! Just get a new spigot!

When it comes to winemaking equipment there is very little that will be dubbed unnecessary. Yes, some equipment such as cleaning kits might be overlooked. However, it is doubtful that fermentation containers will ever be ignored. After all, if you are not using a fermentation device when you’re not making wine. You will end up with a several week investment to make stale grape juice! Actually, you won’t even be able to do that. You won’t have anywhere to store the grape juice! In all seriousness, it is important to pick the right fermentation container. However, not all fermentation containers are identical. Some are quite different from the others and this means you need to examine which container would best suit you needs.

Classic glass jugs are a perennial favorite. Glass is very easy to store when not in use and it does not find itself subject to rust or other common ailments. Yes, glass can crack but if you store properly and handle it carefully this shouldn’t be a problem. Also, glass is fairly inexpensive and some swear glass add to the taste of the wine.

Collapsible containers are the cousin to a glass jug. The obvious difference between the two is that these plastic jugs can be “crushed” for easier storage. They are also the cheapest of a fermentation containers. If cost is a major concern, these containers would be a smart purchase.

For durability, however, stainless steel and metal screw lid tanks are the best. These tanks do not damage easily so they will last a long time. Also, if you are looking to make A LOT of wine, stainless steel tanks are the most helpful. In fact, some of these tanks are outright huge and hold up to 25 gallons of wine. Are you running a commercial business? Then a huge tank is what you will need.

Again, you want to select the right fermentation tank for your needs. Thankfully, there are many, many tanks to choose from.

If you are in the mood to create homemade wine, you need wine making equipment. Of course, this means you have to find a seller for such equipment. What does it take these days to find someone who sells wine making accessories? A simple search through Google or Yahoo would provide the answer. Well, not exactly. Skimming the search engines will give you the web address for sellers. It will not, however, provide any insight into what websites are reliable. That is why you must look for those companies that have a reputation for providing top of the line equipment. E.C. Kraus is definitely one such company.

Although E.C. Kraus may be relatively new to online wine making equipment sales, the company has been in business for a long time. In fact, E.C. Kraus debuted on the wine making scene in 1966. The company’s longevity alone should make you feel comfortable purchasing from them. You can’t spend 42 years in any business unless you are top of the line. That is why you can purchase from E.C. Kraus with confidence.

Of course, time of the job must play second fiddle to quality and quantity of inventory. Thankfully, E.C. Kraus delivers on both regards. Whether you are looking for wine presses, fermentation vessels, or filtering systems, you can find them and more at E.C. Kraus. (The company stocks pretty much every accessory under the sun as well) This even includes rare flavoring kits and some less well known kits. The prices are fair so cost should not be a major concern. The equipment the company sells is also top shelf. So, there should be no worries or concerns about the quality of the equipment. Well, you can be concerned but you need not be worried. E.C. Kraus delivers. It is a solid company and you can order with confidence.

Have you looked at any wine making equipment lately? If so, you are probably wishing you had a few extra bucks to spare on your favorite hobby. As much as we would wish otherwise, our favorite hobbies come with expenses.

Well, here is some good news: there is no reason to assume home wine making is out of your budget. There is a multitude of ways to stay within budget while enjoying winemaking. The most common way to do this is to purchase used. Thanks to the internet, online auctions make it possible to acquire discounted used accessories at little cost. However, an important question does arise. Is it wise to purchase used or new equipment?

The answer really depends on the shape of the used equipment. Yes, some may wonder how it is possible to inspect equipment purchased online. Well, you don’t have to. You simply need to examine the ratings on the seller. A highly regarded seller will not sell poor equipment or accessories. So, even if the equipment is old or used, it will still have value. A quality seller will make sure of it. So, if the seller has positive feedback you can purchase used with confidence.

Purchasing used should not come with fear. If all used items were bad purchases, Ebay would not be in business. Actually, no business that deals in used items would be in business. Considering there are so many of them, buying used is not always a bad idea. In fact, it can be a budget saver.

If you still have reservations you may wish to email the seller with any questions you may have. If this does not instill confidence then you may wish to stick with purchasing new. It may cost extra but you need to purchase things in a manner that makes you comfortable.

There are a number of things people think about when it comes to home wine making. They dream of saving money on wine. They dream of selling their wine. They dream of the sense of accomplishment from making a batch from scratch. However, many do not dream about maintaining safety. This is problematic because safety hazards should never be taken lightly. Remember, home wine making is supposed to be fun. If any dangers appear, the hobby then fun disappears. So, let’s look at a few safety tips….

Leaks and drips. A leaky nozzle is not merely a problem of cleanliness. It is also a safety hazard. If wine is leaking onto the floor, the chances of slipping increase. This is no minor hazard. Even the most “innocuous” slip can cause a major injury. So, always be sure to tighten nozzles and/or replace defective ones.

Clean up after working. This ties into the previous point. When you are finished working on your wine, be sure to properly mop up. This will eliminate the aforementioned hazards. Additionally, it will make a much cleaner environment. Remember, the sugar base of alcohol residue attracts insects and rodents. Obviously, your wine making environment will be a lot healthier with these “critters” far away from it.

Clean out the interior of all wine making kits. When you are finished, be sure to properly clean out the buckets, lids, nozzles, etc. Any grape residue left in the equipment will rot and decay. This means it will give off toxins. If you make a new batch with equipment seeped with toxins, the toxins will get into the batch. This means they will get into your system. This is a real hazard that must be avoided at all costs. So, always clean out your equipment thoroughly after use.

Some may wonder how long it takes to become proficient with home wine making. The answer is as long as it takes. Simply put, if you seek to improve your winemaking skills over a period of time, success is a given. Of course, the more consistent you are, the quicker skills develop. That means you need to invest a decent amount of time learning how to make wine.

Keep in mind, overdoing it will not automatically lead to positive results. In reality, it would probably lead to the opposite result. Anyone trying to force a certain result within an unrealistic time frame will make success elusive. If you insist your first batch of wine is perfect, you will probably be disappointed. Perfection is elusive even to experts. So, it is important to balance constructive criticism with a good attitude. Skill is never easy to develop. Why make it harder?

Probably the best way to guarantee improvement would be to chart your progress. Maintaining a diary that records progress is one of the best ways to do this. Of course, such a diary should also include assessments of mistakes and weaknesses as well. This way, you can modify and alter things to gain increased improvement. This is just the natural progression of skill development. So, after your finish your daily wine making activities, log what you did and how you feel it went. This will work wonders for giving you an idea of what needs to be improved.

So, there is no reason to worry about whether or not it takes weeks or months to develop skills. As long as you make sure you are progressing then most of the battle is won. Just be sure not to rush your progress or place any unreal expectations on your performance. This is the true secret to home wine making success.