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Beer and Wine Making Supplies since 1995
5825 Excelsior Blvd.
Minneapolis, MN 55416
952-925-9854 - 888-449-2739
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  1. Beginner's Guide (0)
  2. 6 Gallon Concentrate (7)
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Category FAQs

FAQ-Equipment Kits

Question: Is it okay to freeze fresh fruit until I am ready to use it?
   Answer: Why yes there is something that you can do. You can freeze the fruit until you are ready to use it. Just place it in a zip-lock bag and try to get as much air out as possible. Then simply toss the fruit into the freezer until you need it. Fruit will store very well in the freezer, but try to watch out for freezer burn. This will make the juice taste funny and it will be very apparent in the wine. Sometimes by freezing the fruit you are able to achieve a better juice extraction at pressing time. This is usually due to the wall of the fruit breaking down when frozen. As the fruit is brought back to room temperature the fruit wall stays a little softer making it easier for the fruit to be pressed. If you are like a lot of people that get too much fruit at once and can’t use it all, place the fruit in the freezer so you can enjoy it later. Keep in mind that we aren’t worried about what the fruit looks like when making wine. We are only concerned about the fruit not being oxidized, and any bruised parts are removed before pressing....Click to Read full Answer


Question: I don’t want to invest in expensive equipment, is there anything cheaper to make a small batch of fruit wine?
   Answer: You’ve got some fruit lying around, but you’ve never tried to make wine before and you aren’t sure if making wine is for you. This is something that we hear all the time at Midwest, and there are some options that are very inexpensive to give fruit winemaking a try. Let us tell you now that there is no cheap way to go on the fermentation equipment. What we are talking about here is the crushing and pressing equipment that can be very expensive to buy. Don’t go cheap on the fermentation equipment as you will live to regret it. Crushers A crusher is a very handy item to have when making larger amounts of wine. They make life so much easier, but they are not at all necessary to make wine. If you have several people willing to roll up their sleeves, get dirty, and sweat a bit, then you can make your own crusher. Presses There really isn’t a cheap replacement for a press, but there is a way to squeeze the juice out of the fruit without having to invest in one. Take a nylon straining bag, or even a clean pillow case will work, fill the bag ½ way full with fruit, and wring out the bag like you would a wet towel. Hint: Do not use a fruit juicer to extract the fruit. We’ve heard so many people burn up the motor that we’ve lost count. Feet good, fruit juicer bad....Click to Read full Answer


Question: I have an old 5 gallon bucket that previously was used to hold food (pickles, sauerkraut, etc.). If I clean and sanitize it thoroughly, can I use it as a primary fermenter for my wine?
   Answer: Re-using plastic pails from other sources, like buckets that previously held food products, is always a mistake. The food odors will have sunk into the plastic, and will taint the wine. Also, plastic items not intended for food purposes, such as brand-new garbage pails must never be used for winemaking. The pigments, UV protectants and plasticizers (chemicals used to keep the plastic from becoming brittle) will leach into the wine, and could affect your health. Saving a few dollars by using suspect equipment is not worth it....Click to Read full Answer


Question: I’m allergic to sulfites. Can I make wine without them?
   Answer: The amount of sulfite in a homemade wine is roughly 1/6 to 1/8 of the amount compared to a store bought bottle of wine. Some people believe that they are allergic to sulfites, and want to leave them out of their kits. While this is their option, it’s a bad idea. True sulfite allergies are extremely rare, and if someone has a reaction to drinking wine, it’s almost always due to some other cause. Besides, yeast make sulfites themselves during fermentation, so no wine can ever be sulfite-free, no matter what. Without the added sulfites, the kit will oxidize and spoil very rapidly. It will probably start to go bad in less than 4 weeks, and be undrinkable in less than three months. Also, if the sulfite is left out, but the sorbate is added, the wine could be attacked by malolactic bacteria, which will convert the sorbate into the compound hexadienol, which smells like rotting geraniums and dead fish. The bottom line is this: if you do not add the sulfite to the kit, neither Midwest, nor Winexpert can guarantee the wine, so think carefully before you choose not to add it....Click to Read full Answer


Question: Once I purchase a Winemaking Equipment Kit, what other equipment will I need to make wine?
   Answer: All Midwest Winemaking Equipment Kits come with 30 corks, which is enough to bottle your first batch. You will also need thirty 750 ml wine bottles, and a wine recipe kit. That's it!...Click to Read full Answer


Question: What is the basic process of making wine?
   Answer:

Kit, or concentrate, wine making is a lot easier than you might think. The kits today come with pretty much everything that you need to make a great wine on your first try. They come with the yeast, metabisulphite, bentonite, potassium sorbate, and chitosan. All you have to do is provide the water and equipment. Each kit can have slightly different items to add, so make sure to read the directions that come with your kit to make sure you add everything at the correct time. But, these directions will give you a basic understanding of how the wine making process works.

  • Sanitation- clean and sanitize all of your equipment like your wine turning out depends on it, because it does.
  • Combine the Ingredients- follow the instructions that come with the kit.
  • Fermentation- In 24 to 72 hours your wine will start to ferment, bubbles with begin in the airlock.
  • Bottling- At this point you have a decision to make. The wine has produced all the alcohol, and should be clear enough to bottle. Some people prefer to allow the wine to age in the bottle. Some people prefer the wine to age in the carboy longer as you tend to get a more consistent batch of wine.

Learn to taste your wine at every step of the process. If you like your wine with a lot of kick, 6 weeks might be fine for you. But, most people like to wait longer for their wine to age and mellow. Try it in the carboy, try it at bottling, and try it 1 to 2 months after bottling. This will help build your knowledge on how a wine progresses as it gets older. The nice thing is that if the wine tastes a bit strong to you now, give it a month or two and it will be that much better.

...Click to Read full Answer


Question: How long should I store a wine before I drink it?
   Answer:

Although the concentrate kits can be done quickly, some winemakers elect to store the wine longer before they start to drink it. The reason is because a good wine can become a great wine when you allow it to age. However, this is all a matter of taste to the individual. Some wine drinkers really enjoy a bold, strong, new tasting wine, and others want a very smooth, laid back, easy drinking wine. Try a bottle of your wine from time to time until you are happy with the flavor. There is no set time frame on when you will enjoy the wine that you made.The following are some general considerations for wine storage.

...Click to Read full Answer


Question: What are the differences between the Winemaking Equipment Kits?
   Answer: The only difference between the kits is the corker. The plastic plunger corker comes standard, which works fine, but it is more difficult to operate than the other corkers that we stock, and we recommend using only #8 corks with it. As for the other corkers, the basic rule of thumb is that the more you spend, the easier the corking chore becomes. The Metal Double Lever Corker works on the same principle as the plastic plunger corker, but the levers give you leverage to make it easier to push into the bottle. However, we suggest having an assistant on hand to hold the bottle still. The Gilda Compression Hand Corker is much easier for one person to operate, as it has a plastic iris that compresses the cork for you. The Floor Corking Machine and the Italian Floor Corker are both very similar in construction, the main difference being that the Floor Corker has a plastic iris, and the Italian Corker is equipped with a brass iris....Click to Read full Answer


Question: What are the differences between the corkers? Am I fine just using the plastic plunger corker that came with my kit?
   Answer:

The plastic plunger corker does work fine, but it is more difficult to operate than the other corkers that we stock, and we recommend using only #8 corks with it. As for the other corkers, the basic rule of thumb is that the more you spend, the easier the corking chore becomes.

  • The Metal Double Lever Corker works on the same principle as the plastic plunger corker, but the levers give you leverage to make it easier to push into the bottle. However, we suggest having an assistant on hand to hold the bottle still.
  • The Gilda Compression Hand Corker is much easier for one person to operate, as it has a plastic iris that compresses the cork for you.
  • The Floor Corking Machine and the Italian Floor Corker are both very similar in construction, the main difference being that the Floor Corker has a plastic iris, and the Italian Corker is equipped with a brass iris.
...Click to Read full Answer


Question: What size corks should I use with my Plastic Plunger Corker?
   Answer: Midwest suggests using only #8 corks with the plastic plunger corker. Larger corks are just too difficult to load into the corker, and even more difficult to force into the bottle. The reason that the plastic plunger corker is the one we include in our starter kit is that most winemakers eventually upgrade to a floor corker (#8253, 8254, 8256, 8258). The plunger corker allows us to offer a winemaking equipment kit at a reasonable price. Two upgrades, the Double Lever Corker (#8201) and the Gilda Single Lever Corker (#8202) are available for only a few dollars more, respectively....Click to Read full Answer


Question: Can I use frozen concentrate to make wine?
   Answer: You can make wine using frozen concentrate if you want. This is particularly handy in the harsh winter months, or when a fruit is out of season. Frozen concentrate works because the makers of the concentrate rarely use preservatives because the juice is frozen. Anything with a fermentable sugar can be used to make wine. Frozen concentrate is also very useful in the situation that you need to top off some of your fruit wine. Let’s say you’ve made an apple wine from fresh fruit in late October, and now it is mid-November and you’ve just added metabisulphite to your wine. You notice that you have a ½ gallon of head space in your fermenter, which is not good. Seeing apples are out of season, you need something to top off the wine with. Instead of using water, make up some frozen apple juice. Your wine gets to remain at full flavor, and you don’t run the risk of oxidizing, or getting a bacteria, in your wine....Click to Read full Answer


Question: Why does it take so long for my wine to be drinkable? I want it now!
   Answer: Wine kits are ready to bottle in 28 or 45 days. This does NOT mean that they are ready to drink. If you really, really can’t wait, the minimum time before a kit tastes good is about one month after bottling. This is long enough for the wine to get over the shock of bottling, and begin opening up to release its aromas and flavors. Three months is much better, and the wine will show most of its character at this point. For most whites, however, and virtually all reds, at least six months is needed to smooth out the wine and allow it to express mature character. Heavy reds will continue to improve for at least a year, rewarding your patience with a delicious bouquet....Click to Read full Answer


Question: How do I make wine with one of your kits?
   Answer: Basic directions for making 5 gallons of wine: It's really very easy! First, if you are using a liquid yeast, you should activate the yeast 24 hours before you plan to make the wine. Next, make sure that all of your equipment is clean and sanitized......Click to Read full Answer

Equipment Kits

The most important part of getting started is choosing an equipment kit. All of Midwest’s equipment kits will provide all of the components needed to make 6 gallons of wine from concentrate. Check out our Beginner's Guide to help you decide which kit is best for you.

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Midwest Homebrewing Supplies
5825 Excelsior Blvd.
Minneapolis, MN 55416
Phone: 1 (952) 925-9854
Toll Free: 1 (888) 449-BREW
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Midwest Supplies Home Beer and Wine Making
Midwest Supplies Home Beer and Wine Making
Midwest Supplies Home Beer and Wine Making
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