What Equipment Do You Need?

So, you decided to take the plunge. You have your credit/debit card or cash ready and you're going to buy the gear you need - but what do you need, what will it cost and where do you get it? Assuming you are in the UK the following will give you a good feel for that.

Essentials

• A fermenting vessel with lid: £5 - £15 (depending on size)
• A demijohn - tho 2 would be better: £2 - £6.50 each (depending on plastic or glass)
• An airlock and bung: £1.50 (get a "bobbly" one, trust me they are more fun)
• A siphon tube (a tap too, it will make it less of a fiddle): £3.50

Above: Various Demi-Johns (DJ's), 1/2 and full gallon.  Dark glass (good for keeping colour in reds and rosés) and clear. Various airlocks and a safety bung (good for long term storage as they don't need liquid in them).

Above: Fermenting vessels - 5 gallon capacity - and siphon tube with tap. Both vessels are good for primary fermentation (when it's most vigorous). The one on the left is especially good for secondary fermentation (you need to keep air out and the lid takes an airlock). If you have some ingredients that need removing the screw-on/off lid is big enough to get your hand in.

All of these are one-off costs. With a minimum of care they will last you forever.

Optional (but highly recommended) newbie buys.

• Sterilising solution: £2 (please don't be tempted to use bleach)
• A hydrometer and trial jar: £6

This looks like a fishing float but has a scale on it, you drop it in the liquid you want to ferment and it tells you the density of your liquid. This is important because it informs you how much sugar is present. And that's important because sugar makes alcohol.  But beware, more alcohol isn't always what you want if you want a good tasting wine, so knowing how much sugar to use is important. Recipes alone will get you into a good enough ball park when you start, but in time you'll want more control. I wish I could say this was a one-off cost, but these things are very fragile and you'll probably break your first one very quickly!

Above: Left to right - Funnel, steriliser, beginners brewing book, a selection of hydrometers and trial jars.

• A recommended book (see above pic)- CJJ Berry: First Steps in Winemaking: £6

Although there are books that homebrew ponces would prefer you to buy this one is great for a beginner. Why?
- It covers everything you need to know about brewing to get started, and then covers a whole lot more too!
- The language is great everyday simple stuff, not technical.
- Plenty of pictures and tables to help you along the way.
- Heaps of recipes, including a section laid out by month depending on what is in season.
- You don't need to read it cover to cover (tho you will eventually), you can simply dip into whatever section you need at the time.
- You can't argue with the price!
- You won't regret it.

All of this will cost you around £28 - £4 

 Other stuff to consider (cos you'll get it eventually anyway!)

A thermometer will also be useful, and sooner or later you'll want to bottle your wine with corks so you'll also need corks and a gizmo (from £4 to ...  well the sky's the limit really) for getting them into your bottles. A kit wine, why not try a Youngs definitive country wine kit? Black Cherry is a good one, or if you really want to make a wine like one you would buy then splash out on any of Beaverdale's kits - you'll find it hard to believe that YOU made as good a wine as this on your first try!

Above: Left to right - Long handled spoon, pipe cleaner, whizz-stick (for degassing wines prior to aging), thermometer, corker, sieve, filter.

OK so where do you get it?

There's probably a homebrew shop near you. Wilkinson's have all these basics, and a few VERY large supermarkets may too (the stores themselves rather than simply the chain). I'd recommend the homebrew shop (tho Wilkinson's will probably be cheapest). You'll want to get to know these folks as they are usually brewers and will be able to give you good advice, maybe even sell you a starter pack with a knock-down price. Typically a starter pack will contain everything needed (exceptions being the book, thermometer, hydrometer, spoon, whizz stick, pipe cleaner, sieve, filter and corking device). They often come with a kit wine too (if they don't ask for one to be thrown in, you'll usually get it). So as soon as you get home you can start brewing.

These are a good bargain coming in at around £30 typically.

Here tho a word of advice ... the starter kit wines are usually not that great, to be honest. So if they say ready to drink in weeks DON'T believe it means they'll taste good then. You'll be better off to wait months, tho I don't think I've ever known a first time brewer who did that! Despair not however, because you can make wine ready to drink that tastes just fine in 6-8 weeks. It is light, around 10-12% ABV. but will be ready and clear that soon. Of course it will improve with age, something you will very quickly get a feel for. I'll post a recipe for that wine soonish.

So what are you waiting for?
Oh, and start washing and saving your old wine bottles, you'll need them soon.