Posted on 17 January 2011. Tags: Campden, during, equipment, kitchen
Most at home wine making recipes come with a list of equipment but there are certain items that are going to be needed no matter what type of wine is being made. Without this equipment, you are not going to get the best quality of wine when you are making it at home.
• 2 or 3 One Gallon Glass Jugs – These jugs need to be sterilized with either hot water or Campden tablets. The tablets should be dissolved in water in order to activate them for use. Keep the water in a sealed jar for future use. When all else fails, mild bleach water can work for sterilization as long as it is rinsed off any of the objects it is sterilizing.
• Airlocks – These allow for a tight seal on the jug while the wine is fermenting. They are great because they also allow the gas to be released during the process. If you do not have this set up, you can also use plastic wrap with a rubber band to create a tight seal.
• Funnel – It is important to use a funnel that has only been used in the kitchen. Any funnels that are used for your vehicles should be avoided. Spend the couple extra dollars and get a funnel that is to be used in the kitchen only. Make sure it is sterilized.
• Stirring Rod – This also needs to be sterilized and should be long enough to get to the bottom of the jug. Long chopsticks will work or you can use a wood dowel that has been purchased from the DIY store.
• Three or Four Feet of Rubber Hose – This should be sterilized as well, but do not use hot water on it as this can break down the rubber. The tubing is going to be used to rack the wine one or two times during the fermentation process. It needs to be clean and durable. This can be found at home improvement stores or wine making stores.
The previous is a basic list of equipment that is going to be needed to make wine. If you prefer the green method of boiling water to sterilize items, then you should also have a huge pot of boiling water such as the largest stock pot you can find. It needs to be large enough to hold the gallon jugs with water just covering them. They need to boil for at least fifteen minutes to be considered sterile.
When you have the right equipment and the know-how, you can ensure that your wine making attempts will be successful. You can create your own wine at home that you will be proud to tell others about and even have your guests taste.
Posted in Winemaking Tips
Posted on 06 December 2010. Tags: Cart, Furnishing, kitchen, Nice, rack, Wine
It never fails. Every time you are cooking, the recipe you are using calls for wine and then you have to make a trip down the steps to your wine cellar. Now, it is not like you do not mind the exercise, but this trip usually comes at the most inconvenient time when something needs to be stirred or flipped. To avoid this whole scenario the next time you are cooking, all you need to do is buy a kitchen cart with wine rack for your kitchen space.
A kitchen cart with wine rack would be a great addition to your kitchen space for a number of different reasons. One, is the fact that it is a very practical selection. Not only does it provide you with a nice spot to store some of your favorite wines to cook with and drink, but it also provides for extra cooking space with its spacious counter top. Plus, you can get ones with other features too including shelves and cabinets where you can easily store a number of different items like pots and cookbooks, drawers where you can place utensils, towel racks and caddies perfect for hanging towels and storing spices, ones that have drop down leafs for even more space to cook, and most of them will come with wheels so you can easily move it from place to place in your space.
Along with its practicality, another reason why a kitchen cart with wine rack would be a nice choice for your space is because it would also add a decorative look to it. How is this possible? Well, it is because they are crafted from a wide variety of materials that have a pleasing look and are made even more beautiful by the different ways that they can be finished. For example, if you want one that has an antique look, then a great option for you is one crafted out of wood that has a distressed finish with lovely ornamental accents. Or, maybe you want something that is very vibrant, then a great choice for you is one that is also crafted from wood, but this time around is painted a bright red color and has lovely accents pieces that match that look. You can even get ones made from a combination of materials like metal and wood ones, or metal, wood, and even stone.
Interested in getting a kitchen cart with wine rack for your kitchen space? Then, a wonderful way to check out all the options that are available is by hitting the internet and doing some online shopping. You can compare items and prices just by the click of the mouse and can find what you want without even stepping foot outside your home.
So, if you want to avoid having to make a trip to the wine cellar when you are cooking, purchase a lovely kitchen cart with wine rack for your kitchen space. Both gorgeous and extremely practical, it is a lovely selection that is sure to please.



Homemade Wine is The Fun Science of About Making Homemade Wine and Spirits at Home!
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Posted in Winemaking 101
Posted on 05 May 2010. Tags: Batches, Good Chance, Homemakers, Journals, kitchen, Memory, Notebook, Nutrients, over, Recipes, temperature, Trivial Information, Wine, Wine Information, Wine Journal, Winemaking, Wines, Yeast
Many years ago homemakers made a practice of keeping kitchen journals. A lot of information went into those journals, including successfully adapted recipes and the likes and dislikes of guests who were frequently invited to dinner. These kitchen journals made the process of running a kitchen far more efficient.
If you are going to make wine at home, it is a good idea to consider keeping your own wine journal or notebook. One of the keys of producing good wine is being consistent. A wine journal will allow you to do that as well as track your progress as you develop advanced skills. In the beginning your notes may not seem like much; however, over time this information can become extremely valuable. You may think that you will be able to rely on your memory; however, this can be quite dangerous if you want to consistently develop good wines. After a few batches, there is a very good chance that you will forget exactly which details worked best and which you would like to avoid.
The type of information that should be recorded in your journal includes any information that would have an impact on the final outcome. Of course, it is not necessary to list trivial information that will not really have any impact; however, you will definitely want to include information such as the brand of yeast you used and temperature recordings for your wine must.
Other information that should be included in your winemaking journal includes:
How much fruit you used
The type and amount of sugar you used
Amount and type of yeast
Amount and type of nutrients
It is also important to keep specific information about dates as well. You should make a note of when the yeast is put into the must as well as the dates of when rackings are performed. In addition, any time you add ingredients, you should make a note of this as well. Also, be sure to note when you bottle the wine. You may also want to include any information about how the wine looks or even how it tastes when you do a sample taste test.
Hydrometer readings are also critical to the development of any batch of wine so it is a good idea to record those readings and the dates they were taken. Over time, you will be able to gain a lot of insight from the hydrometer readings that you record. Keep in mind that you should take hydrometer readings when the fermentation process is first begun as well as during any rackings. Readings should also be taken at the end of the fermentation process as well. In the event you add any fruit or sugar to the must during the fermentation process, it is also a good idea to take a hydrometer reading before the addition is made as well as after.
Practically anything that you feel comfortable with can be used for your winemaking journal. If you want to keep it simple, consider using something like a spiral composition notebook. The one problem with using this method is that you may find it difficult to keep your notes consistent. To combat this problem you might want to develop your own wine log. This can be easily done using any word processing program on your computer and then printed out and placed in a 3-ring binder. When every page is identical you will have prompts to help you remember the type of information that should be recorded. This type of binder will hold up better over time as well. In addition, depending on the width of the binder, you can easily add more pages as you need without worrying about running out of space.
You may also find it helpful to add other reference information that will be right at your fingertips. For example, you might wish to print off conversion charts and place those in your binders so that you can access the information quickly while working with your wine.
Posted in Winemaking 101
Posted on 10 November 2009. Tags: Home, kitchen, premium, video, Wine
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