ok, word problem :)

Having to guess a bit about prices, currency, what came in your equipment kit....

$5 - a spare hydrometer $10 - Fermtech Thief $10-15 - Auto Syphon $50 - floor corker $100 - a GOOD wine kit $150 - a GREAT wine kit $75,000 - an LHBS (preferably mine)

Steve

I'd design a nice label for the wine I'm making, take it to Staples or some other store with a color laser printer, and have them print some labels for me. It really dresses up the bottles.

It's a lot of "Bang!" for $5.

$5 of the shopowner's time and wisdom. $10 of the shopowner's time and wisdom. $20 of the shopowner's time and wisdom. $50 another wine kit

Mike

.... $NZ1,600,000 that winery and olive grove that's up for sale...

Mike

ya must have missed my earlier post about aquiring a plum grove.

Ya i know, they are plum BUSHES, but when they are 12 ft tall i really cant think of them as bushes anymore

I recently posted about my hydrometer meeting the floor. You may not be as clumsy as I but get a second just in case! Steve's post is right on the money too!

I've found that I can do pretty well without a thief by buying sterile syringes at the local horse-care or animal-care store. Little bit of tubing on the end if you have to reach in a bit (but probably not if it's topped off correctly...) And syringes are cheap and very cleanable.

I'd skip the thief and get the siphon, otherwise nice list Steve.

Rob

I've noticed no one has said anything about spare chenicals/yeasts, but this will be a good shopping list.

anyway, will be going to a town with a wine shop and will toss a bit of cash to them, athough their prices quoted online are a bit above what has been posted here(not much, about a dollar or two)

Well Tater, I'm not sure where you live, not all stores price items the same, and online is usually cheaper. But here's my list with actual Canadian prices added...

$5 - a spare hydrometer - $7 Cdn $10 - Fermtech Thief - $10 Cdn $10-15 - Auto Syphon - $12.50 (for 5/16" id hose) or $17 (for 7/16" id) $50 - floor corker - $55 to 135 Cdn

Steve

Thanks Rob.

I love the Thief. Slip a hydrometer inside, sanitize everything, put into wine, pull up, take reading, let wine go back into vessel, record sg, clean hydrometer & thief.

Couldn't be simpler, except it doesn't work with small qauntities (eg

Steve

the sales lady didn't prefer the thief, as she tended (IMHO) to be a bit lax in testing.

I got one anyway, $7 If I dont like it i'll toss it,

It not a big cost loss like a floor corker.

Well I must admit, I didn't use it as often as I could, but it still gets used quite a bit. Check sg to see if its ready to come out of pail. Check sg prior to adding additives. Take sample of wine for some reason.

Steve

I don't know how well the hand-held corkers work but I am glad I got the floor model. The local wine maker (Lau-Nae Winery,IL) convinced me it would be a good buy when I started and it has been. I can fill and cork a 6 gallon batch in about 30 minutes.

The only thing the wife won't let me buy is a winery or vineyard. I think it would be fun! Hard work but still fun!

I usually buy yeast & chemicals (especially yeast) as I need it, so it doesn't sit. Lot of it has a long shelf life, but I prefer to have everything fresh. If I have any doubts, I toss it and buy fresh.

Bryan

I no longer use yeast past it's expiration; I now believe it's on there for a reason.... :)

Joe