newbie advice required.

Subscribe to the Homebrew Digest as follows; Send an email to snipped-for-privacy@hbd.org. Type the word "subscribe" in the email. Then send a post to snipped-for-privacy@hbd.org asking where African homebrewers get their supplies. Watch for replies in your email nightly. Several beer makers post there from time-to-time. They will know where to acquire winemaking supplies in Africa. Problem with taking chemicals (K sorbate and K metabisulfite in particular) is they go out of date in less than a year. Better to get fresh supplies if you can.

Bill Frazier Olathe, Kansas USA

Bill is right. Many of the chemicals will not last that long. You can make them last longer by buying in amounts that you might use in 6 months and getting them in sealed containers. Some of them will last pretty well as long as they are sealed from the factory but age quickly once opened. Keep some containers of perishable chemicals sealed to be opened later as needed. Somewhere on Jack Keller's site he has a good description of shelf life for chemicals.

Keep in mind however that if you are going to be there for 2 years, you probably only need supplies for one year as most of what you make in the second year will not be ready to drink while you are there and you probably will not ship most of it home.

The chemicals I would recommend are Acid Blend, Tartaric Acid, Tannin, K metabisulfite, K sorbate, betonite, SuperKlear, Yeast Nutrient, and of course yeast. Others may suggest some I missed. You may want to take some oak cubes but if you are making mostly fruit wines they could be skipped. Only you know how many batches you will be making and how much of each you need.

Oh, be sure to take at least 3 hydrometers. With care that should last you

Have fun with those exotic fruit.

Ray