 | Fermentation
Tanks
- Stainless Steel or HDPE Plastic. They need to be marked for content
and be able to measure the contents quite precisely.
We
used surplus dairy tanks to start.
Now we like Stainless IBCs - Shipping containers
Hoses
- Several 1 1/2 to 2" hoses, 10' to 25' long. A truckload of
Triclover fittings
Pump
- Small flexible impeller pump.
Tank Mixer - We use our
pump to mix things into the tank - but through-the valve
mixers are very handy.
Heat Control - Fermentation makes
heat. Big batches need active temperature
control. (Big = more than 500 gallons) |
| Settling
Barrels -
Can also be done in the Steel Tanks, depending on wine style. |
| Fining
Pad Filter
- Disposable filter pads of different grades go into plate and frame filter
Cartridge - Membrane
filter for near-sterile operations |
| Bottling
Holding Tank
Bottle Rinser
Bottle Filler
Capsule Shrinker
Corkers and Cappers |
| Champagne Method
Tirage / Storage Bins - To hold the
bottles while they carbonate.
Riddling
Racks
- To support the bottles while settling the yeast down.
Disgorger
- Removes the yeast slug from the bottle.
Dosager
- Tops up the bottle.
Champagne Corker
Wirehooder |
| Testing Equipment
Sugar
Testing -
Refractometers and hydrometers measure starting sugar.
Ending sugar is determined by chemical analysis.
Acidity
Testing - pH meters
measure 'Free Acidity'.
- Total Acidity is determined by titration.
Sulfite
Testing -
A little one-step titration kit does the trick.
Alcohol
Testing - An
ebuillometer determines the boiling point (and the
alcohol content) but a simple distillation kit is cheaper. |
