| Do NOT, at the outset, buy a lot of expensive | | | | winemaking. |
| equipment: it is better to start making wine with | | | | Also obtain several one-gallon glass jars for |
| what you have-you probably have in your kitchen | | | | fermenting-those with "ear" handles are the most |
| already some of the essentials-and then to | | | | popular-and some rubber bungs and corks to fit. |
| acquire the rest by stages as the necessity | | | | These jars can often be obtained cheaply from |
| arises. For a start you will undoubtedly need some | | | | grocers, cafes, or hairdressers, for they are used |
| kind of boiler, and if you can lay your hands on | | | | for fruit squash and chemicals in bulk. On no |
| one that will hold three to five gallons it will prove | | | | account omit to buy or make as many |
| ideal. Failing that, you can "make do" with a | | | | fermentation traps (see separate chapter) as you |
| one-gallon or one-and-a-half-gallon saucepan. | | | | are likely to need, for they are indeed the |
| Avoid containers and utensils of iron, brass and | | | | winemaker's best friend. |
| copper, which may be affected by acid and | | | | You will also find it useful to collect half-gallon |
| impart hazes and flavours to your wine; use only | | | | bottles ( so called Winchesters ) and a supply of |
| boilers of aluminium or sound -unchipped-enamel | | | | white wine bottles-NOT squash or sauce bottles, |
| ware. You will also need a large vessel in which to | | | | please!-and corks or stoppers to fit. It is a false |
| do your soaking, or mashing, and one of three to | | | | economy to use old corks, which may infect your |
| five gallons is ideal. The most commonly used | | | | wine; always use NEW CORKs, and soak them in |
| nowadays is a plastic dustbin, since it is cheap, | | | | a sterilising solution before insertion. Alternatively, |
| easy to clean and store, and light to handle, and | | | | buy some of the new plastic stoppers which can |
| when it splits or is useless for start making wine it | | | | be used over and over again, after sterilising by |
| can start doing duty as a dustbin! Alternatively | | | | boiling water. |
| you can use an earthenware crock of some sort. | | | | You will find a funnel, a really large polythene one, |
| Tall, cylindrical ones are the most convenient, | | | | most useful, and it is worth obtaining some nylon |
| since they are easier to cover and take up less | | | | sieves or material for straining purposes. Do not |
| floor space than the "bread-pan" variety. They | | | | forget to obtain, too, a supply of Campden |
| should be hard salt-glazed, since lead glaze can | | | | tablets (ordinary fruit-preserving tablets) which |
| have poisonous results. True, it is rarely | | | | have many uses in winemaking, and a rubber or |
| encountered on domestic vessels nowadays but | | | | polyvinyl tube for siphoning the wine off the |
| one does occasionally come across it on very old | | | | yeast deposit. A colander, scales, a wooden |
| ones, or on those of Middle Eastern origin, so this | | | | spoon, and measuring jugs you will already have in |
| warning needs to be issued! Salt glaze is hard, but | | | | your kitchen. |
| lead glaze is soft, and can be dented with the | | | | I hope that this piece of information will help you |
| thumbnail. You probably already have a polythene | | | | start making wine and that you will enjoy making |
| bucket, and will find this extremely useful for small | | | | and especially drinking your own home made wine. |
| quantities; polythene vessels are excellent for | | | | |