There are lots of pieces of homemade wine equipment than can be described in one post. It’s important to learn about each piece of homemade wine equipment and whether a particular item is needed in your own home winemaking practice. Today’s post features the fruit press, the digital scale, and the pH meter.
- The Fruit Press: If you’re making wine from fruit, you’re going to need homemade wine equipment that squeezes the juice from the fruit. A fruit press is going to be necessary for this, and there are a couple of different styles that you can get. For smaller batches or for work areas that are limited on space, a Table-Top Fruit Press is a great choice. This piece of homemade wine equipment uses a screw-type press design, sets up easily on a table or lab bench, and is strong enough to press enough juice out of the fruit that the remaining fruit bits are barely damp. If you make larger batches of wine (up to 30 gallons at once), the Double Ratchet Fruit Press may be a better piece of homemade wine equipment for you. This fruit press stands on the floor, and uses a commercial double-ratchet design to efficiently press your fruit and extract as much juice as possible without leaving much behind.
The Digital Scale: This piece of homemade wine equipment is a very important tool that will help you measure ingredients more accurately, ultimately creating a more refined wine. There are a couple different types of digital scales that you can get, which basically differ in their complexity. The Escali Primo Digital Scale is provides accurate weight measurements of up to 11lbs (5kg) and measures in pounds, ounces, or grams. On the other hand, the Escali Alimento Digital Scale provides accurate measurements up to 13.2lbs (6 kg) and measures in a greater variety of units, including g/kg, lbs/oz, oz, g, and lbs. In general, the Alimento scale is piece of homemade wine equipment that is a bit more complex and provides more options than the Primo scale.
The pH Meter: This piece of homemade wine equipment is essential for monitoring the progress of your wine. If you don’t monitor the basic chemistry of your wine, you won’t know if there is a problem or if you need to adjust the pH at any point during the process. The Hanna Checker Digital pH Meter gives you accurate pH measurements down to a tenth of a pH in a matter of seconds.
Finding the right homemade wine equipment for you will not only save you from headaches and extra work, but will also help to improve your winemaking skills and ultimately help you create better wines!
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Ed Kraus is a 3rd generation home brewer/winemaker and has been an owner of E. C. Kraus since 1999. He has been helping individuals make better wine and beer for over 25 years.