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What equipment do I need?Updated 11 hours ago

The equipment starter kit is sold separately. Your Fontana wine ingredient kit contains the winemaking ingredients; it does not include the reusable equipment or bottling supplies. Check the contents of any equipment starter kit before buying additional items.

Before you start

  • Your Fontana wine ingredient kit and drinking water.
  • A food-grade primary fermenter with a lid, large enough for a 23 L batch plus room for foaming.
  • A suitable carboy for transferring the wine, with a compatible stopper and airlock.
  • A hydrometer and a suitable test jar to measure specific gravity (SG).
  • A siphon or auto-siphon with food-grade tubing for transferring wine while leaving sediment behind.
  • A long mixing spoon suitable for winemaking.
  • Winemaking cleaning and sanitizing supplies. Follow each product’s directions; cleaning and sanitizing are separate steps.
  • A thermometer to check that the fermentation area stays within the instruction sheet’s 20–25°C (68–77°F) range.

For racking and settling

Have a clean, sanitized receiving carboy available, plus your siphon, tubing, and the appropriate bung or stopper specified in the instructions. “Racking” means transferring wine away from the sediment.

When you are ready to bottle

  • Approximately 30 clean, sanitized 750 ml wine bottles for a 23 L batch; actual yield can vary.
  • New wine corks compatible with your bottles and a suitable corker if using cork-finished bottles. Other bottle types need compatible closures.
  • A siphon and tubing; a bottle-filling wand is helpful for controlled filling.
  • Cleaner and sanitizer for bottles, equipment, and closures as directed by their manufacturers.
  • Optional labels to record the wine variety and bottling date.

Wine bags designed for wine storage are an alternative to bottles. Follow the bag manufacturer’s filling and storage instructions. Bottles, corks, corkers, and other supplies may need to be purchased separately; do not assume they are included in an equipment starter kit.

Before filling bottles or bags

Complete fermentation and the stabilization, clearing, and settling stages in the instructions. Only bottle clear wine. If it is cloudy, allow more time; never filter cloudy wine.

Read the winemaking summary and download the full instruction sheet.

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For order questions, include your order number, destination country and a description of the issue. For winemaking questions, include your kit name, batch stage, start date, temperature, specific gravity readings and any steps already taken.