Bottle for wine: what are and which one to choose for a beginner

Before you start making wine, you need to decide on the bottle. The quality of the resulting product will depend on its material and volume. The choice must be made carefully. Three main criteria that you need to know – material, volume, tightness.

What is the best material for a wine bottle?

  1. Glass

    The most comfortable material to use. Containers from it will not come into contact with the mash, they will serve for a long time, they will surely serve, you can clearly see what is happening with the wort in them. Cons: such a bottle is heavy to lift, glass is a fragile substance, requires careful handling, transmits light, you will have to look for a dark secluded place. But of all the options, glass can be recommended with 100% certainty. If you’re worried, look for a container with a protective plastic braid. It does not cost fabulous money and is easier to operate.

  2. Tree

    Barrels made of this material are classics of winemaking. The tree will not miss the sun’s rays and maintain the temperature regime. Such a pleasure will cost a lot and it is difficult to clean their barrels later. Definitely not suitable for beginners.

  3. Ceramics

    In ceramic dishes, alcohol retains its properties, aroma and taste for a long time.

  4. Stainless steel

    High-strength, long-lasting, resistant to acids and alkalis. Cons: the metal has the unpleasant property of oxidizing on contact with liquid, so the wine will acquire a metallic taste. The bottle will be very expensive. A milk can will not work for the same reasons.

What size wine bottle to choose for a beginner

There are many variations of container volume. The minimum can be 10 liters, the maximum – 100. This is not the limit. Start with a not very large volume, about 20-30 liters. Let the container, first, be portable. Secondly, it will not allow spoiling a large amount of wine.

What else is worth considering

  1. Airspace should remain between 25 and 30%. In the case of mash, 50% is better, so as not to “wet” the water seal.

  2. If the fermentation is quiet, add almost to the neck. There will be losses during the defoaming, pouring and decanting process.

  3. When choosing the amount of fermenter, be guided by the scale of the moonshine still. Fill it to 75% to overtake the wort in 2-3 passes.

Tightness

This indicator should be raised to absolute. Any cracks, cracks, chips are excluded. As for the barrels, the wood itself is a breathable material due to the pores. It won’t ruin the quality.

If you buy a whole and intact container without a water seal or holes for it, adequately calculate your strength. It is possible that in the process of drilling a hole and other repair work, the bottle may be damaged.

Final tips from Shake

  1. Preference should be given to glassware and in no case metal.

  2. Don’t waste your money on the largest volume. Take a closer look at the spectrum from 20 to 30 liters, you can even from 10.

  3. Check for a water trap/required opening so as not to risk it.

Relevance: 12.04.2020

Tags: wine and vermouth

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