Making wine at home is equal parts art and science, but without the right ingredients, even the best fruit (or juice) will fall flat. As a winemaker, your goal isn’t just fermentation it’s control and balance. The difference between a mediocre batch and a Masterpiece comes down to a handful of key additives, the essential wine making supplies.
In this article, we list the must-have supplies that all home winemakers rely on to take their wine from ok to delicious.
Recommended Wine Making Additives: Tried And Tested
For those of who just want the list of essential wine making supplies, this is it. All items are essential and include our tried and tested brands. These are the brands we use, Fermentistry Approved. We update these when we find a better product, so bookmark this page to get our latest updates:
Yeast Nutrient: we recommend Fermaid O brand.
Tannin: we recommend North Mountain Supply Wine Tannin brand.
Tartaric Acid: we recommend Capybara Tartaric Acid brand.
Citric Acid: we recommend North Mountain Citric Acid brand.
Campden Tablets: we recommend North Mountain brand.
Pectin Enzyme: we recommend North Mountain brand.
Potassium Metabisulfite: we recommend LD Carlson brand.
The Winemaking Supplies You Need for Homemade Wine Success
We’ve structured this article into the list of the essential wine making supplies you simply must have. Along with each supply, we provide a recommended brand and a link to find it. We recommend only tried and tested products that we use ourselves. Bookmark this page so you can come back and find our latest recommendations.
1. Yeast Nutrients: Make Yeast Grow Fast And Healthy
Yeast Nutrients or Wine Nutrient Salts (we use this term in our recipes) are usually a combination of Diammonium Phosphate, Magnesium Sulfate, and Magnesium Carbonate with vitamins and trace minerals. These are necessary as many fruits lack the necessities Yeast needs to grow.
- Diammonium Phosphate (DAP): A fast-acting nitrogen source that keeps fermentation vigorous.
- Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt): Is an essential nutrient for yeast growth.
- Magnesium Carbonate: Is an essential nutrient for yeast growth.
Why Do Yeast Nutrients Matter?
Yeast is the key to fermentation. With proper nutrition, Yeast will grow fast and produce a strong clean fermentation. Nutrients can help prevent stalled fermentation, off-flavors, and odors.
When To Use Yeast Nutrient?
Add Yeast Nutrients to your Yeast Starter or again with any sugar addition, when making stronger wine styles like Port.
A Yeast Starter is created by adding your Yeast to a sanitized Glass Jar with water, sugar and Wine Nutrient Salts. The primary purpose is to check your Yeast is active before you add it to your precious fruit juice. There are other advantages as well.
Learn all about creating your own Yeast Starter from our article How To Make A Yeast Starter.
Best Yeast Nutrient Brand: Tried And Tested
The Wine Yeast Nutrient we recommend is the Fermaid O brand.
2. Wine Tannin: Add Body And Complexity
Grapes are rich in natural tannins. Unlike grapes, many fruits lack Tannin as it does not occur naturally. The solution is to add a measured amount to the fruit juice you intend to make into wine.
Why Do Tannins Matter For Wine Making?
Tannins adds flavor, character and astringency. The astringency from the tannins is what causes the dry and tight feeling in the mouth following the consumption of unripe fruit, red wine or tea. Tannins also help color stability, depth, mouthfeel, and aging potential, especially crucial for red wines.
Tannins are available as a powder to add to your juice before fermentation. Tannin powder is made from Grape Skins, Chestnut extract or Oak extract.
When To Use Tannins When Wine Making?
Add Tannin powder after the juice is separated from the fruit. A good recipe will recommend the correct amount to use with the fruit juice you are fermenting into wine.
Best Tannin Brand: Tried And Tested
The Wine Tannin we recommend is the North Mountain Supply Wine Tannin brand.
3. Wine Making Acidity: Brighten Flavors
Why Does Acidity Matter In Wine Making?
The acidity of wine impacts yeast health, flavor, stability, and microbial resistance. If acidity is too low (has a high pH) the wine will be flat and insipid. If acidity is too high (has a low pH) the wine will be tart and harsh. There are three types of acid common in fruit, Tartaric Acid, Critic Acid, and Malic Acid.
- Tartaric Acid (primary in grapes): Adds crispness.
- Citric Acid: Brightens fruit flavors. Use for pH adjustments
- Malic Acid (primary in grapes): Adds sharpness. Not added to fruit as it requires Malolactic Fermentation to adjust.
When To Adjustment Acidity In Wine Making?
Once the juice is ready for the Yeast to be added, test the pH with a pH Meter. Your recipe will specify the target pH for the style of wine. It’s common practice to increase acidity by using Critic Acid as it provides flavor enhancement without the need for specialized treatment, for example Malic Acid requires Malolactic Fermentation. For this reason, avoid using acid adjustments that contain Malic Acid and use products that contain Citric or Tartaric Acid only.
Best Acidity Adjustment: Tried And Tested
To adjust Acidity using Tartaric Acid we recommend the Capybara Tartaric Acid brand.
To adjust Acidity using Citric Acid we recommend the North Mountain Citric Acid brand.
4. Campden Tablets: Protect Your Wine
Why Do Campden Tablets Matter For Wine Making?
Campden Tablets are a sulfur-based product that are used primarily to sterilize wine to kill bacteria and to inhibit the growth of most wild yeast. In wine making, one crushed Campden tablet is typically used per US gallon (3.8 L) of must.
When Are Campden Tablets Used In Wine Making?
Campden tablets are used at multiple stages during the wine making process. These include:
- Pre-fermentation: Kills wild yeast/bacteria.
- Post-fermentation: Protects against oxidation.
- At bottling: Extends shelf life.
Best Campden Tablets: Tried And Tested
The Campden Tablets we recommend is the North Mountain Campden Tablets brand.
5. Pectin Enzyme: Crystal Clear Wine
Why Pectin Enzyme Matters For Wine Making?
Pectin Enzyme, commonly known as Pectinase, are a group of enzymes that breaks down Pectin, a polysaccharide found in plant cell walls. Pectin is found in most fruits and is responsible for causing haze in wine. Breaking down Pectin helps to prevent this source of wine haze.
When Is Pectin Enzyme Used In Wine Making?
Pectin Enzyme (Pectinase) is used during the juice extraction stage. The enzyme is added to the crushed fruit prior to fermentation. Removing Pectin also helps with color and aroma extraction.
Best Pectin Enzyme: Tried And Tested
The Pectin Enzyme we recommend is the North Mountain Pectic Enzyme brand.
7. Potassium Metabisulfite: No-Rinse Sanitization
Why Potassium Metabisulfite Matters For Wine Making?
Potassium Metabisulfite is mainly used as an antioxidant or chemical sterilant. Potassium metabisulfite is a common wine or must additive, in which it forms sulfur dioxide (SO2). Sulfur dioxide is a disinfectant. It also acts as a potent antioxidant, protecting both the color and delicate flavors of wine.
When Is Potassium Metabisulfite Used In Wine Making?
Potassium Metabisulfite is used at several stages in the wine making process. Primarily used for santizing equipment prior to use and wine bottles prior to bottling the wine.
Best Potassium Metabisulfite: Tried And Tested
The Pectin Enzyme we recommend is the LD Carlson Potassium Metabisulfite brand.
Final Thoughts: Essential Wine Making Supplies For Homemade Wine
Great winemaking isn’t about guesswork, it’s about careful preparation and mastering the tools that shape flavor, fermentation, clarity, stability, and ultimately success. There is a small set of supplies you must have to set yourself up to succeed. Use our list to set yourself up. Bookmark this page so you can return when you need to re-stock.
Remember this. Every great winemaker starts exactly where you are now, with curiosity, a handful of fruit, and the guts to try. Once you’re hooked on wine making, you’ll start planning the next batch before finishing the last. So go and look over our Wine Recipes and choose your next project!
And when you “pull the cork” on your first bottle of wine, don’t forget to share your victory with us. We’d love to read all about your success, so drop us a line and tell us everything.
