Master Vintner Wine Making Starter Kit Complete Equipment for 6 Gallons Review (2026)

What is in the kit

Retailer listings for this kit describe a Big Mouth Bubbler roughly 6.5 gallon primary fermentor paired with a plastic secondary fermentor, plus an instructional DVD, a bottle degasser, universal drilled bungs and airlocks. Transfer and bottling gear listed includes an auto siphon racking cane with tubing and a clamp, a bottle filler with tubing, a long plastic spoon, a bottle brush and an impact corker with number 8 corks. Measuring tools listed include a lab thermometer, a hydrometer, a test jar with a three piece wine thief, sodium metabisulfite for sanitizing equipment, and an adhesive fermometer strip for the fermentor itself.

Master Vintner brand fit

Master Vintner is Northern Brewer's own wine making product line, and the retailer states this equipment kit is compatible with Master Vintner wine recipe kits as well as a winemaker's own juice or ingredient blends. That matters for anyone who plans to buy pre-measured Master Vintner ingredient kits going forward, since the equipment sizing and instructions line up with that line specifically, while a winemaker mixing custom recipes or using a different brand's ingredient kit can still use the same gear as long as batch size and vessel type line up with what is included.

Guided instructions

The kit ships with an instructional DVD along with printed guidance, which is aimed at someone making wine for the first time and wanting a walkthrough rather than piecing a process together from scattered online guides. Northern Brewer also positions Master Vintner Fresh Harvest Upgrade Kits as an optional next step for winemakers who want to work with actual grape must instead of concentrate, which gives a path to grow into more advanced winemaking without switching equipment brands or vessel sizes down the line. That kind of upgrade path matters for anyone who starts with juice concentrate and later wants to work with fresh grape must, since the base equipment here stays useful rather than needing to be replaced.

What is not included

As with most equipment-only kits, the wine ingredients themselves, whether a Master Vintner recipe kit or a winemaker's own juice, are a separate purchase, and bottles beyond the corks included are not part of the box. Buyers should factor in the cost of a six gallon wine kit and a supply of bottles when budgeting for a first batch, since the equipment price alone does not reflect the full cost of getting a finished, bottled wine ready to drink or give away. Sodium metabisulfite is included for sanitizing equipment, but any additional fining agents or stabilizers a specific wine recipe calls for still need to be sourced separately.

Who should buy it

This kit fits a first-time winemaker who wants a guided setup built around 6 gallon batches, particularly anyone planning to use Master Vintner recipe kits going forward, since the equipment and instructions are designed to match that line. It is a reasonable choice too for someone bringing their own juice or ingredients, as long as the batch size lines up with the roughly 6.5 gallon primary fermentor included. Buyers should plan for ingredients and bottles as separate purchases rather than assuming this equipment kit covers the full cost of a finished batch, and should also budget a little extra for corks beyond the set included if bottling more than one batch.

Frequently asked questions