Chardonnay
Cold soak last night
I pressed today
23 brix
pH 3.98
TA .32

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH


Zinfandel
Crushed today
23 brix
pH 4.00
TA .46

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH


Any other suggestions???


I planned on ML and aging on the lees.
Maybe I will skip the ML this year...

I would approach this the other way around. Add tartaric acid to
bring pH into the 3.5 range then check the TA. pH is much more
important from a microbial stability standpoint, than TA. Excess
tartaric acid can be dropped out when cold stabilizing. The potential
problems of a high pH environment are less easily remedied.

I would not skip the ML on your Zin, again, more for stability than
style. Consider lysozyme if you decide not to ML your Chard.

RD

I have no idea how much Acid to add to lower pH?


RD wrote:
I would approach this the other way around. Add tartaric acid to
bring pH into the 3.5 range then check the TA. pH is much more
important from a microbial stability standpoint, than TA. Excess
tartaric acid can be dropped out when cold stabilizing. The potential
problems of a high pH environment are less easily remedied.

I would not skip the ML on your Zin, again, more for stability than
style. Consider lysozyme if you decide not to ML your Chard.

RD

It's not easily calculated as pH depends on the buffering capacity of
the juice among other factors. I simply want to point out that TA is
a less important bogey than pH. Add your tartaric acid incrementally,
monitoring pH rather than TA. You may (or may not) need to exceed
your desired TA value of 0.7%, in order to bring the pH down to a
safer level - that's ok it can be dealt with later.

RD

I think I am doing some math wrong.
I need to figure it out.
I added 40 grams of acid which should have gotten me to .7 g/l
But it only took me from .46 g/l to .6 g/l
So I added the same amount again... and did not check it.

I added acid until I was about pH 3.65 or so.
This was twice my calculation to go from .46 to .7

I am going to let it sit over night and recheck the acid and pH



RD wrote:
It's not easily calculated as pH depends on the buffering capacity of
the juice among other factors. I simply want to point out that TA is
a less important bogey than pH. Add your tartaric acid incrementally,
monitoring pH rather than TA. You may (or may not) need to exceed
your desired TA value of 0.7%, in order to bring the pH down to a
safer level - that's ok it can be dealt with later.

RD

I guess I should also add..

I did taste the must as I was going, it does taste much better now.




homebrewdude wrote:
I think I am doing some math wrong.
I need to figure it out.
I added 40 grams of acid which should have gotten me to .7 g/l
But it only took me from .46 g/l to .6 g/l
So I added the same amount again... and did not check it.

I added acid until I was about pH 3.65 or so.
This was twice my calculation to go from .46 to .7

I am going to let it sit over night and recheck the acid and pH



RD wrote:
It's not easily calculated as pH depends on the buffering capacity of
the juice among other factors. I simply want to point out that TA is
a less important bogey than pH. Add your tartaric acid incrementally,
monitoring pH rather than TA. You may (or may not) need to exceed
your desired TA value of 0.7%, in order to bring the pH down to a
safer level - that's ok it can be dealt with later.

RD

Some comments -

I agree with RD up to a point. pH is more important from a microbial
stability point of view. The one caveat I would make is that TA is
important for the perceived quality of the wine, especially the
chardonnay. I would recommend doing what RD suggested - increme3ntal
additions of acid and continue to check both pH and TA and taste.

The other comment I'd make is that those are kinda weird numbers. Low
acid, but also low sugar. With those acid readings, I would have
expected a much higher sugar reading. Are you confident in your
testing equipment and procedures?



In article
wrote:
Chardonnay
Cold soak last night
I pressed today
23 brix
pH 3.98
TA .32

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH

Zinfandel
Crushed today
23 brix
pH 4.00
TA .46

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH

Any other suggestions???

I planned on ML and aging on the lees.
Maybe I will skip the ML this year...

--
I'm using an evaluation license of nemo since 113 days.
You should really try it!
http://www.malcom-mac.com/nemo

I am using a ATC refractometer
I calibrated it with distilled water.

I measured juice direct from berries and after the crush.

I am using a calibrated Hanna Phep5 meter.
I am using Hanna calibration solution.
New probe a week ago.

I am going to take a SG reading with my hydrometer today, to check the
sugar again.

The grapes are from California shipped to the midwest.





AxisOfBeagles wrote:
Some comments -

I agree with RD up to a point. pH is more important from a microbial
stability point of view. The one caveat I would make is that TA is
important for the perceived quality of the wine, especially the
chardonnay. I would recommend doing what RD suggested - increme3ntal
additions of acid and continue to check both pH and TA and taste.

The other comment I'd make is that those are kinda weird numbers. Low
acid, but also low sugar. With those acid readings, I would have
expected a much higher sugar reading. Are you confident in your
testing equipment and procedures?



In article
wrote:
Chardonnay
Cold soak last night
I pressed today
23 brix
pH 3.98
TA .32

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH

Zinfandel
Crushed today
23 brix
pH 4.00
TA .46

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH

Any other suggestions???

I planned on ML and aging on the lees.
Maybe I will skip the ML this year...

My Chardonnay sat over night
It is much clearer now, I added yeast last night but there is no
activity yet.

I re-calibrated everything
Brix 24
SG 1.110
pH 4.07
TA .35 g/l


THis is how I worked through my TA
15ml of juice
15ml of distilled water
3 drops of indicator

The was in a beaker placed on a stir plate with pH meter

I added 3.5ml of NaOH then it hit pH 8.22

Based on my math this would be .35 g/l

these new readings are after I added 20 grams of acid last night...
The wine tastes sweet, I still think it is low on acid.

Now I am confused...




homebrewdude wrote:
Chardonnay
Cold soak last night
I pressed today
23 brix
pH 3.98
TA .32

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH


Zinfandel
Crushed today
23 brix
pH 4.00
TA .46

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH


Any other suggestions???


I planned on ML and aging on the lees.
Maybe I will skip the ML this year...

I added 70grams of acid

Now

pH 3.60
TA .65 g/l

10 more grams will bring the TA to .7 g/l

Then I will recheck pH, which should drop more.

I was planning on ML this one, but I guess not now...
I think I will add some oak to the primary



homebrewdude wrote:
My Chardonnay sat over night
It is much clearer now, I added yeast last night but there is no
activity yet.

I re-calibrated everything
Brix 24
SG 1.110
pH 4.07
TA .35 g/l


THis is how I worked through my TA
15ml of juice
15ml of distilled water
3 drops of indicator

The was in a beaker placed on a stir plate with pH meter

I added 3.5ml of NaOH then it hit pH 8.22

Based on my math this would be .35 g/l

these new readings are after I added 20 grams of acid last night...
The wine tastes sweet, I still think it is low on acid.

Now I am confused...




homebrewdude wrote:
Chardonnay
Cold soak last night
I pressed today
23 brix
pH 3.98
TA .32

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH


Zinfandel
Crushed today
23 brix
pH 4.00
TA .46

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH


Any other suggestions???


I planned on ML and aging on the lees.
Maybe I will skip the ML this year...

I went ahead and added acid to get my TA to .75

My final pH is 3.49



homebrewdude wrote:
I added 70grams of acid

Now

pH 3.60
TA .65 g/l

10 more grams will bring the TA to .7 g/l

Then I will recheck pH, which should drop more.

I was planning on ML this one, but I guess not now...
I think I will add some oak to the primary



homebrewdude wrote:
My Chardonnay sat over night
It is much clearer now, I added yeast last night but there is no
activity yet.

I re-calibrated everything
Brix 24
SG 1.110
pH 4.07
TA .35 g/l


THis is how I worked through my TA
15ml of juice
15ml of distilled water
3 drops of indicator

The was in a beaker placed on a stir plate with pH meter

I added 3.5ml of NaOH then it hit pH 8.22

Based on my math this would be .35 g/l

these new readings are after I added 20 grams of acid last night...
The wine tastes sweet, I still think it is low on acid.

Now I am confused...




homebrewdude wrote:
Chardonnay
Cold soak last night
I pressed today
23 brix
pH 3.98
TA .32

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH


Zinfandel
Crushed today
23 brix
pH 4.00
TA .46

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH


Any other suggestions???


I planned on ML and aging on the lees.
Maybe I will skip the ML this year...

On Sep 16, 2:12 pm, homebrewdude
wrote:
I went ahead and added acid to get my TA to .75

My final pH is 3.49



homebrewdude wrote:
I added 70grams of acid

Now

pH 3.60
TA .65 g/l

10 more grams will bring the TA to .7 g/l

Then I will recheck pH, which should drop more.

I was planning on ML this one, but I guess not now...
I think I will add some oak to the primary

homebrewdude wrote:
My Chardonnay sat over night
It is much clearer now, I added yeast last night but there is no
activity yet.

I re-calibrated everything
Brix 24
SG 1.110
pH 4.07
TA .35 g/l

THis is how I worked through my TA
15ml of juice
15ml of distilled water
3 drops of indicator

The was in a beaker placed on a stir plate with pH meter

I added 3.5ml of NaOH then it hit pH 8.22

Based on my math this would be .35 g/l

these new readings are after I added 20 grams of acid last night...
The wine tastes sweet, I still think it is low on acid.

Now I am confused...

homebrewdude wrote:
Chardonnay
Cold soak last night
I pressed today
23 brix
pH 3.98
TA .32

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH

Zinfandel
Crushed today
23 brix
pH 4.00
TA .46

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH

Any other suggestions???

I planned on ML and aging on the lees.
Maybe I will skip the ML this year...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

On reds from grapes I usually try to get the pH to 3.6 and then stop.
I do use tartaric only for that type of addition. I had to add a lot
this year too. My rule of thumb is 4g/gal to increase TA by 1g/l. If
you want to change the pH by 0.1 4g/gal (US) is about right. Bigger
swings than 0.1 PH get a little crazy to calculate. It's easier to
add some acid and just remeasure rather that try to calculate. It's a
logarithmic measurement so you will drive yourself crazy trying to
calculate it out since we think in linear values. Your numbers seemed
a little odd to me too but calibrated is calibrated so go with that.

Joe

What number seems odd?



Your numbers seemed
a little odd to me too but calibrated is calibrated so go with that.

Joe

Think I should still run ML on this zinfadel??

homebrewdude wrote:
I went ahead and added acid to get my TA to .75

My final pH is 3.49



homebrewdude wrote:
I added 70grams of acid

Now

pH 3.60
TA .65 g/l

10 more grams will bring the TA to .7 g/l

Then I will recheck pH, which should drop more.

I was planning on ML this one, but I guess not now...
I think I will add some oak to the primary



homebrewdude wrote:
My Chardonnay sat over night
It is much clearer now, I added yeast last night but there is no
activity yet.

I re-calibrated everything
Brix 24
SG 1.110
pH 4.07
TA .35 g/l


THis is how I worked through my TA
15ml of juice
15ml of distilled water
3 drops of indicator

The was in a beaker placed on a stir plate with pH meter

I added 3.5ml of NaOH then it hit pH 8.22

Based on my math this would be .35 g/l

these new readings are after I added 20 grams of acid last night...
The wine tastes sweet, I still think it is low on acid.

Now I am confused...




homebrewdude wrote:
Chardonnay
Cold soak last night
I pressed today
23 brix
pH 3.98
TA .32

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH


Zinfandel
Crushed today
23 brix
pH 4.00
TA .46

Add acid to target TA of .7 then recheck pH


Any other suggestions???


I planned on ML and aging on the lees.
Maybe I will skip the ML this year...

I don't usually do ML on grapes like this, your initial acid numbers
kind of point to overripe but your sugar does not. Overripe grapes
don't have a lot of malic acid as I understand it. People that do
ML routinely usually want to get the target pH a little lower, like
3.3.

Joe