I have never tested my wines for pH before and thought I'd get started
with some low cost test papers. I received a package of them today that
I ordered over the internet. There is a color chart (2.8 - 4.4) but no
instructions.

Is it as simple as dipping the test strip in the wine sample and color
match it to the chart? Or, are there other specific procedures that I
need to follow?

TIA for you help.

No, that's how pH paper works. You may have to compare under good
light, and try a bunch of wines to see what all the colors REALLY look
like. But if you've got a match, it should be correct. 'Course, pH
will never work for a red wine -- it has too much color on its own.
You can dilute a red a little bit so a titation can be done, but
you're not likely to have good results diluting the wine for the pH
strip.

Nothing else to do but dip and compare, that's how pH paper works. You
may have to compare under good light, and try a variety of wines to see
what all the colors REALLY look should look like. But if you've got a
match, it should be correct. 'Course, pH paper won't work for a red
wine -- it has too much color on its own.

You can dilute a red a little bit so a titration can be done, but
you're not likely to have good results diluting the wine for the pH
strip. You'd have to dilute it too much, and then you'd affect the
paper's results.

*Sorry 'bout the duplicate post. My last one had too many typos, I'd
hate people to think I was some hopeless drunk posting on the
winemaking newsgroup.

"Magnum" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have never tested my wines for pH before and thought I'd get started
with some low cost test papers.

Believe me, I understand the attraction of "low cost", but to get a good pH
reading on your wine you need a pH meter. There just isn't any low cost
work around.

Tom S

They really aren't accurate enough to be of use but since you have them
make sure you pull some wine out as a sample, do not dip them in the
whole batch. I would think red wine may interfere with the results as
you have heard. Use an incandesent bulb for light or go out side too,
you need the full spectrum to make sure you see things properly.

The best inexpensive meter I have seen is the Hanna pHEP 3, the pHEP 5
is much better for a few bucks more. You need to spend $100 (US) all
told to measure pH with a meter, you need buffer solutions too. There
are lots of posts on measuring pH in this newsgroup, if you google 'PH'
I would not be surprised if it returned a thousand posts...
Joe