"Wayne Harris" > wrote in message
...
On Mar 22, 11:52 am, Wayne Harris > wrote:
> On Mar 19, 10:00 pm, "frederick ploegman" >
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > "Wayne Harris" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > > In my continuing quest to kill this batch of wine, I have messed up
> > > the acid balance.
>
> > > Here is the story:
> > > I have a 5 gallon batch of Cabernet Sauvignon (from concentrate) that
> > > has finished primary.
> > > Prior to inoculating, I measured the reconstituted juice and found
> > > that the titrateable acid was very low, about .3%. I wanted to raise
> > > the acidity to between .6% and .7%.
> > > In order to do this, I used the following formula:
>
> > > 4.1g Tartaric Acid/1 gallon = .1% rise
>
> > > So in order to raise 5 gallons of wine to .65% (a .35% rise) I
> > > calculated the following:
>
> > > 5(4.1g)/5(1) gallon=.1% rise
> > > 3.5(20.5g/5gal)=3.5(.1%) rise
> > > 71.75g/5gal=.35% rise
>
> > > I added this acid to the juice and re-measured the TA. It was up to .
> > > 4%
> > > After a 20 min wait, I re-measured and it was still .4%
> > > I added another 20g.
>
> > > After a 20 min wait, I re-measured and it was still .45%
> > > I added another 20g.
>
> > > After a 20 min wait, I re-measured and it was still .45%
> > > I then added 40g.
>
> > > After a 20 min wait, I re-measured and it was still .7%
> > > good
>
> > > Now, almost 2 months later, I re-measured and the TA is .82
> > > Crap
> > > The taste is very tart. Go figure.
>
> > > So, what is the best way to add acid? Should I have waited longer
> > > before adding more? Does it take a while for the acid to fully
> > > dissolve?
>
> > > Where did I go wrong?
>
> > (Oct 2003)
>
> > Ed Goist once wrote:
>
> > «Throughout the fermentation of a grape-based wine, there is both an
> > increase in the Total Titratable Acidity resulting from fermentation,
> > and a decrease (precipitation) of some of the grape's natural fruit
> > acid (Tartaric).
>
> > The acids resulting from fermentation & the winemaking process account
> > for an increase in TA of approximately 2.0 - 2.5 g/l. This increase
> > is mostly the result of the formation of Succinic acid [0.5-1.25 g/l].
> > Succinic acid is the "acid of ethanol" & it is responsible for the
> > common sour taste shared by all alcoholic beverages. However, other
> > acids are formed as well during the fermentation, including: Lactic
> > [~0.3 g/l ], Phosphoric, Carbonic (from the formation of CO2),
> > Sulfurous (due to the pre-fermentation addition of SO2) & Acetic.
>
> > However, with a grape wine, this increase in "fermentation related"
> > acids is almost perfectly offset by an equal reduction in Tartaric
> > acid due to the precipitation of potassium bitartrate during & after
> > fermentation.
>
> > Note that this same increase in the TA during fermentation also occurs
> > with wines made from concentrate, as the process of concentration
> > removes almost all of the potassium bitartrate from the must prior to
> > fermentation».- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Sorry to beat this thread to death, but I need to ask another question
> that is related.
>
> I just started another batch from concentrate. A 5 gallon batch from
> concentrate.
> I used Cabernet concentrate from WilliamsBrewing.com
> What i found interesting is that on WilliamsBrewing's web site, it
> claims to not need any acid as it is already acid balanced.
> However, when i reconstitued the wine, I measured .25% TA.
>
> I added 60g of Tartaric Acid to bring up to .6% TA.
>
> Why would the maker of the concentrate say that .25% is "balanced" ?- Hide
> quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Never mind. I read my TA test backwards... jeez.
How embarrassing.

Huh ?? I was just about to explain this...........