Negodki wrote "I've been going crazy (short trip that it is) trying to
figure out why 14.2
> grams per liter (1000 ml) is 1.42% TA, or more precisely what the
percentage
> actually represents...The "% TA" value designates "grams per milliliter
(expressed as a
> percentage)"...So, grams per liter (expressed as a fraction) divided by
1000 = grams per
> milliliter (expressed as a fraction), and grams per milliliter (expressed
as
> a fraction) x 100 = grams per milliliter (expressed as a percentage)!"

You're making this harder than necessary. 14.2 grams/1000 ml is the same as
1.42 grams/100 ml. Just move the decimal over one space. The %TA value is
just what it says....the percent of titratable acid. So, 1.42 grams/100 ml
it the same as 1.42%TA.

For the Baco example 1.42%TA is very high acid. Quite a few posters on
r.c.w. like their red wines in the 0.60 to 0.65%TA range. I agree, this
amount of acid makes very nice tasting red wine. For the Baco example you
would have to reduce the acid by at least half so it's probably not possible
to use potassium bicarbonate alone to do the trick. I use ion exchange when
I need to take out this amount of acid but not everyone has access to this
technique in their cellar. Several have posted, in the past, that
"double-salt" technique can accomplish the same acid reduction. I've never
tried it myself but I know members of my wine club that have done so. I
understand that the double-salt technique requires special attention to
intense or rapid mixing when the process takes place. Seems like a
combination of "double-salt" acid reduction followed by malo-lactic
fermentation and hard cold conditioning will result in a pretty good Baco
wine.

Bill Frazier
Olathe, Kansas