Pennsylvania is having a miserable grape year. I got some muscat Sat
that had the following readings:
Brix: 18.2
TA: 1.09
PH: 3.30

2002 readings we
Brix 20.0
TA .70
PH 3.28

I raise the Brix to 20 and added 71B yeast. Why is the TA so high yet
the PH normal? Could there be that much tartaric?

Tim

"Tim McNally" > wrote in message
om...
> Pennsylvania is having a miserable grape year. I got some muscat Sat
> that had the following readings:
> Brix: 18.2
> TA: 1.09
> PH: 3.30
>
> 2002 readings we
> Brix 20.0
> TA .70
> PH 3.28
>
> I raise the Brix to 20 and added 71B yeast. Why is the TA so high yet
> the PH normal? Could there be that much tartaric?
>
> Tim

Tim,

Juice pH also depends on how much potassium is present..... the more
potassium, the higher the pH. Vines pick up much of the potassium late in
the ripening period, but in general, the longer grapes hang on the vines,
more potassium accumulates and the pH gets higher. Since this was a cold
year, perhaps this years grapes were harvested later than last years, and
they contain more potassium.

lum

So Lum, what effect does the potassium have? Is it masking a PH that
is actually lower?
Tim
> "Tim McNally" > wrote in message
> om...
> > Pennsylvania is having a miserable grape year. I got some muscat Sat
> > that had the following readings:
> > Brix: 18.2
> > TA: 1.09
> > PH: 3.30
> >
> > 2002 readings we
> > Brix 20.0
> > TA .70
> > PH 3.28
> >
> > I raise the Brix to 20 and added 71B yeast. Why is the TA so high yet
> > the PH normal? Could there be that much tartaric?
> >
> > Tim
>
> Tim,
>
> Juice pH also depends on how much potassium is present..... the more
> potassium, the higher the pH. Vines pick up much of the potassium late in
> the ripening period, but in general, the longer grapes hang on the vines,
> more potassium accumulates and the pH gets higher. Since this was a cold
> year, perhaps this years grapes were harvested later than last years, and
> they contain more potassium.
>
> lum

"Tim McNally" > wrote in message
om...
> So Lum, what effect does the potassium have? Is it masking a PH that
> is actually lower?
> Tim
> > "Tim McNally" > wrote in message
> > om...
> > > Pennsylvania is having a miserable grape year. I got some muscat Sat
> > > that had the following readings:
> > > Brix: 18.2
> > > TA: 1.09
> > > PH: 3.30
> > >
> > > 2002 readings we
> > > Brix 20.0
> > > TA .70
> > > PH 3.28
> > >
> > > I raise the Brix to 20 and added 71B yeast. Why is the TA so high yet
> > > the PH normal? Could there be that much tartaric?
> > >
> > > Tim
> >
> > Tim,
> >
> > Juice pH also depends on how much potassium is present..... the more
> > potassium, the higher the pH. Vines pick up much of the potassium late
in
> > the ripening period, but in general, the longer grapes hang on the
vines,
> > more potassium accumulates and the pH gets higher. Since this was a
cold
> > year, perhaps this years grapes were harvested later than last years,
and
> > they contain more potassium.
> >
> > lum

I'm not sure just how to answer your question Tim.

Potassium forms salts (just like sodium), and potassium salts have a slight
effect on the taste and mouth feel of wines made from high potassium juice.

I wouldn't use the term "masking," but the pH would indeed be lower if the
potassium was not present.

lum

If I may interject,

I think the effect is that the potassium reacts with the acid anion
(e.g.. potassium tartrate), and forms buffers, which diminish acid/base
swings of the involved acids. Simply speaking.

HTH, Mike MTM
>

"MikeMTM" > wrote in message
...
> If I may interject,
>
> I think the effect is that the potassium reacts with the acid anion
> (e.g.. potassium tartrate), and forms buffers, which diminish acid/base
> swings of the involved acids. Simply speaking.
>
> HTH, Mike MTM

Well put Mike.

After one week, the Sg has dropped to 1.001 and TA is at .90. I
fermented with Lalvin 71B yeast. How much can I expect to reduce with
cold stabilization?
Tim
> "Tim McNally" > wrote in message
> om...
> > So Lum, what effect does the potassium have? Is it masking a PH that
> > is actually lower?
> > Tim
> > > "Tim McNally" > wrote in message
> > > om...
> > > > Pennsylvania is having a miserable grape year. I got some muscat Sat
> > > > that had the following readings:
> > > > Brix: 18.2
> > > > TA: 1.09
> > > > PH: 3.30
> > > >
> > > > 2002 readings we
> > > > Brix 20.0
> > > > TA .70
> > > > PH 3.28
> > > >
> > > > I raise the Brix to 20 and added 71B yeast. Why is the TA so high yet
> > > > the PH normal? Could there be that much tartaric?
> > > >
> > > > Tim
> > >
> > > Tim,
> > >
> > > Juice pH also depends on how much potassium is present..... the more
> > > potassium, the higher the pH. Vines pick up much of the potassium late
> in
> > > the ripening period, but in general, the longer grapes hang on the
> vines,
> > > more potassium accumulates and the pH gets higher. Since this was a
> cold
> > > year, perhaps this years grapes were harvested later than last years,
> and
> > > they contain more potassium.
> > >
> > > lum
>
> I'm not sure just how to answer your question Tim.
>
> Potassium forms salts (just like sodium), and potassium salts have a slight
> effect on the taste and mouth feel of wines made from high potassium juice.
>
> I wouldn't use the term "masking," but the pH would indeed be lower if the
> potassium was not present.
>
> lum

Tim,
I dont know of any way to accurately predict what the reduction will
be. It varies in my experiences greatly from species to species, and to a
lesser extent from year to year. Not the answer you wanted I imagine.
John Dixon
"Tim McNally" > wrote in message
om...
> After one week, the Sg has dropped to 1.001 and TA is at .90. I
> fermented with Lalvin 71B yeast. How much can I expect to reduce with
> cold stabilization?
> Tim
> > "Tim McNally" > wrote in message
> > om...
> > > So Lum, what effect does the potassium have? Is it masking a PH that
> > > is actually lower?
> > > Tim
> > > > "Tim McNally" > wrote in message
> > > > om...
> > > > > Pennsylvania is having a miserable grape year. I got some muscat
Sat
> > > > > that had the following readings:
> > > > > Brix: 18.2
> > > > > TA: 1.09
> > > > > PH: 3.30
> > > > >
> > > > > 2002 readings we
> > > > > Brix 20.0
> > > > > TA .70
> > > > > PH 3.28
> > > > >
> > > > > I raise the Brix to 20 and added 71B yeast. Why is the TA so high
yet
> > > > > the PH normal? Could there be that much tartaric?
> > > > >
> > > > > Tim
> > > >
> > > > Tim,
> > > >
> > > > Juice pH also depends on how much potassium is present..... the more
> > > > potassium, the higher the pH. Vines pick up much of the potassium
late
> > in
> > > > the ripening period, but in general, the longer grapes hang on the
> > vines,
> > > > more potassium accumulates and the pH gets higher. Since this was a
> > cold
> > > > year, perhaps this years grapes were harvested later than last
years,
> > and
> > > > they contain more potassium.
> > > >
> > > > lum
> >
> > I'm not sure just how to answer your question Tim.
> >
> > Potassium forms salts (just like sodium), and potassium salts have a
slight
> > effect on the taste and mouth feel of wines made from high potassium
juice.
> >
> > I wouldn't use the term "masking," but the pH would indeed be lower if
the
> > potassium was not present.
> >
> > lum