Hello,
We are new to wine making. We started our first batch in April of this
year. Right now the only testing equipment I have is a Vinometer and a
Hydrometer. I see a lot of other posts about checking the acid levels and
other things that at this point I do not fully understand. Should this be
something I need to worry about or should I just go with taste and
experiment for the first year or so?
The next batch I would like to make is a grape (probably from juice
because of how late in the year it is.) I would consider buying testing
equipment and posting my results for advice if it would benifit the wine.
Thanks in advance.
Tom and Shelley
http://justusinpa.us

Welcome. I'm new as well. I started in January. My advise would be
to examine what you want to do with your wine. Do you want to
eventually enter competitions? Do you want to just be able to brag
about what you made? Do you want to make the occasional batch from a
fairly standard recipe?

While having the testing kits will help you make a better wine and
will allow you to repeat your best batches, they aren't really
required. However, if you do have your sights set on entering your
wine in some competitions, you will want to test more.

You can't really improve your wine if you don't really know where it's
lacking.

Just my $.02

Greg



On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 02:45:16 GMT, "Tom and Shelley"
> wrote:

>Hello,
> We are new to wine making. We started our first batch in April of this
>year. Right now the only testing equipment I have is a Vinometer and a
>Hydrometer. I see a lot of other posts about checking the acid levels and
>other things that at this point I do not fully understand. Should this be
>something I need to worry about or should I just go with taste and
>experiment for the first year or so?
> The next batch I would like to make is a grape (probably from juice
>because of how late in the year it is.) I would consider buying testing
>equipment and posting my results for advice if it would benifit the wine.
> Thanks in advance.
>Tom and Shelley
>http://justusinpa.us
>
>

Greg Smith

Remove "spamblocker" to e-mail

"Tom and Shelley" > wrote:

> Hello,
> We are new to wine making. We started our first batch in April of
this
> year. Right now the only testing equipment I have is a Vinometer and a
> Hydrometer. I see a lot of other posts about checking the acid levels and
> other things that at this point I do not fully understand. Should this be
> something I need to worry about or should I just go with taste and
> experiment for the first year or so?

A Vinometer (allegedly) measures the alcohol in a finished dry wine. In
practice, I find them too inaccurate for meaningful results.

A hydrometer measures the specific gravity and (by inference) the "Brix"
(sugar content, expressed as a percentage) and (by formula) the potential
alcohol if the wine ferments to dryness. It is an essential tool for the
winemaker, although many good ways have been made without one.

An "acid test kit" measures the acidity of the wine. A pH meter measures the
concentration of hydrogen atoms, or the "strength" of the acid. The former
measurement is more related to the taste of the wine. The latter is more
related to the wine's ability to keep.

Both measurements are important, but the pH is far more important. That
having been said, if the TA (titratable acid) is within range, the pH is
_usually_ within range. Thus, IMO a $5 acid test kit is more practical for
the beginner than a $70 pH meter plus $10 of buffer solutions to calibrate
it and preserve the probe. But if you can afford the pH meter, by all means
get one, and use it.

If the acid is too low, the wine will taste insipid, and not keep properly.
If the acid is too high, the wine will be unpleasantly acidic. With an
educated pallate, you might succeed in making such adjustments without a
test kit, but the test kit simplifies the task of achieving an acceptable
acidity level. Final adjustments should still be made by taset. lIt is not
as essential as a hydrometer --- especially if you are working from a recipe
or a kit --- but it will help make the difference between mediocre and good
wine.

There are a variety of other chemical tests which can be performed. All have
value, but (IMO) are not essential for the beginner.

Hope this helps.

"Negodki" > wrote:

Sorry for all the typos. I've been quality assurance testing in my cellar
again. Corrections appear below:

> A hydrometer measures the specific gravity and (by inference) the "Brix"
> (sugar content, expressed as a percentage) and (by formula) the potential
> alcohol if the wine ferments to dryness. It is an essential tool for the
> winemaker, although many good WINES have been made without one.

> Final adjustments should still be made by TASTE. IT is not
> as essential as a hydrometer --- especially if you are working from a
recipe
> or a kit --- but it will help make the difference between mediocre and
good
> wine.

Regular quality Assurance testing is an essensual prat of hime wone muking!

Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire, England
Remove "SPAMLESS" from my address line to reply.
All outgoing mail is scanned by Norton
Anti Virus for your protection too!
"Negodki" > wrote in message
...
> "Negodki" > wrote:
>
> Sorry for all the typos. I've been quality assurance testing in my cellar
> again. Corrections appear below:
<snip> <snip>

At the beginning stages of being a home wine maker, try finding a
juice source that has acid and brix adjustments already done for you.
For example, some press houses make all the adjustments and all you
have to do is bring in your fermenting tanks (or other containers) and
fill 'er up, take home, add sulphite, wait 24 hrs. then pitch the
yeast. Wine kits are usually pre-adjusted too, and so are the 100%
juice Welches frozen concentrates. Once you get these basics
mastered, "kick it up a notch" and start experimenting with fresh
grapes/fruits that may/may not require further adjustment. Good Luck!

Mark L.
Buffalo-Niagara


"Tom and Shelley" > wrote in message hlink.net>...
> Hello,
> We are new to wine making. We started our first batch in April of this
> year. Right now the only testing equipment I have is a Vinometer and a
> Hydrometer. I see a lot of other posts about checking the acid levels and
> other things that at this point I do not fully understand. Should this be
> something I need to worry about or should I just go with taste and
> experiment for the first year or so?
> The next batch I would like to make is a grape (probably from juice
> because of how late in the year it is.) I would consider buying testing
> equipment and posting my results for advice if it would benifit the wine.
> Thanks in advance.
> Tom and Shelley
> http://justusinpa.us

As a beginner trying to decide if this is the hobby for you, you have all
the equipment you need. (I would not bother with the vinometer as the
hydrometer will do better if you keep good records.) Follow some recipes
from good sources like Jack Keller's site and make some kit wines. You will
not need anything else.

I strongly recommend making some good kit wines for two reasons. First,
they are easy and produce good quality wine. Second, they are drinkable
very young so you have something for your labor in under two years. Some are
good in 6-12 weeks. When you become serious with your wine making, then
consider getting good equipment that will help you adjust recipes to your
own taste and create new recipes or make wine from fresh grapes, etc.

It can become an expensive hobby. I have used a $6 acid test kit for years
but this year I bought a $120 pH meter and a $100 titration kit, all to look
at acidity. No reason to jump into this kind of expense early on.

Ray

"Tom and Shelley" > wrote in message
link.net...
> Hello,
> We are new to wine making. We started our first batch in April of
this
> year. Right now the only testing equipment I have is a Vinometer and a
> Hydrometer. I see a lot of other posts about checking the acid levels and
> other things that at this point I do not fully understand. Should this be
> something I need to worry about or should I just go with taste and
> experiment for the first year or so?
> The next batch I would like to make is a grape (probably from juice
> because of how late in the year it is.) I would consider buying testing
> equipment and posting my results for advice if it would benifit the wine.
> Thanks in advance.
> Tom and Shelley
> http://justusinpa.us
>
>

Thanks for all the advice. I think I will just continue as we have been
for now. Maybe on my next purchase of equipment I will order an acid test
kit.
Shelley and I tend to "jump into things" no matter what we do. We once
planted 144 hot pepper plants and we still have a freezer full. At this
point we have around 34-40 gal of wine in the basement. A few people said
that we should slow down for our first year making wine.
I know I need to be patient and we are doing pretty well at not tasting
it too often. I usually pull a sample every two months or so when we rack
them. We are just looking forward to sharing it with our friends but right
now we don't have anything good enough to share.
Thanks again,
Tom and Shelley

"Tom and Shelley" > wrote in message
link.net...
> Hello,
> We are new to wine making. We started our first batch in April of
this
> year. Right now the only testing equipment I have is a Vinometer and a
> Hydrometer. I see a lot of other posts about checking the acid levels and
> other things that at this point I do not fully understand. Should this be
> something I need to worry about or should I just go with taste and
> experiment for the first year or so?
> The next batch I would like to make is a grape (probably from juice
> because of how late in the year it is.) I would consider buying testing
> equipment and posting my results for advice if it would benifit the wine.
> Thanks in advance.
> Tom and Shelley
> http://justusinpa.us
>
>