I checked my mustang wine last night. The S.G.= .996 so the alcohol should
be about 13%.
I wanted to start racking, but, when I tasted it, the wine was bitter. I
checked the Acid and the best
that I can tell(using acid test kit) is, 8ppt or 1.25%.
I don't want to use water to lower the acid level.
Is there an antacid tablet that has Calcium Carbonate or Potassium
Bicarbonate that I could use and get at the Grocery Store?

Thanks
Steve

Steve Payne wrote "I checked the Acid and the best that I can tell(using
acid test kit) is, 8ppt or 1.25%.
I don't want to use water to lower the acid level. Is there an antacid
tablet that has Calcium Carbonate or Potassium Bicarbonate that I could use
and get at the Grocery Store?"

Steve - If you do have 1.25% acid in your wine that's quite a high amount.
What was the starting acid before fermentation. Before adding anything to
your wine you might try chilling the wine to around 32F for several weeks.
This should drop some K bitartrate out of the wine (Note: This assumes
there is tartaric acid in Mustang grapes...I'm not familiar with this
grape's acid content). If cold treatment doesn't help I wouldn't use
pharmaceutical antacid tablets. Go to a homebrew/winemaking shop and order
some K bicarbonate powder. Use this to neutralize the excess acid in your
wine. Read up on the limits of acid reduction by this method before you
begin. If you don't have a local homebrew/winemaking shop here's some
sources for K bicarbonate and a couple of excellent on-line winemaking site
that should help with your acid problem.

Bill Frazier
Olathe, Kansas


www.piwine.com

http://home.att.net/~lumeisenman/index.html
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/index.asp

Also, the book "Modern Winemaking" by Philip Jackisch