I made plum wine for the first time this year from a plum tree in my
yard it is extremely acidic and not pleasant to drink.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove some of the acid
from this wine.
Thank you in advance.

Is it totally degassed?

On Jan 16, 11:47*am, Jim > wrote:
> I made plum wine for the first time this year from a plum tree in my
> yard it is extremely acidic and not pleasant to drink.
> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove some of the acid
> from this wine.
> Thank you in advance.

On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 09:19:10 -0800 (PST), wrote:

>Is it totally degassed?
>
>On Jan 16, 11:47*am, Jim > wrote:
>> I made plum wine for the first time this year from a plum tree in my
>> yard it is extremely acidic and not pleasant to drink.
>> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove some of the acid
>> from this wine.
>> Thank you in advance.
Yes it is degassed but my problem is not bubbles it is acid.

On Jan 18, 3:40*am, Jim > wrote:
> On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 09:19:10 -0800 (PST), wrote:
> >Is it totally degassed?
>
> >On Jan 16, 11:47 am, Jim > wrote:
> >> I made plum wine for the first time this year from a plum tree in my
> >> yard it is extremely acidic and not pleasant to drink.
> >> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove some of the acid
> >> from this wine.
> >> Thank you in advance.
>
> Yes it is degassed but my problem is not bubbles it is acid.

Previously when I made rhubarb wine I added precipitated chalk
(calcium carbonate) which is available at winemaking stores. I have
heard that in its absence people use potassium carbonate, potassium
bicarbonate or even sodium bicarbonate (though I can't vouch for
them).

I am in a similar position in that I have made several large batches
of elderberry / blackberry wines -aiming for the higher end of the
acid range for a country red and without taking the acidity of the
blackberries into account. The result is that I have tens of gallons
of slightly sour wine. If someone can validate my suggestion and add
good working acidities for plum and elderberry wines, it would be very
useful.

I am guessing I am going to have to try to balance a gallon by tasting
and apply the amount of calcium carbonate I used in ratio to the whole
batch. I am not sure h ow long to wait after adding and mixing though
to ensure that the chalk has done its job in neutralising an amount of
the acid.

Good luck with your plum wine. Jim Mine was rather nice by the time I
reached my last bottle - 3 years in.

Jim

In article
>,
jim c > wrote:

> On Jan 18, 3:40*am, Jim > wrote:
> > On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 09:19:10 -0800 (PST), wrote:
> > >Is it totally degassed?
> >
> > >On Jan 16, 11:47 am, Jim > wrote:
> > >> I made plum wine for the first time this year from a plum tree in my
> > >> yard it is extremely acidic and not pleasant to drink.
> > >> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove some of the acid
> > >> from this wine.
> > >> Thank you in advance.
> >
> > Yes it is degassed but my problem is not bubbles it is acid.
>
> Previously when I made rhubarb wine I added precipitated chalk
> (calcium carbonate) which is available at winemaking stores. I have
> heard that in its absence people use potassium carbonate, potassium
> bicarbonate or even sodium bicarbonate (though I can't vouch for
> them).
>
> I am in a similar position in that I have made several large batches
> of elderberry / blackberry wines -aiming for the higher end of the
> acid range for a country red and without taking the acidity of the
> blackberries into account. The result is that I have tens of gallons
> of slightly sour wine. If someone can validate my suggestion and add
> good working acidities for plum and elderberry wines, it would be very
> useful.
>
> I am guessing I am going to have to try to balance a gallon by tasting
> and apply the amount of calcium carbonate I used in ratio to the whole
> batch. I am not sure h ow long to wait after adding and mixing though
> to ensure that the chalk has done its job in neutralising an amount of
> the acid.
>
> Good luck with your plum wine. Jim Mine was rather nice by the time I
> reached my last bottle - 3 years in.
>
> Jim

If you powder the calcium carbonate (any carbonate actually) the
reaction should be almost immediate (4[R-COOH] + 2[CaCO3] ->
2[Ca(R-COO)2] + 2[CO2] + 2[H2O]). The Ca(R-COO)2 precipitates and the
CO2 is a gas that is lost to the atmosphere. Do trials of 4 to 5
different concentrations of calcium carbonate and taste side by side.
--
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...cle%2FShowFull
http://countercurrents.org/roberts020709.htm

On 19/01/2010 9:09 AM, Wildbilly wrote:
> In article
> >,
> jim > wrote:
>
>> On Jan 18, 3:40 am, > wrote:
>>> On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 09:19:10 -0800 (PST), wrote:
>>>> Is it totally degassed?
>>>
>>>> On Jan 16, 11:47 am, > wrote:
>>>>> I made plum wine for the first time this year from a plum tree in my
>>>>> yard it is extremely acidic and not pleasant to drink.
>>>>> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove some of the acid
>>>>> from this wine.
>>>>> Thank you in advance.
>>>
>>> Yes it is degassed but my problem is not bubbles it is acid.
>>
>> Previously when I made rhubarb wine I added precipitated chalk
>> (calcium carbonate) which is available at winemaking stores. I have
>> heard that in its absence people use potassium carbonate, potassium
>> bicarbonate or even sodium bicarbonate (though I can't vouch for
>> them).
>>
>> I am in a similar position in that I have made several large batches
>> of elderberry / blackberry wines -aiming for the higher end of the
>> acid range for a country red and without taking the acidity of the
>> blackberries into account. The result is that I have tens of gallons
>> of slightly sour wine. If someone can validate my suggestion and add
>> good working acidities for plum and elderberry wines, it would be very
>> useful.
>>
>> I am guessing I am going to have to try to balance a gallon by tasting
>> and apply the amount of calcium carbonate I used in ratio to the whole
>> batch. I am not sure h ow long to wait after adding and mixing though
>> to ensure that the chalk has done its job in neutralising an amount of
>> the acid.
>>
>> Good luck with your plum wine. Jim Mine was rather nice by the time I
>> reached my last bottle - 3 years in.
>>
>> Jim
>
> If you powder the calcium carbonate (any carbonate actually) the
> reaction should be almost immediate (4[R-COOH] + 2[CaCO3] ->
> 2[Ca(R-COO)2] + 2[CO2] + 2[H2O]). The Ca(R-COO)2 precipitates and the
> CO2 is a gas that is lost to the atmosphere. Do trials of 4 to 5
> different concentrations of calcium carbonate and taste side by side.

From what I have read, you should not use sodium bicarbonate as it will
make the wine salty through the addition of sodium - stick to calcium
carbonate.

Potassium Bicarbonate

On Jan 16, 11:47*am, Jim > wrote:
> I made plum wine for the first time this year from a plum tree in my
> yard it is extremely acidic and not pleasant to drink.
> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove some of the acid
> from this wine.
> Thank you in advance.

The end of the following article offers some solutions.
I can't vouch for it's accuracy, as most of it went
over my pointy head:

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/acid.asp