Ph question
 

I have cabernet franc wine made from Finger Lakes grapes. At the crusher
Ph was 3.35. After primary fermentation ,pressed at -.5 brix, Ph was 3.55.
After press i added Enoferm Alpha mbr malo strain. Checked Ph after about 6
weeks or so and it is at 3.83. I'm assuming the jump is from the MLF.
Wondering what type of an impact cold stabilizing will have on Ph. Should i
try to bring the Ph down before cold stabilizing? I have not run TA tests.
The wine tastes decent considering its age.

"Anthony J. Devitt" > wrote in message
...
> I have cabernet franc wine made from Finger Lakes grapes. At the crusher
> Ph was 3.35. After primary fermentation ,pressed at -.5 brix, Ph was
3.55.
> After press i added Enoferm Alpha mbr malo strain. Checked Ph after about
6
> weeks or so and it is at 3.83. I'm assuming the jump is from the MLF.
> Wondering what type of an impact cold stabilizing will have on Ph. Should
i
> try to bring the Ph down before cold stabilizing? I have not run TA
tests.
> The wine tastes decent considering its age.
>

Anthony, most of the pH change from 3.35 to 3.55 was probably due to
potassium leaching from the skins into the liquid. Much of the pH change
from 3.55 to 3.83 was probably due to malolactic fermentation. Going from a
pH of 3.35 to 3.83 implies that your grapes contained much potassium and
much malic acid.

During cold stabilization, the pH may go up, go down or stay the same. In
general, pH will go down if the starting pH is less than about 3.6. It will
increase if the starting pH is greater than 3.8 and it will stay about the
same if the starting pH is 3.7.

Depending on TA and the taste, you may want to bring the pH down a bit
before chilling the wine.

Lum
Del Mar, California, USA

It tastes good.To me and the guy I made the wine with. Haven't tested for
TA.. How would I bring Ph down before chilling? Tartaric acid? How
much? Thanks for response.
"Lum" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Anthony J. Devitt" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I have cabernet franc wine made from Finger Lakes grapes. At the
crusher
> > Ph was 3.35. After primary fermentation ,pressed at -.5 brix, Ph was
> 3.55.
> > After press i added Enoferm Alpha mbr malo strain. Checked Ph after
about
> 6
> > weeks or so and it is at 3.83. I'm assuming the jump is from the MLF.
> > Wondering what type of an impact cold stabilizing will have on Ph.
Should
> i
> > try to bring the Ph down before cold stabilizing? I have not run TA
> tests.
> > The wine tastes decent considering its age.
> >
>
> Anthony, most of the pH change from 3.35 to 3.55 was probably due to
> potassium leaching from the skins into the liquid. Much of the pH change
> from 3.55 to 3.83 was probably due to malolactic fermentation. Going from
a
> pH of 3.35 to 3.83 implies that your grapes contained much potassium and
> much malic acid.
>
> During cold stabilization, the pH may go up, go down or stay the same. In
> general, pH will go down if the starting pH is less than about 3.6. It
will
> increase if the starting pH is greater than 3.8 and it will stay about the
> same if the starting pH is 3.7.
>
> Depending on TA and the taste, you may want to bring the pH down a bit
> before chilling the wine.
>
> Lum
> Del Mar, California, USA
>
>
>

It tastes good.To me and the guy I made the wine with. Haven't tested for
TA.. How would I bring Ph down before chilling? Tartaric acid? How
much? Thanks for response.
"Lum" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Anthony J. Devitt" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I have cabernet franc wine made from Finger Lakes grapes. At the
crusher
> > Ph was 3.35. After primary fermentation ,pressed at -.5 brix, Ph was
> 3.55.
> > After press i added Enoferm Alpha mbr malo strain. Checked Ph after
about
> 6
> > weeks or so and it is at 3.83. I'm assuming the jump is from the MLF.
> > Wondering what type of an impact cold stabilizing will have on Ph.
Should
> i
> > try to bring the Ph down before cold stabilizing? I have not run TA
> tests.
> > The wine tastes decent considering its age.
> >
>
> Anthony, most of the pH change from 3.35 to 3.55 was probably due to
> potassium leaching from the skins into the liquid. Much of the pH change
> from 3.55 to 3.83 was probably due to malolactic fermentation. Going from
a
> pH of 3.35 to 3.83 implies that your grapes contained much potassium and
> much malic acid.
>
> During cold stabilization, the pH may go up, go down or stay the same. In
> general, pH will go down if the starting pH is less than about 3.6. It
will
> increase if the starting pH is greater than 3.8 and it will stay about the
> same if the starting pH is 3.7.
>
> Depending on TA and the taste, you may want to bring the pH down a bit
> before chilling the wine.
>
> Lum
> Del Mar, California, USA
>
>
>

"Anthony J. Devitt" > wrote in message
...
> It tastes good.To me and the guy I made the wine with. Haven't tested
>for TA.. How would I bring Ph down before chilling? Tartaric acid? How
> much? Thanks for response.

Four grams of tartaric acid per gallon of wine may reduce the pH by about
0.1 unit. BUT, this is only rough guide and it may not be applicable to
your wine. Be sure and test a small quantity of your wine before making the
total addition.
Lum
Del Mar, California, USA







> "Lum" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "Anthony J. Devitt" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > I have cabernet franc wine made from Finger Lakes grapes. At the
> crusher
> > > Ph was 3.35. After primary fermentation ,pressed at -.5 brix, Ph was
> > 3.55.
> > > After press i added Enoferm Alpha mbr malo strain. Checked Ph after
> about
> > 6
> > > weeks or so and it is at 3.83. I'm assuming the jump is from the MLF.
> > > Wondering what type of an impact cold stabilizing will have on Ph.
> Should
> > i
> > > try to bring the Ph down before cold stabilizing? I have not run TA
> > tests.
> > > The wine tastes decent considering its age.
> > >
> >
> > Anthony, most of the pH change from 3.35 to 3.55 was probably due to
> > potassium leaching from the skins into the liquid. Much of the pH
change
> > from 3.55 to 3.83 was probably due to malolactic fermentation. Going
from
> a
> > pH of 3.35 to 3.83 implies that your grapes contained much potassium and
> > much malic acid.
> >
> > During cold stabilization, the pH may go up, go down or stay the same.
In
> > general, pH will go down if the starting pH is less than about 3.6. It
> will
> > increase if the starting pH is greater than 3.8 and it will stay about
the
> > same if the starting pH is 3.7.
> >
> > Depending on TA and the taste, you may want to bring the pH down a bit
> > before chilling the wine.
> >
> > Lum
> > Del Mar, California, USA
> >
> >
> >
>
>

"Anthony J. Devitt" > wrote in message
...
> It tastes good.To me and the guy I made the wine with. Haven't tested
>for TA.. How would I bring Ph down before chilling? Tartaric acid? How
> much? Thanks for response.

Four grams of tartaric acid per gallon of wine may reduce the pH by about
0.1 unit. BUT, this is only rough guide and it may not be applicable to
your wine. Be sure and test a small quantity of your wine before making the
total addition.
Lum
Del Mar, California, USA







> "Lum" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "Anthony J. Devitt" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > I have cabernet franc wine made from Finger Lakes grapes. At the
> crusher
> > > Ph was 3.35. After primary fermentation ,pressed at -.5 brix, Ph was
> > 3.55.
> > > After press i added Enoferm Alpha mbr malo strain. Checked Ph after
> about
> > 6
> > > weeks or so and it is at 3.83. I'm assuming the jump is from the MLF.
> > > Wondering what type of an impact cold stabilizing will have on Ph.
> Should
> > i
> > > try to bring the Ph down before cold stabilizing? I have not run TA
> > tests.
> > > The wine tastes decent considering its age.
> > >
> >
> > Anthony, most of the pH change from 3.35 to 3.55 was probably due to
> > potassium leaching from the skins into the liquid. Much of the pH
change
> > from 3.55 to 3.83 was probably due to malolactic fermentation. Going
from
> a
> > pH of 3.35 to 3.83 implies that your grapes contained much potassium and
> > much malic acid.
> >
> > During cold stabilization, the pH may go up, go down or stay the same.
In
> > general, pH will go down if the starting pH is less than about 3.6. It
> will
> > increase if the starting pH is greater than 3.8 and it will stay about
the
> > same if the starting pH is 3.7.
> >
> > Depending on TA and the taste, you may want to bring the pH down a bit
> > before chilling the wine.
> >
> > Lum
> > Del Mar, California, USA
> >
> >
> >
>
>

"Lum" > wrote in message >...
> "Anthony J. Devitt" > wrote in message
> ...
> > It tastes good.To me and the guy I made the wine with. Haven't tested
> >for TA.. How would I bring Ph down before chilling? Tartaric acid? How
> > much? Thanks for response.
>
> Four grams of tartaric acid per gallon of wine may reduce the pH by about
> 0.1 unit. BUT, this is only rough guide and it may not be applicable to
> your wine. Be sure and test a small quantity of your wine before making the
> total addition.
> Lum
> Del Mar, California, USA
>

Also, at this stage go more by the taste than numbers because you
might have to dump in a lot of tartaric acid to get the pH to better
levels for cold stabilization. If the wine had a lot of malic acid,
there might not be that much tartaric to begin with, so there might be
no need for cold stabilization, really.

Pp

"Lum" > wrote in message >...
> "Anthony J. Devitt" > wrote in message
> ...
> > It tastes good.To me and the guy I made the wine with. Haven't tested
> >for TA.. How would I bring Ph down before chilling? Tartaric acid? How
> > much? Thanks for response.
>
> Four grams of tartaric acid per gallon of wine may reduce the pH by about
> 0.1 unit. BUT, this is only rough guide and it may not be applicable to
> your wine. Be sure and test a small quantity of your wine before making the
> total addition.
> Lum
> Del Mar, California, USA
>

Also, at this stage go more by the taste than numbers because you
might have to dump in a lot of tartaric acid to get the pH to better
levels for cold stabilization. If the wine had a lot of malic acid,
there might not be that much tartaric to begin with, so there might be
no need for cold stabilization, really.

Pp

"Lum" > wrote in message >...
> "Anthony J. Devitt" > wrote in message
> ...
> > It tastes good.To me and the guy I made the wine with. Haven't tested
> >for TA.. How would I bring Ph down before chilling? Tartaric acid? How
> > much? Thanks for response.
>
> Four grams of tartaric acid per gallon of wine may reduce the pH by about
> 0.1 unit. BUT, this is only rough guide and it may not be applicable to
> your wine. Be sure and test a small quantity of your wine before making the
> total addition.
> Lum
> Del Mar, California, USA
>

Also, at this stage go more by the taste than numbers because you
might have to dump in a lot of tartaric acid to get the pH to better
levels for cold stabilization. If the wine had a lot of malic acid,
there might not be that much tartaric to begin with, so there might be
no need for cold stabilization, really.

Pp

So a Ph of 3.83 is o.k.? The wine will be more vulnerable to spoilage
right? But keep proper sulfite levels? Thanks for your response.
"pp" > wrote in message
om...
> "Lum" > wrote in message
>...
> > "Anthony J. Devitt" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > It tastes good.To me and the guy I made the wine with. Haven't tested
> > >for TA.. How would I bring Ph down before chilling? Tartaric acid? How
> > > much? Thanks for response.
> >
> > Four grams of tartaric acid per gallon of wine may reduce the pH by
about
> > 0.1 unit. BUT, this is only rough guide and it may not be applicable to
> > your wine. Be sure and test a small quantity of your wine before making
the
> > total addition.
> > Lum
> > Del Mar, California, USA
> >
>
> Also, at this stage go more by the taste than numbers because you
> might have to dump in a lot of tartaric acid to get the pH to better
> levels for cold stabilization. If the wine had a lot of malic acid,
> there might not be that much tartaric to begin with, so there might be
> no need for cold stabilization, really.
>
> Pp

"Anthony J. Devitt" > wrote in message >. ..
> So a Ph of 3.83 is o.k.? The wine will be more vulnerable to spoilage
> right? But keep proper sulfite levels? Thanks for your response.
> "pp" > wrote in message
>

It's a bit high, but at this stage you might have to live with it.
It's harder to correct pH after fermentation and tartaric acid
additions also stick out much more, so if the wine tastes good and
balanced now, I'd just leave it alone. Yes, keep proper sulfite levels
and don't plan on aging it for too long.

Pp