Adjusting for Total Acid

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Craiger

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Hi All,
I measured my TA% and I know how much acid blend I need to add to raise the TA%. Or do I? I have about 15 gallons of must (juice with skins). However, I know that historically I end up with about 9 gallons of actual juice/wine out of that after I press after fermentation. So should I base the amount of acid blend on 15 gallons, or 9 gallons?
Thanks!
Craig
 
I would use the 9 gallon estimate for calculation purposes. Are you sure you want to use acid blend? For grape wine I would use Tartaric acid. Just be certain to add less than you think you need, recheck and add more if needed, it's easy to add, not so easy to remove.
 
Last edited:
Thank you for the quick response sir!! Good question about the tartaric. Several years ago I think I remember hearing that tartaric acid is the main acid in grapes and so it always made sense to me to use tartaric instead of acid blend. But I never bothered to really research it and it just seemed that wherever I look, people are adding acid blend to their wine. And the acid testing kit even came with acid blend. So I've always used it. I need to add the acid today, and I don't have tartaric readily available, but I'm putting that in my notes, and I'll use tartaric next year.
Thanks again!
 
I think I've got the same acid test kit, since mine also came with a jar of acid blend. But I've always used tartaric to raise. And the acid blend just sits there, still unopened, and likely expired.
So if always using tartaric to raise TA, would there ever be a situation where the acid blend is needed?
 
Acid blend I think is better for non grape wines. However I want to point out that the Regina juice buckets state they could have had citric acid added. So I agree with the tartaric acid additions for wine, but there must be some reason they use citric in the Regina juice instead of tartaric.
 
Acid blend I think is better for non grape wines. However I want to point out that the Regina juice buckets state they could have had citric acid added. So I agree with the tartaric acid additions for wine, but there must be some reason they use citric in the Regina juice instead of tartaric.

But maybe citric in Regina juice because it's used in sanitation?
 

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