Calcium Carbonate

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Wiz

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I made a 5 gallon batch of blackberry today and the acid read between 10 and 11. I don't have any calcium carbonate but went to the local pharmacy and bought a box of Caltrate which is all but 100% calcium carbonate in 600mg tablets. Anyone have a feel of how many tablets to add to reduce the acid?
 
Deezil, what's in the 2% of the content(in addition to the 98% calcium carbonate) don't you like? If I choose to go ahead, help me with the math. To make it easy, let's call each tablet of 600mg, 100% calcium carbonate. How many tablets would I use to reduce the acid to .60?
 
Granted im definitely no expert, but..

The Croscarmellose sodium is used as half-filler and half-disintegrant - helps it dissolve faster. Not a big worry, but makes my 'as-natural-as-i-can-be' way of thinking, a little iffy.

Magnesium stearate makes me nervous because its not water-soluble. It's used to keep the pill ingredients from sticking to the machines. Wouldnt want it to leave a lasting impression on any of my equipment or a film over the top of my wine - just because of my previously mentioned way of thinking.

Polyethylene glycol... Used in quite a few things.. Laxatives being one of those things, albeit at higher concentrations im sure, but still..

Titanium Dioxide.. Well... It's a metal, lol.

I would assume its safe to think that none of these ingredients are ever gonna blow out of the airlock, and your wine will only contain what you put in it..

What i would do instead, is to try to slowly lower the temperature of your must, and see if you can get some acid crystals to drop out. I've read that once they drop, they wont reintegrate themselves back into the wine, but i havent experienced it myself..
 
Thanks Deezil for your comments. When you live in a 3rd world country you sometimes have to come up with alternatives. As far as lowering must temps, this is difficult to do when you have neither heating or air conditioning. Caltrate seemed to be the only alternative that I could come up with for calcium carbonate.
 
Im not the scientist here so I leave that to you guys but seeing as how you guys are the all natural type I find it hard to believe you would even consider this option. If I were you Id cold stabilize it. Are you against adding more tartaric acid as sometimes this is needed to actually help you drop the acid out better. Its called seeding and by adding more it gives the other particles something to accumulate to when cold stabilizing.
 
Sounds like I have offended some people. Not my intention and my apologies. I don't have local brew shops to run to for supplies. I don't have calcium carbonate or tartaric acid nor are they available here. Everything I use in wine making is imported from the U.S. I have just been "flagged " for bringing in "chemicals" and it took an additional 6 hours of going to the Department of Health for a permit and to customs to get it released. Total cost in taxi and fees about $50 for a $125 order. BTW,shipping about doubled this amount. I have a batch of wine with high acid. The Caltrate seemed like a workable solution with about 99%+ content of calcium carbonate. Since my wife is visiting her sisters in Florida for a couple of weeks I can have the calcium shipped there for her to bring back to Costa Rica.
 
Wiz,

I, too, have no experience with Caltrate but last year my husband and I were visiting a local vineyard and he made the comment that if your acid is too high just add an antacid such as Rolaid. Do you have access to an antacid?
 
Wiz, you didnt offend me and Im sorry if thats the way it sounded. Im just a bit worried about adding stuff that is not known enough about. Not interseted in cold stabilizing or is that really not possible due to climates and no fridge room?
 
I'm going to order from the U.S. and will receive it about the middle of October. The wine will be in the secondary by then.

1. Which would be best - potassium bicarbonate or calcium carbonate since the batch will be past the fermentation stage.

2. Should I hold off stabilizing?

3. If I am figuring correctly, does several ounces sound right for moving from 1.0 to .60? Sounds like a lot.
 
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. I have used it to raise ph and it works as long as you dont use to much because it is a sodium produce. I used it on a concord grape wine and it turned out fine. Dont dump a bunch in, go slow. Easier to add more than take some out. Tums will work as long as they aren't some weird flavor. Crush them.
 
The best way to use Baking soda is to draw off a portion of wine and de-acidify that, then add back to carboy and test again. Doing it that way you're less likely to overdo it.
Regards to all, Winemanden.
 

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