Acidity

[Gwand]

I am making peach as well as a blackberry wine from purées. The purées came with an acid pack. The directions say to add the acid blend. However the pH for the BlackBerry is 3.16 with a total acidity of .75. The Ph for the peach is 3.26 with a total acidity of .70. I was thinking of not adding the acid blend given the current acidities. What do you think? Thanks.

 

[Julie]

If your acid levels are me where you want them, I won't add the acid blend either. Theses didn't by chance come from Homewinery did they?

 

[Gwand]

If your acid levels are me where you want them, I won't add the acid blend either. Theses didn't by chance come from Homewinery did they?

Julie, theses purées did come from Homewinery. I am following a recipe that you provided online. So far so good.

 

[Julie]

I was thinking it was. Again, if your acid is within the range that you like, don't use it. When I over ft rom them, I don't even buy the acid blend.

 

[Turock]

3.16 is a low PH for blackberry. We like a PH of 3.4 on it. The PH for the peach is perfect.

 

[rolsen99]

3.16 is a low PH for blackberry. We like a PH of 3.4 on it. The PH for the peach is perfect.

Is there a table or something available that gives recommendations similar to what you have above? I am sure much of it is personal preference, just looking for a starting point.

 

[user 31015]

I would love a table like that! Also a table showing how much juice, within a range, you could expect to get from a fruit. For example, I read that grapes return 70% of their weight as liquid, so 1kg of grapes should be 700ml of wine (ideally).

 

[Turock]

There's no chart for PH. It's a matter of experience. Basically, we set our PH for red fruits at 3.4---pear and apple at 3.3 or 3.4---peach at 3.3--white grape at 3.2.

 

[sour_grapes]

Well, there is the beginnings of a table!

 

[Julie]

I have had these on a post it notes in my binder for a number of years and no longer remember where I got them from but they have helped me a lot especially when I first started to make wine

PH
Reds 3.4 - 3.65
Whites 3.1 - 3.45
Fruits 3.5 - 3.6

Acids
Dry white .65 - .75
Dry red .60 - .70
Sweet white .70 - .85
Sweet red .65 - .80
Fruits .55 - .75

 

[geek]

Julie, theses purées did come from Homewinery. I am following a recipe that you provided online. So far so good.

Hi, is that their 1/2 gal juice concentrate?

I've been wondering if the wine you make from these is very good. I think their recipe calls for a 1/2 gal jug to make 5gal, they quote:
"All 64 ounce concentrates make 5 gallons of finished wine".

I thought that is not a lot of juice for a 5gal batch and maybe the wine will be thin in body and flavor??
Would it be better than a 'normal' dragon blood?

..

 

[Julie]

No it is not thin nor lacking in flavor. Mine comes out very well.

And I know I am going to make some mad but a fruit wine is not comparable to dragon's blood or skeeter pee. DB and SP are early drinkers, a fruit wine is a more fuller wine and takes longer to age.

 

[Gwand]

Hi, is that their 1/2 gal juice concentrate?

I've been wondering if the wine you make from these is very good. I think their recipe calls for a 1/2 gal jug to make 5gal, they quote:
"All 64 ounce concentrates make 5 gallons of finished wine".

I thought that is not a lot of juice for a 5gal batch and maybe the wine will be thin in body and flavor??
Would it be better than a 'normal' dragon blood?

..

I just bottled the peach. And I blended it with my wine expert Pinot Gris. It is not thin at all. I am bulky aging the blackberry longer following Julie's advice. I have tasted it along the way and it is quite good. I added one can of frozen grape concentrate to the purée during primary. I plan to back sweeten either with more BlackBerry purée or the cab purée From Home Winery. Still debating this last step.

 

[geek]

No it is not thin nor lacking in flavor. Mine comes out very well.

And I know I am going to make some mad but a fruit wine is not comparable to dragon's blood or skeeter pee. DB and SP are early drinkers, a fruit wine is a more fuller wine and takes longer to age.

Thanks Julie,

How long do you age those before they're really good?

 

[Julie]

At least 6 months but 9 to 12 months gives you a very good wine

 

[geek]

Lastly, do you back sweeten your 100% fruit-base wine?

 

[Julie]

Yes, the blackberry I back sweetened to 1.002

 

[geek]

Thank you.....

 

[Julie]

Geek, one more thing, when backsweetening always taste and take it to just short of where your taste buds like it.