another blackberry acid and ph question need help asap

[croakersoaker]

yesterday i started making another batch of blackberry using walkers juice
(5 gallon pail) and i recently started a batch using pure juice. now this time i wanted to try a batch that was a little lighter so i diluted it to 7 gallons with water i then adjusted the specific gravity back up to 1.09 with sugar. i then check the acid it and it was right at 3.4 but my ph meter was acting crazy taking minutes to stabilize and not seeming to stay calibrated. so i got a little jar and put some of the juice in it so today i could take it today to the local hydroponic store and have it tested on another meter. But yesterday not wanting my must to get infected or anything i went ahead and pitched the yeast (lalvin 71b). today i took the jar to get tested and to make a long story short it is 3.2. can i still adjust it to 3.4 with calcium carbonate now or is it to late. im not home so im not sure if it has started fermenting yet but will find out in a couple hours when i get home. also i picked up a new ph meter

 

[Julie]

I don't blame you, I would have pitched the yeast as well. It is better to adjust acid before fermentation but if that doesn't happen you an adjust after fermentation

 

[ShawnDTurner]

let the fermentation happen. The PH will rise through primary, then take it through MLF, this will also cause the PH to rise. No need to add Calcium Carbonate, once MLF is finish then test your PH then adjust. I bet you are back at your 3.4 once MLF is complete. Cheers!

 

[Julie]

let the fermentation happen. The PH will rise through primary, then take it through MLF, this will also cause the PH to rise. No need to add Calcium Carbonate, once MLF is finish then test your PH then adjust. I bet you are back at your 3.4 once MLF is complete. Cheers!

BUT if he is going to backsweeten he cannot do an MLF

 

[croakersoaker]

When I got home it had not started fermenting yet the yeast started to puff up ever so slightly. I check the ph and it was still 3.2 so I went ahead and adjusted it.will it be ok? The yeast got stirred up a bit. Will it just float back up and carry on. Should I pitch another pack thanks for the comments and replies

 

[croakersoaker]

By the way I did plan on backsweeten to 1.01

 

[WI_Wino]

BUT if he is going to backsweeten he cannot do an MLF

Random thought, what about using a non fermentable sugar such as splenda or lactose to back sweeten after MLF? I personally have never used either and generally shun diet anything...

 

[Turock]

Next time your PH meter acts like that, all you need to do is buy a new probe---no need to buy a new meter.

You might be OK adding the calcium carbonate--a 3.2 PH blackberry will be pretty acidic. That's not a good PH for blackberry--would take more sweetening in order to balance the acids. Since you're using the 71B, you probably won't need MLF.

 

[croakersoaker]

i did go ahead and adjust it last night as it hadnt started fermenting yet so i think im ok this morning it was fermenting away. i will get a new probe for the other one and keep the new one so ill have back up.

 

[Julie]

Random thought, what about using a non fermentable sugar such as splenda or lactose to back sweeten after MLF? I personally have never used either and generally shun diet anything...

I have thought of this, also, and there were a few of us on here who had a discussion on it. The consensus was to use the sweetner's when you open the bottle as opposed to bottling the wine with it in. Splenda and Equal are artifical sweetners and that always scare me plus one has traces arsenic in it and the other traces of formaldehyde so there seem to be a concern with long term aging with these products in the wine.

 

[jswordy]

I know someone who is diabetic and so back sweetens with Splenda, so it is being done, but she drinks all her wine very young. I've never tasted it so don't know the flavor profile.