Acid testing for dummies...

[Charlesthewino]

I just got my new acid test kit. The kit and instructions are not exactly what I would call straightforward or easy to understand. Drew samples from three carboys. First two samples of the wine tasted acidic. The third seemed ok. The instructions say to add the acid blend to balance the level of acid. I added 3 teaspoons of the acid blend to the first two 3 gallon carboys and it seemed to taste better. The last 3 gallon carboy I added 1 teaspoon of the acid blend...AND THE CARBOY ERUPTED LIKE A VOLCANO! Confused and frustrated.


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[SBWs]

Are you sure it was acid blend you added. Potassium Bicarbonate can cause a volcanic reaction. It is used to reduce acid.

 

[sour_grapes]

Oh, any powder, even something inert like chalk dust, can cause a volcano if the wine is gassy. It serves as a nucleation point for CO2 bubbles

 

[Julie]

What was your acid before adding the acid blend and what wine are you making?

 

[grapeman]

Did you mean the first two tested acidic and the third OK? You would not add acid blend to a wine that tests acidic. That makes it more so. You would need to de-acidify either through cold stabilization or using potassium bi-carbonate (post fermentation). What is the pH of the wines? a pH meter gives pH (how acidic the wine is- think comparing vinegar to hydrochloric acid). The wine test kit only tells you the total amount of that acid you have. The one that tested OK did not need anything added to it or taken away.

 

[Charlesthewino]

The third wine is still gassy. I thought it was done but I noticed today that the air lock was still slightly active. I don't have a meter. The testing kit is the kind where you have to watch for the color change in the sample. Again, not an easy process for a beginner. The first two carboys changed color at about the same time. The color stabilized at 8cc of Sodium Hydroxide. According to the instructions that meant the wine was .8% acidic. The third was about 6cc.

I misread the next part of the instructions which indicate to add the acid blend to "raise" the acid level. Apparently I need to lower the acid content. There are no instructions in the kit that discuss lowering the acid level.

The first carboy is pear wine, the second is grape/orange & the last was cranberry/pomegranete. From what I've read the desirable acid level for fruit wines is .60%. The pear clearly tastes better. The other two did not or got worse.


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[Charlesthewino]

Sounds like I need to get some Potassium Bicarbonate. I am finding that to be a wine maker you must also be a part time chemist. I'm not a fan of the acid test kit and may opt for a ph tester instead.


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[cintipam]

I was soo frustrated by those tests that I got the PH meter recommended by Julie. I love it, and use it frequently instead of putting off and having to do tons at once. Helps me keep a better handle on how the wine is progressing. I'm amazed how much acid can drop out of wine in just a few months. I have started wines that were 3.15 when tossing yeast and measure at 3.30 a few months later. I do mostly cranberry combination wines, and I really didn't know that much acid could drop out on its own.

Anyway, here is the model I got. This is great price, purchased by many on WMT.

http://www.water-testers.com/contents/en-us/p4325_milwaukee_mw102.html

Pam in cinti