Brix levels for Marquette And Itasca
- Thread starter justinb
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Cynewulf
Senior Member
Do you know the pH?
First question where are you?
My neighbors are picking.
For this area (south Wisconsin) I have picked my Itasca and picked Marquette for a local vineyard. to me the break point where you have to is that lots of damage is happening as with the yellow jacket wasps or woolly bear Beatles, ,,,,, OR I have time since it is a weekend, ,,,,, or the press is ready for the next run, ,,, OR ? ,,,, ie there isn’t a magic point, just a range.
2019 I picked and ran two week over ripe Itasca for a club member who was in the hospital. The yield was poor with raisins but he sprays lots so bug damage wasn’t bad.
My neighbors are picking.
For this area (south Wisconsin) I have picked my Itasca and picked Marquette for a local vineyard. to me the break point where you have to is that lots of damage is happening as with the yellow jacket wasps or woolly bear Beatles, ,,,,, OR I have time since it is a weekend, ,,,,, or the press is ready for the next run, ,,, OR ? ,,,, ie there isn’t a magic point, just a range.
2019 I picked and ran two week over ripe Itasca for a club member who was in the hospital. The yield was poor with raisins but he sprays lots so bug damage wasn’t bad.
ok to harvest both although a ph or acid check should be in order if the acid is not declining for sure should harvest. I would add some sugar to Marquette to get to 22 brix
Cynewulf
Senior Member
I think my targets were 25 Brix and pH 3.3 for Marquette and gold color and pH 3.1 and 3.3 for Itasca, but as @Rice_Guy said, nature and schedule constraints can end up making decisions for you. This year I picked my Itasca probably a week too early at 21 Brix and pH 3.12 because I was worried about losing acid with our hot, dry weather and picked my Marquette at 22.5 Brix and pH 3.12 because the bees and wasps were starting to really go after it. Both tasted great and we’ll see how the finished wine turns out next year.
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Picked my marquette here in Southern Wisconsin on 9-4 brix 25.5 ph 3.47 t.a. 1.05.
In northern Wisconsin I’m picking today, ph a week ago was 3.4 Brix was 20, I picked up 10 lbs of sugar just in case. The honey bees are going after any rotten grapes as well as the yellow jackets. I’d like to wait but with the cool weather I’m not sure they would ripen that much more.
KevinL
Senior Member
Just Pulled my Itasca on Saturday. pH - 3.29 Brix - 25.3 and TA - 9.45 g/L
