Thanks Luc, I guess I will have to wait and see how it goes.
I have two questions though (regardless of the state of my wine):
1. Can vinegar contain alcohol? In other words, if your wine contains alcohol does it mean it is fine (not vinegar)?
2. Vinometers are not accurate, but what does a vinometer reading tell us? Is there a known error margin? Can we use it to get a rough estimation of the alcohol content?
Thanks.
Prickley,
Vinegar is made by bacteria.
They 'eat' alcohol and make vinegar from it.
So if there is alcohol in your wine it is not safe unless:
- if the alcohol percentage is above 9% viegar bacteria can not survive in that envirionment.
- Vinegar bacteria need oxygen
- Campden can inhibit some vinegar bacteria. (mind the words can and some).
This is why you normally need to get the alcohol up as soon
as possible.
Problem is that both vinegar and bacteria like oxygen in the first fase of fermentation. So press down the cap often and the vinegar bacteria will submerge where no air is available.
Test the vinometer with water and you now the deviation.....
Then and even then it is not reliable.
Luc