Dealing with a high pH, mid-TA wine

[pcorbell91]

Hello,

I am about half way through my fermentation of my California cabernet sauvignon and I pH'd my wine prior to pitching the yeast at 3.77 (TA 5.9 g/L). I have also just added my malolactic bacteria, which should raise the pH in this process. Should I be adding tartaric acid to drop the pH during fermentation or should I add after primary fermentation? Is it necessary to pH down? I have read that high pH wines are susceptible to spoilage and microbial activity. Can I just add more SO2? (I know that more SO2 is required to achieve same free SO2 at high pH).

Any tips would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[cmason1957]

Stop, breathe. Don't decide to do anything until mlf is complete. For me high ph is above 4.0 (Maybe even higher) and you probably won't be there. Let it finish, add the appropriate amount of kmeta at that point. Add your oak, let it agree a bit, taste it, then decide what to do based on taste not some magic ph.