How-To request(s)

[MedPretzel]

I've been trying to solve the TA vs pH and SO2 cases for a long time.
<UL>
<LI>Can someone show us how they test for TA?</LI>
<LI>Also, those titrettes for SO2 are killing me. Does someone know how they can be used without getting theblack and blue solutuion all over themselves?</LI>[/list]


No hurry or a demand, but just something that might be helpful to others?

 

[jobe05]

Great idea Martina

. I have all but given up on these test and wing it then hold my breath. I can just never get that titrette thing down.

 

[Wine Lover]

I also wasted half of the titrets in my pack until I chanced upon a working solution. By that time I had blue fingers and nonpumping vials all over the counter.


The important thing seems to be that you have to hold the titret vial in you hand, almost cradling it, in an upside down position with the tube in the sample. Then you just squeeze around the little glass ball thats in the tube and it sucks up some of your sample. I just wiggle it back and forth and make sure I don't let the tube come out of the sample. I think it will still work if you pick it up for a minute and swish it around, just don't squeeze the little glass bead until you do have the tube in the sample. You continue this process until the solution in the vial turns the color of your wine ( if it is red wine). I have not tried them on white wine. I never had one turn clear which was another mistake I made originally. I kept adding sample hoping for a clear solution until the vial was almost full. Then I reread the instructions and noticed that it should turn either clear or the color of the sample. Then you jusut turn it over and see where you stand in ppm.


I did not realize from the instructions that the vial was supposed to be upside down. I just thought you bent it over into the sample. This is where I ran into all of the problems. Once I got the tube right, learned to just squeeze the tube gently and look for a wine color change I was fine.


Hope this helps for now. Next time I run a test I'll try and take some pics to post.Edited by: Wine Lover

 

[rshosted]

Martina:

WineLover gives a very good description. I usually do what he suggests with a few small details.
1. if making wine with a lot of pulp, strain through a coffee filter to get rid of chunks. Strain into a small clear </span>glass

2. use a separate sample that will only be used for strict testing, and thrown away after (DO NOT TASTE THIS SAMPLE AFTER OR DURING TESTING</span>) you never know what your gonna get (imagine forest gump voice)

3. I use gloves often times in wine making because we are using chemicals, and the acid sanitizers really make my hands dry

. (plus I can be more assured they are sanitized)

Ok, onto the good stuff.

Use your titrate tube (with the bubble) and fix it onto the test vial. Be careful not to break the tip off too soon. You get air in there and your test is done.

Once you have that go ahead and turn the vial upside down (so that the part you'll be breaking is at the bottom) When you break it watch for bubbles in the solution. This will happen if you havne't gotten a good seal on the vial. If you don't, the vial will not have 'vacum' to pull juice in and will be useless (start over). If it just clicks, then you are good.

The secret I have found on this is take your time. Put a little in, swish, swish. set it on a flat surface and look to see where it's at (even if it's blue still... I'll explain later):

By filling it slowly you do two things. Give the titrates time to change the solution color and mix in the vial. By setting it down every line you fill it, you find out what point you are above. Inevitably, you will over fill the vial. (except for the rare occasion, unless you use a handle for your testing vial. which I haven't bothered to buy yet)

Keep adding liquid making mental notes what number you are at when the vial is set on a flat surface. Then fill more until the color matches your wine:

whoups, I put a little too much in. But luckily I kept track so I can deduce where it actually changed with relatively good accuracy.

Set it down and look again:

You can see it stops at 18. Since it is lighter than my sample, I could tell it was more around 20 (I just let a little too much in).
So that gives me 20 PPM of fre SO2/titrates. (how I understand it anyway).

hope that helps.
And just to let you all know. I mixed in a lot of sugar into this wine and spilled some (that's what is under the shake machine). normally it is clean except when I'm 'in the lab'.

 

[MedPretzel]

Thank you!





I will definitely try that out tonight and let you know my results. Thanks so much!

 

[rshosted]

I have some pics for a TA test that I did on a Luna Rossa. When I get more time, I'll post it somewhere.

 

[MedPretzel]

Sounds great, rshosted! We need a tutorial on that!

 

[MedPretzel]

I went through the topics, and here's what we're missing (and this isn't a complete list):


Tutorials for:
<UL>
<LI>TA-Testing
<LI>Racking
<LI>Corking with an italian and double lever corker
<LI>Building a wine-cellar
<LI>pH testing with pH papers
<LI>MLF
<LI>Making sparkling wines
<LI>Using and understanding the hydrometer
<LI>The Pearson Square
<LI>Crushing Fruit (Juice extraction?)
<LI>Sanitizing
<LI>Labeling</LI>[/list]


Again, if there is already a tutorial, please do not feel like you cannot add your own. There are many paths leading to Rome, and people (just as you) see and benefit of other people's methods. Do not feel like you cannot add something just because it's already there. We love many different ways of doing things, and I am personally always looking forward to learn.Edited by: MedPretzel

 

[Funky Fish]

Good pics, rshosted!


Just keep in mind that when using Titrettes, they tend to give results that are a bit high. I always subtract about 8 ppm from my number to get a more realistic number for free SO2.