Low pH and low TA

[Hannabrew]

I picked up a few buckets of chilean juice at a lhbs for my first stab at wine (very experienced in beer).

Because they were already fermenting when I got them home I wasn't able to get accurate readings on everything prior to pitch however about 1/3 of the way through fermentation I did a pH and TA test and I'm a bit confused by the results.

The pH and TA for both the reds came in at 3.25 and 5 g/l. The white came in at 3.6 and 7.25g/l. I did all three TA tests four times and averaged the results (which were all very consistent). Fwiw I was doing the titration with a pH meter not the indicator solution.

Both of the reds are out of the ideal range but in opposite directions so I'm not quite sure what I should do. I was planning on adding tartaric acid however that will just lower the pH even further.

I could add some chalk to raise the pH and then add some acid bit I'm worried about messing with it too much.

I did taste them but unfortunately I don't know exactly what I'm looking for to determine which direction to go.

Thoughts?

 

[Rice_Guy]

*Your numbers are typical of what the vinters club has seen over the last few years, there are several growing regions so potentially you could have started with higher pH/ lower TA. ,,,, lots of club buyers will run the bucket as delivered, and I have been encouraging members to “correct” the TA.
* I don’t like a pH of 3.6, as a guess with the CO2 your start was 0.1 to 0.2 higher which translates to reduced shelf life/ more meta needed, ,,, others do you have guidelines for in a fermentation?
* at a third way done yeast have generated lots of CO2 so readings are not good no matter the test method
* a pH meter is more accurate than testing with phenothalein

I picked up a few buckets of chilean juice . . Thoughts?

 

[cmason1957]

You can probably assume that your starting sg was 1.090. Testing ph during fermentation is difficult. Fermentation creates some extra acids and co2. I wouldn't adjust anything at this point.

 

[salcoco]

keep going. check again once wine has cleared.