Today i started a 3 gallon batch of blueberry wine with old orchard 100% fruit juice. Before i added my sugar to the desire SG and all of the ingredients, i've conducted an acid test on the juice. It came out at .60% and according to the chart for a fruit wine i'm right where i need to be. Is this common that the acid level is where it needs to be and don't have to add any acid blend to the must?
My 1st acid test
- Thread starter Krhamm
- Start date
Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:
Ernest T Bass
Senior Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2010
- Messages
- 978
- Reaction score
- 48
I just finished the same wine. When it was in the primary, it looked like muddy water. After transferred it to the secondary, it started turning blue, after about a week it looked good, a deep blue.
Semper Fi
Semper Fi
djrockinsteve
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2010
- Messages
- 4,911
- Reaction score
- 157
The acid reading will change, even if ever so slightly as you add ingredients to your must/wine. I will mix everything up except pectic enzyme and yeast. Let it sit a bit, usually a day and take a reading. Add enzyme then yeast later and take a reading after ferm, then after clearing. It's a learning process.
Best if you adjust acid before fermentation. If my readings come in on the lower area of an acceptable I will add some acid blend to put it in the upper half of an appropriate range. Your levels should drop over time and I don't want it too low when finished.
There is an article in the tutorials about acid you can read. Plus Jack Keller has a page on the acid levels of fruit, which are higher than others etc.
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/acid.asp
If you adjust acid after ferm. you will need to let it rest awhile and prob. cold stabilize the wine to precipate out some acid (tartaric) so it doesn't drop in the bottle.
When all done, then backsweeten and bottle.
Best if you adjust acid before fermentation. If my readings come in on the lower area of an acceptable I will add some acid blend to put it in the upper half of an appropriate range. Your levels should drop over time and I don't want it too low when finished.
There is an article in the tutorials about acid you can read. Plus Jack Keller has a page on the acid levels of fruit, which are higher than others etc.
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/acid.asp
If you adjust acid after ferm. you will need to let it rest awhile and prob. cold stabilize the wine to precipate out some acid (tartaric) so it doesn't drop in the bottle.
When all done, then backsweeten and bottle.
