My PH and TA readings and some assistance...

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Siwash

Junior Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2014
Messages
462
Reaction score
88
Hey folks,

So my sangiovese and and merlot were crushed over the weekend. 24 hours later (yesterday) I took readings with my Vinmetrica which i just bought.

This is what I got:

Sangiovese: (No need to adjust)
PH 3.54
TA 6.798 g/L

Merlot: (adjustments required)
PH 3.75
TA 4.389 g/L

So the Merlot's TA was quite a bit too low and the PH a tad to high. I added 85 grams of tartaric acid. This calculation was based on the recommended amounts based on my must quantity. I added 85 grams but 115 grams was the actual calculation amount. MoreWines and Vinmetrica recommend lower amounts of acid and add more if needed - better to start off on the conservative side I guess..

I have not test this Merlot since yesterday evening thinking it needed time to adjust. Should I test it tonight? Wait a bit longer ? Maybe tomorrow?

What are you thoughts/comments on my readings?

Thanks very much for any input!
 
And by the way, all adjustments, readings etc, were based on gross volume (i.e. must volume not finished which I figure to be about 3.5 gallons per lug)
 
So what are the numbers now? Always add 1/2 the amount required in your calculation. You can always add more but you will have a real mess on your hands if you add too much and over shoot it.
 
Going to check this evening and will get back to you.. hopefully, I didn't overdo it...

This can get real complicated eh?!
 
Added 3/4 of the acid last night (85gr of 115 gr) and my reading tonight is as follows:

PH - 3.46

TA - 5.586 g/L

So, significant drop in PH but the TA didn't go up as much as I would have like to see. Correct me if I am off, but I believe we are trying to achieve between .60 to .70% for dry red wine.

What next?! Should I wait another 24 hours and test again? I just hope I did the Vinmetrica test correctly... It's a little more intense and complicated than I expected, to be honest! The tricky part is swirling while adding the TA solution.
 
Last edited:
I would stick a fork in it. Your pH is already on the low side. Do not add any more acid.

I was thinking the same thing.. plus i am blending the merlot with the sangiovese which has better numbers - the merlot will make up 30% (maybe less) so hopefully the more acidic sangio will work well with the merlot
 
Will I notice much of a difference in taste at 5.586 ? Will it change in a few days or are these stable readings?

Thanks
 
I would continue with your fermentation and wait until wine is clear and degassed before considering any more adjustments. as noted your taste buds will tell you more than numbers. you are in the range wait until finished and blend bench trials.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top