pomegranate wine help

[pittspur]

Hi all,
I decided to try to make pomegranate wine. This is the recipe that I am following (2 gal batch):

2 gal 100% pomegranate juice
1 lb raisins
2 lbs corn sugar
2 tsp acid blend
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp energizer
1 campden tablet

The directions recommended getting the starting sg to be between 1.09 and 1.095, so I had to add a bit more sugar (maybe 2.5lbs).

My question is regarding the acid. I have an acid test kit and decided to use it before I added any acid blend. It is the kind of kit where you add the neutralizer to a 10ml sample and look for a color change. The instructions that came with the acid test kit recommend an acid level of around 0.60%. This is my first experience with the kit and I tried multiple times and came out with an acid level of 1.15%. I very well might be doing it incorrectly, as I had a hard time determining the color change level.

I question my acid level results because other recipes that I have seen recommend adding acid blend as well. I may have to go out and pick up some pH strips instead of this kit.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Should I blindly add the acid blend the recipe calls for? Any help on using these acid test kits? Thanks for the help.

Also, as an aside, when do you remove the raisins?

 

[Tom]

Did you add the coloring part first ?
I think you did something wrong

 

[pittspur]

Tom,
Thanks for the quick reply. Yes, I did add the 3-4 drops of coloring agent before adding the neutralizer. I tried running the acid test twice, with the same result. I might try again and have my wife help with the color translation. I suspect that I just did not read the color change properly, but wanted to see if anyone had a similar issue with pomegranate.
Thanks,
Dave

 

[Tom]

After adding the 3 drops how much of the 10mm 2nd soultion ( Sodium Hydroxide) did you add to get a solid color

 

[pittspur]

I do not have my notes (or the acid test instructions) here, but my recollection:

Started with 10ml of must, added 3 drops indicator. Added neutralizer, 1ml at a time. I was looking for a change to gray. I would hold the test cup up to a white piece of paper. With additions, the solution would start to get clear. I added a total of 14ml of neutralizer until I felt as though it was gray. The instructions said to multiply the addition amount by .075 to get the percentage. So, 14ml is 1.05%.

 

[Jalin77]

Thanks for sharing nice recipe ...

 

[pittspur]

I have searched but haven't found it written explicitly when to remove the raisins. I am assuming that I remove them when I transfer to the secondary. Is this correct? Thanks for the help.

 

[Tom]

Yes or if you have pulp from fruit I remove all @ 1.010