Potassium bitartrate precipitation and pH

[Xlev]

Hi

I have a barbera wine with a pH of 3.82 and TA of 6.9 that I might want to cold stabilize in the future if necessary to make it smoother.

Most places that I have read about cold stabilization say that pH 3.65 is the tipping point. The pH value would decrease during cold stabilization if the original pH was below 3.65 while if the pH was above 3.65 the pH would increase after cold stabilization.

Im reading the book »Acidity management in musts and wines» by Volker Schneider that says that the tipping point value is wrong because it was measured in water. When you adjust for the alcohol concentration and ionic strength the tipping point is closer to 4.1

So basically he is saying the cold stabilization used to reduce TA will almost always result in the decrease of pH and that these were also his real life observations.

Do any of you have experience with wines above pH 3.65 and cold stabilization? I might at a point cold stabilize just a little sample to see what happens but I would like to hear from empiric evidence which theory is correct.

 

[wood1954]

If it’s a young wine time May smooth it out. Also did your wine go thru MLF.?
I don’t think malic acid precipitates out. Stick a bottle in the fridge for a while and see what happens.

 

[Xlev]

If it’s a young wine time May smooth it out. Also did your wine go thru MLF.?
I don’t think malic acid precipitates out. Stick a bottle in the fridge for a while and see what happens.

It did go though MLF and like tou said time might smooth it out,so will not fo anything until it has come to a year from now and then make the decision. But I was curious about experinces with cold stabilization and pH change.