Sharp, long after-taste

[Just-a-Guy]

Did you taste it at any other point during making it? I always encourage new winemakers to taste the wines several times during their creation so they can familiarize themselves with the tastes that go along with the changing smells.

Could have been the acid blend.
Could have been the apricot flavoring.

Either way, it's also 'green'/young, and that has a sharp almost granny smith kind of flavor, that subsides with time

And usually, it's recommended to share as much of your process as you can in the first post so we aren't all sitting around playing the guessing game

Hi Deezil,

Point taken, I'll try to be more thorough. I'm suspecting that apricot flavoring, frankly. Anyway, this wine will sit now, and I am ordering the Vinmetrica!

JAG

 

[Julie]

Curious to know why you added 2 cups E&J brandy?

 

[Just-a-Guy]

Curious to know why you added 2 cups E&J brandy?

I dunno, it was what I had handy that I thought might complement the flavor? Or just because I'm really not that bright (apparently). Do you think that might be part of my problem here? (Not that I'm not that bright, I know that's part of my problem - I mean the brandy....)

 

[Just-a-Guy]

You can try to cold stabilize it first and see if that drops it low enough.

You can also add potassium bicarbonate to it to drop the acid as well in conjunction with cold stabilization.

My package of potassium bicarbonate arrived today. Any suggestions on how much to use? I have a 3 gallon and a 5 gallon carboy with wines that seem to have this acid problem.... I'm planning to put them out on the back porch for a few days after adding the ... stuff.

 

[Kraffty]

Jag, here's what I'd do. Mix about an 1/8 tsp of the bicarbonate in 2 Tbsp of warm water. Mix well then set that mixture in the fridge or outside to cool for about 6 months. At that time check the wine taste again and see if you still want to add more chemicals to it. I've read through here a couple of times and can't see exactly how young this is but there's no harm in letting it grow up for a few months before making major changes.
Best of Luck
Mike

 

[Just-a-Guy]

So what did you decide--

I got a test kit and tested the acidity. Actually, I ended up testing four or five wines that I have in carboys. I'm at work and don't have my notes, but some were quite high - one was around .7. I put a couple of teaspoons of potassium bicarbonate in the ones that seemed high, and put them in the garage to cold crash for a week (temps under 30). I haven't done anything since. I'll be checking them all again this weekend and will update.

Thanks!

JAG

 

[Just-a-Guy]

What is the recommended target TA for this type of wine? 0.7 doesn't sound terrible....reds typically fall 0.6-0.75 and whites even higher up to 0.85. I'm wonder if the issue is more with the other additives....not the acid levels. Cold stabilization will drop tartaric acid, but tartaric is only in grapes. The potassium bicarbonate will lower TA--what is your goal TA and pH?

I wish I knew. I'm still learning this stuff and have not picked up a ph meter yet (still trying to decide what to get). I have not measured ph of any wine I have made so far, just more or less followed recipes. On the chance that the off taste I was getting here might have been acidity, I picked up a test kit (the color change kind) and tested them. I agree, none were totally off the charts, and I kind of concluded it probably wasn't acidity (but based on reading, I did think the .7 seemed high, so I did add the pot bicarbonate to that one).

I'm just trying to figure out what caused the sharp taste. I've been leaning toward the notion that I added too much kmeta to a couple of these (I now have 12 batches in process, some taste good, some sharp). I'm wondering if the bound sulfites are hopelessly flavoring some of these, and even time won't cure it. Future efforts will involve attempting to balance the wines up front, something I'm just now trying to learn.

I appreciate the follow-up and help very much!

JAG

 

[winemaker_3352]

Over the years i have noticed .7 to be a little high on my whites.

I tend to shoot for .6-.65 on my whites or PH around 3.5-3.6.

Take your readings and adjust accordingly. You can use the winecalc app to help.

Caution though - add a little at a time and retest. I also notice that if you add the entire amount - 1 it will foam up real quick like a volcano, 2 it will drop it too much.

So add a little at a time...

 

[terrymck]

I'm just trying to figure out what caused the sharp taste. I've been leaning toward the notion that I added too much kmeta to a couple of these

This might be your problem; a SO2 taste. I have noticed that when removing a sample with a wine thief that has been sanitized with Kmeta that an unpleasant taste is present. I now sanitize and rinse the WT with fresh water prior to sampling and have eliminated that problem.

Terry