Tartaric Acid and Juice

[sdelli]

Can you add tartaric acid during primary fermentation without hurting the yeast cells? I know it can be done before fermentation has been started but if not done then is it better to wait until primary fermentation is complete?

 

[JohnT]

I would wait at this point.

 

[robie]

John is correct. It is always better to start fermentation with a well balanced wine, but once fermentation has started going well, it would be best to wait to adjust until the wine is clear.

 

[FABulousWines]

I am going to assume this line of discussion concerns juice buckets and/or fruit wines and not kits. I tested the TA in my kit and it was very low. Being a kit I decided to leave it alone. I was watching some of the videos on the Wine Maker's Toy Store and George mentions that many kit makers ruin their wine by balancing the acid in the primary.

So here's my question. Will a kit wine "balance out" acidity (as part of the f-pack or ?), or should one test and adjust acidity prior to bottling?

 

[robie]

I am going to assume this line of discussion concerns juice buckets and/or fruit wines and not kits. I tested the TA in my kit and it was very low. Being a kit I decided to leave it alone. I was watching some of the videos on the Wine Maker's Toy Store and George mentions that many kit makers ruin their wine by balancing the acid in the primary.

So here's my question. Will a kit wine "balance out" acidity (as part of the f-pack or ?), or should one test and adjust acidity prior to bottling?

Kits come pre-balanced, not necessarily the way one would balance a fresh/frozen batch of must, but for what is required for the kit. Don't try to change the kit's TA/pH before fermenting.

Once the wine is clear, there is nothing wrong with trying to balance the resulting wine for best taste, based on individual preference. The kits generally come out based on average John Doe's tastes; yours just might be different. Just make sure you don't end up with the pH raised to an overly high level, resulting in the wine possibly becoming more susceptible to bacterial damage. (The higher the pH, the more extra sulfites are needed to protect from damage.)

 

[sdelli]

I was going to adjust the acid but chickened out because I am going to put it thru mlf and did not want the ph to drop too much for me...... I agree to just let it go now and adjust later down the road.....
By the way.... I am talking about containers of Chilean juice..... Merlot and Malbec

Malbec SG=1.082 Ph=3.70 TA= 3.5 Used BM45 Yeast Re-Hydrated
Merlot SG=1.088 Ph=3.70 TA=4.0 Used GRE Yeast Re-Hydrated

 

[manvsvine]

Ph doesn't drop from mlf , it rises .

Acid adjustments are best done before primary , it may be done later but it will be less stable and therefore more likely to have increased diamonds.

Adjusting acid before primary also results in better color because the ph will be lower durring ferment , it won't have that blousey purple colour of 4 ph wines.