Tartaric acid flakes

[Huh?]

Hi all,

Every other year I make a batch of blueberry wine in a 55 gallon drum. I'd start the batch in mid-to-late November and I'd cold stabilize the wine by moving the drum outside in December until it reached about 35 degrees F, then rack it into another drum.

If I make a batch in May, I can't stabilize in that manner. Can I eliminate the flakes by adjusting the ph at the beginning of fermentation or is there a chemical I could add that would work as well?

Huh?

 

[St Allie]

stabilise in what manner?

can you be more specific?

Allie

 

[Wade E]

Stabilize is a way of preventing wine diamonds from falling out into the bottoms of the bottles Allie. You can adjust thye PH a little but its more important to have a decent PH and a slighlty out of whack TA. There are chemicals you can use to precipitate the acids out and believe it or not using more tartaric acid is actually one way. Its calles seeding and by giving your wine more of this iys easier for your wine to settle it out. Another Chemical is Calcium Carbonate and another is Potassium Bicarbonate.

 

[St Allie]

when the poster mentioned tartaric acid flakes..

I thought it was an additive Wade.

Allie

 

[St Allie]

did a google online.


Wine diamonds are tartaric acid crystals. In germany they are a sign of good wine.

Allie

 

[Huh?]

Wade,

I'm assuming if I use the calcium carbonate or potassium bicarbonate that it would be added at the end of fermentation prior to bottling or aging. With the tartaric acid, am I correct to assume this would be added at the beginning of the fermentation process?

Huh?

 

[Wade E]

I would go with the calcium carbonate as the tartaric can actually make the problem worse if it doesnt work. Potassium carbonate is used post fermentation. The tartaric acid would be used post fermentation and really only used if cold stabiliztion is to be done.