Just did my second racking of a wine using king of the north grapes. It has a very good flavor, though still fizzy with CO2. The only complaint I have to this point is a quite tart acidic flavor right up front. Could this be attributed to a low pH? Is it to late for MLF? Can I adjust the pH during my final racking? And in case you're wonder, no I do not have a pH meter or test kit. Thank you in advance.
pH Adjustment
- Thread starter mikder82
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ManhattanProjectBrewing
Well-Known Member
Why not back sweeten with wine conditioner to balance tart / sweet characteristics? Essentially "seasoning to taste." After hitting preferred balance, degassing, stabilizing, and bottling...aging will do the rest. I wouldn’t worry about a malolactic fermentation at this point… That’ll just dry it out further and increase the tart… What you need is balance from sweet. Possibly a little tannin from powder or oak may provide deeper complexity and balance as well.
Cheers,
-JM
Cheers,
-JM
What I would do first is simply wait. The gassy wine will be a bit acidic, just from the c02.
I found that putting it away someplace cool does drop out much of the acidity in the form of tartaric acid crystals ("wine diamonds") and in 6 months, the wine might be perfect. If not, there are steps then you can take, like sweetening a bit, using bentonite, adjusting the flavors, etc, then.
I found that putting it away someplace cool does drop out much of the acidity in the form of tartaric acid crystals ("wine diamonds") and in 6 months, the wine might be perfect. If not, there are steps then you can take, like sweetening a bit, using bentonite, adjusting the flavors, etc, then.
