Acid%

How do you test acid % of red grape wine from concentrate if you don't have an acid test kit? I know it is supposed to be .65% or between 2.2 to 3.6 ph. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

If you dont have a pH meter you have to use your tongue! WVMJ

kristofer said:

How do you test acid % of red grape wine from concentrate if you don't have an acid test kit? I know it is supposed to be .65% or between 2.2 to 3.6 ph. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

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kristofer said:

How do you test acid % of red grape wine from concentrate if you don't have an acid test kit? I know it is supposed to be .65% or between 2.2 to 3.6 ph. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

Get an acid titration kit.

I would invest in a pH meter(+the control/calibration solutions) and an acid test kit. The pH meter makes the TA testing so much easier, no guesswork as you try to decide when solution does/does not change color, etc. If just using an acid test kit it can be very difficult to get reliable results on reds, but there is the 'white tile method', http://www.bcawa.ca/winemaking/AcidControl.htm

I got the kit, but find it hard to read...so going to spring for the PH Meter. Questions is can you add the acid blend anytime or do you do it when you pitch the yeast?

YOu can dilute the sample with distilled water, you are measuring how much acid is in the sample not what its concentration is when you are measuring it. Also if you use a very white tile you can put drops of the sample on it to compare, and always go past what you think is the stopping point to turn the sample color all the way to dark so you know everything worked and that you can reach the endpoint. WVMJ

Turnerdude1 said:

I got the kit, but find it hard to read...so going to spring for the PH Meter. Questions is can you add the acid blend anytime or do you do it when you pitch the yeast?

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The reason I asked about when to add acid blend is that I mix my blackberry wine with other red wines so was wondering if I could add it after fermentation..

What is the best water to use when making wine? Eg...distilled, drinking, purified, well water ect...? Thanks

I use tap water but have a super good house filter. If you have a lot of chorine in your water let it sit for 24 hours and it will evaporate.

pH and Acidity are two different things.

Just mind the pH so that you can keep the yeast happy and the infections down. Test tape works fine.
For acidity ... you don't necessarily need to do titration ... just tasting the wine works for most initial winemaking purposes as far as judging acidity.

If you are going to buy a pH meter, I'd strongly suggest you first read-up on what is necessary to keep it functioning. This is not a piece of equipment that just sits there at no cost ... it has a shelf life with regard to it’s storage solution and regular maintenance needs.

But as far as your red grape wine concentrate you mentioned ... the good news is that most all grape juice products have a reasonable initial profile of pH and acidity. So you can reasonably just go ahead and ferment. As far as knowing pH so that you can understand “free sulfites” ... All that is good to know, but adhering to the “standard additions” for sulfites and using good sanitation will work fine.

All that said, for an intermediate or “advanced beginning” winemaker you should know how to take pH, and acidity (TA) readings through titration. The meter is fine too ... just know what it means to use it accurately and maintain it and the costs.