Raspberry mead quick question

I all I've made a gallon of raspberry mead it's been fermenting well for the last few days but today It wasn't I checked the PH and was about 1.5 so very acidic I've added 7g of precipitated chalk do u think that this will help
Thank you

berk2027 said:

I all I've made a gallon of raspberry mead it's been fermenting well for the last few days but today It wasn't I checked the PH and was about 1.5 so very acidic I've added 7g of precipitated chalk do u think that this will help
Thank you

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It'll help but you need to double check your numbers as 1.5 pH is stronger than battery acid......

The chalk works but if over used can leave a dusty/powdery taste......hence potassium carbonate is a better option.

Raspberry is a bit of a bugger though because once its fermented, raspberry can taste very strong and acidic. Pure raspberry batches can often need to be back sweetened or even have some more fruit in secondary after stabilising, to give it a more cordial like note.....

fatbloke said:

It'll help but you need to double check your numbers as 1.5 pH is stronger than battery acid......

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I agree. While raspberry wine can be very acidic, I would be shocked if it really was 1.5. That should eat right through a fermenter (except glass, I suppose!). If you got it on your skin, it'd eat through it. (Chemical peels at the dermatologist aren't even a pH of 1.5 normally!).

Anyway, I have doubt in your reading. I'd not raise the pH or do anything else until you're absolutely certain of the reading. 1.5 just doesn't make sense.

What was the recipe? I've done raspberry meads several times and never needed to adjust the pH. Then again, I enjoy the sour twang.

I used 3 lb honey and a 1lb raspberrys as a gallon batch yeast nutrient and citric acid it's been fermenting well again till today now it's slowed right down

berk2027 said:

I used 3 lb honey and a 1lb raspberrys as a gallon batch yeast nutrient and citric acid it's been fermenting well again till today now it's slowed right down

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Which why I question the 1.5 figure.....

Yeast usually stalls/sticks below about 3.0 pH and the dryer the batch gets the more prominent the dry/acidic flavour......

I used universal indicator paper for the ph reading and it went dark red but In between the 1 and 2 colours on the chart

I have a stupid question for you. Are you sure that the redness of the raspberries didn't color the indicator paper red?

I don't believe it's possible for it to be that acidic unless you made vinegar.

That's could be the problem there. The raspberry staining the paper. When I tasted some it was way to sharp the chalk has solved that for me tho So if it was just stained then I'm not to worried now as tastes still sharp just not ridiculously sharp like it was and fermentation is ok now too

If it tastes good, drink it!

I would add that aging does wonders to mellow it out. Mine is about 7 months old now and is much better than when it began.