3Brothers want to know: How much do you test?

[3Brothers]

Ok, so through my research, these are the tests I understand are important in the brewing of wine. My question is, do you do these test? If not all, which ones are most important when brewing "berry wines"?

-Measuring 'sugar content' before fermentation, during fermentation and before bottling, utilizing the Brix scale per your hydrometer.

- Measuring 'Titratable Acid' levels before fermentation, during fermentation and before bottling.

-Measuring 'SO2' -(Free Sulfur Dioxide)- Starting immedietly after fermentation, and every week until bottling.

-Measuring 'PH' every other week until bottling.

-Measuring 'Residual sugars' after fermentation and right before bottling, utilizing Clinitest tablets.

-Measuring 'Malic Acid' (Chromatography) before bottling.

 

[BigKahuna]

Call me a simple man, but most of the testing I do is gravity. I don't worry about much else as long as I'm working from a proven recipe. Even if I'm changing a bunch of things.....I just try and keep a nice balance, then I don't worry.

 

[jameswardpeterson]

a lot of that is really unnecessary at your level. What you do want to be measuring is the gravity. It will tell you your ABV once you have a final measurement and it will tell you when fermentation is done.
pH is something that can be a problem on wines that have a fruit with a low acidity, or moderate alkalinity (how basic they are) Im not sure which fruits commonly have these problems but I know citrus can sometimes be harsh on yeast. pH is mostly just for the yeast, and alot of condition problems with yeast can just be overcome by a good starter.

 

[Yooper]

I only test ph and things if I am using a fruit (such as catawba grapes) that tends to have a very low ph and needs adjusting.

I don't have an so2 meter, so I just add campden at every other racking to try to guestimate my amount at 50 ppm.

I don't really worry about the malic acid content, unless I'm planning on MLF and even then I go more by taste. I did put the last catawba batch through MLF and it helped. But I knew that those grapes were very high in malic acid.

I usually make fruit wines, and am familiar with the acid content and types of acid usually in them (like apples are predominately malic acid) so I go by taste rather than testing. I like to keep it simple and be a "country" wine maker. If a wine needs more acid, or more tannin, you can tell by tasting it.

 

[3Brothers]

Hey Yooper thankx for the advice. Fruit wines are primarily what we will be doing our first year or so, so its nice to hear someone else who is into it. "By taste" I understand, whats not pleasant to the tongue and cheek is not right, but, having never done this before, say I come across a taste I dont like, how do I know what is causing it. What makes something tart? What makes something bland? What makes it to "strong"?

Obviosly, the hydrometer is our friend, other than that any one test that will make my fruit wine goings easier?

Oh yea, and whats MLF?

 

[Yooper]

Hey Yooper thankx for the advice. Fruit wines are primarily what we will be doing our first year or so, so its nice to hear someone else who is into it. "By taste" I understand, whats not pleasant to the tongue and cheek is not right, but, having never done this before, say I come across a taste I dont like, how do I know what is causing it. What makes something tart? What makes something bland? What makes it to "strong"?

Obviosly, the hydrometer is our friend, other than that any one test that will make my fruit wine goings easier?

Oh yea, and whats MLF?

MLF is malolactic fermentation- most grapes go through this. It's when the harsher tasting malic acid is converted into "softer" lactic acid. It makes the wine taste better and often occurs naturally in grape wines.

Well, a good way to know what is causing any taste that is unpleasant is just experience, and the recipe. For example, I think that cherry juice always has a harsh astringent flavor when fermented. So, I find that honey (which will ferment out and not leave sweetening behind) smooths this out.

"Bland" is usually lack of acid or of enough fruit for flavor. A little acid blend or powdered tannin can fix that, if it's just "flabby" tasting.

I would recommend following a simple recipe for your first few times. You'll learn how the ingredients work together and what the acid blend or tannin will do. Here's a great website for learning all about wine making:
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/basics.asp
and his recipes:
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/request.asp

I have several proven recipes in my list, and some (like the banana wine) are so simple to make that they make a great starter wine. The apple wine made from apple juice is simple, too.

A hydrometer, sanitizing stuff, a racking cane, and siphon tubing, a carboy, and a few airlocks and stoppers are all you really need to get started. The other testing tools are great, too, but really not necessary until you know what you want to accomplish in your winemaking.