I have a couple of wines I had to reduce acidity in. The wine acidity overshot due to drift in my pH meter and I hadn't recently calibrated using buffer. The first was Cherry and Raisen Wine which had a pH of 3.25 which I adjusted to 3.67 using Calcium Carbonate. What I didn't know was I was then supposed to allow the wine to stand for a week, to allow the Calcium Carbonate crystals to precipitate and drop to the bottom which can then be racked. I just bottled immediately. My question is the wine ruined by the presence of the crystals and if not what can be done to rescue it please. Thanks
Acidity reduction in wine after primary fermentation
- Thread starter crevie
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The calcium carbonate will bind with the tartaric acid and cause "wine diamonds", which can be a little unsightly but not harmful. The wine will also most likely be a little cloudy. You'll also need to let it sit for several months while the calcium carbonate settles. It may throw off some precipitates, affecting flavor slightly (chalky and bitter). Since it's already bottled, I'd just leave it alone, though. Another note: Calcium Carbonate is more for changing the pH of the must (pre-fermentation). Potassium Carbonate is better for after fermentation, but to get the PC to drop, you'll need to cold-crash it before bottling.
