Digital pH balnce tester problems

[Brewerone]

I purchased a big display digital pH balance test. Using a previous recipe I should have .6 tartaric acid level in my wine. After calibrating the tester several times with the 4 & 7 pH calibrating solutions. I get a reading of 2.9. Then I added another TBS to the wine and it went to 2.6. What am I missing here?

 

[gregbathurst]

Adding tartaric will lower the pH. What is the volume of your wine? 2.6 is pretty low, you will have to bring it back up or start again. If the buffer solution is giving a stable reading then the meter should be ok, try comparing to some ordinary table wine which is usually 3.2-3.5.

 

[Brewerone]

Does the volume of how much u are measuring make a big difference? I have a 3 gallon batch. What would a 3.2-3.5 give me as far as % tartaric?

 

[gregbathurst]

The volume affects how much pH change you would get from a given quantity of tartaric. In 3 gallons I would expect 1 tablespoon (if that is what you mean by TBS) to lower the pH by roughly 0.2 or 0.3 so your meter sounds ok. I think you are getting confused between Titratable acidity (TA) and pH.
0.6% tartaric is normal, but a pH meter doesn't measure that. TA and pH are different measures of acidity, as TA goes up pH goes down, but the relationship will be different for each batch of wine. You can buy a kit with a measuring cylinder and dropper for the indicator which makes the titration fairly easy. I think you need to do a bit of research into TA/pH.

 

[Brewerone]

The volume affects how much pH change you would get from a given quantity of tartaric. In 3 gallons I would expect 1 tablespoon (if that is what you mean by TBS) to lower the pH by roughly 0.2 or 0.3 so your meter sounds ok. I think you are getting confused between Titratable acidity (TA) and pH.
0.6% tartaric is normal, but a pH meter doesn't measure that. TA and pH are different measures of acidity, as TA goes up pH goes down, but the relationship will be different for each batch of wine. You can buy a kit with a measuring cylinder and dropper for the indicator which makes the titration fairly easy. I think you need to do a bit of research into TA/pH.

You are absolutely right. I did some research. As TA goes up pH does go down but, not linearly. I do a lot of fruit wines. Currently I am working on strawberry, black cherry, and blueberry. Right now their acid levels are a bit high. Around 2.6 pH. I plan to adjust with water and sugar. It still is pretty early in the secondary so my yeast have time to eat up some of the sugar. As most wine makers look for a pH balance of around 3.3 − 3.7, I strive for a 3.5 pH. From what a say online a 3.5 pH is ~ 0.6 tartaric.

 

[Brewerone]

I did a two point calibration of my pH meter using the 4 and 7 pH calibrating solutions. I lowered my probe into my primary fermenting pale and got a reading of about 3.2. I then added acid blend and stirred until I got to 2.6. Keep in mind that prior to this I though I understood how to read a pH scale properly. Something told me I was going the wrong way. Now I understand that the lower your pH is the more acidic your wine will be. (I should have paid attention in science class.)

Would an acceptable method of testing my wine be? Example - starting pH ~ 4.2. Add acid blend to must until pH gets down to ~ 3.5.

 

[brazedowl]

Does anyone else want to bust out buret and do a titration right now?

 

[oldmate]

Does anyone else want to bust out buret and do a titration right now?

No, dear god, no. I hate titrations! Worst part of my science degree.

 

[brazedowl]

No, dear god, no. I hate titrations! Worst part of my science degree.

hahaha never took organic chem?

(thread thief. sorry)