Acid levels

If the 0.3 TA level is correct, then it is low. best to correct it as early in fermentation as possible... using tartaric acid (u could use citric acid for strawberry wine, but tartaric is a bit 'softer' on the palate).

Gene

Jack keller reports that tartaric is the hardest tasting acid, citric the freshest....

gene wrote:

I think citric might go better with strawberry too. That 3g/l TA sounds wrong, it's way too low. Does this taste really flabby or is it very diluted? Strawberries in PA are really tart, you need a lot of sugar and just a little touch up of citric up here usually.

Joe

I think it's important to establish whether this wine will be drunk dry or with some residual sugar? If it's going to be dry, an initial TA of

3 g/l may be fine without any tartaric addition. Non-grape wines don't get tartrate precipitation (unless they've got significant tartaric acid in the must), so you will see a TA *increase* after fermentation. Depending on how acidic you like your dry strawberry wine, you might want to leave it. Certainly, I wouldn't acidify to 6 g/l in that case. If you want a sweet wine, however, then acidifying may be a good idea.

BTW, I agree with Jack keller that tartaric appears "hard" whereas citric appears "fresh". Citric is the predominant acid in strawberries, so a number of winemakers prefer using it in strawberry winemaking. It just depends on the acid profile you want.

Ben Improved Winemaking

I think it's important to establish whether this wine will be drunk dry or with some residual sugar? If it's going to be dry, an initial TA of

3 g/l may be fine without any tartaric addition. Non-grape wines don't get tartrate precipitation (unless they've got significant tartaric acid in the must), so you will see a TA *increase* after fermentation. Depending on how acidic you like your dry strawberry wine, you might want to leave it. Certainly, I wouldn't acidify to 6 g/l in that case. If you want a sweet wine, however, then acidifying may be a good idea.

BTW, I agree with Jack keller that tartaric appears "hard" whereas citric appears "fresh". Citric is the predominant acid in strawberries, so a number of winemakers prefer using it in strawberry winemaking. It just depends on the acid profile you want.

Ben Improved Winemaking

Let's hear Jack Keller's definition of "hardest"... I've tasted them both side-by-side, and I don't get that impression of tartaric acid.

Citric acid, in my opinion, takes over the flavor profile more than tartaric acid.

Gene

Dro> Jack keller reports that tartaric is the hardest tasting acid, citric > the freshest....

Thank you, gentlemen for the replies.

As I read them, the thought occurred to me to split the batch now, and add acid to half of it. I think perhaps a compromise - half citric and half tartatic.

The low acid batch is a Roate strawberry recipe, and was the same recipe used > Let's hear Jack Keller's definition of "hardest"... I've tasted them