I am ready to bottle a one gallon batch of pear wine I made a year ago. It seems to be quite acidic (I won't know the actual values until I get a PH test kit tomorrow). I did not get a PH reading when I started the wine, I just followed the recipe. I used the same recipe for a five gallon batch that I started a couple of weeks ago. If the PH of the finished batch is too high, can I adjust it before bottling, and how? Can I adjust the PH of the batch that just went into the secondary fermenter? What should the PH be for both batches? Thanks Will
Adjusting PH.
Oct 19, 2003
1 Replies
Hmm, without knowing the numbers it would be hard to advise you on what to do. But, my feeling is after a year and right before bottling is not the optimal time to adjust acid. You didn't mention if this is a sweet or dry wine. If the latter, perhaps you might want to think about using the high acid and balance it with a sweeter wine. Often some sugar helps to balance acid and can completely change the flavor profile. Take a little bit out in a glass, add a bit of sugar and taste it. See if you like it.
By the way -- the LOWER the pH, the MORE acidic. So I suspect you meant to say "if the pH of the finished batch is too low . . . " Again, personally, I would not try to raise pH (lower acidity) right before bottling. Another option would be to blend your pear wine with a less acidic wine.
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