I am halfway through a pack of 10 of these titrets and I haven't had one work at all the way the instructions indicate. I understand the broken off bulb tip is suppose to make some sort of squeeze valve, but nothing ever flows up the hard plastic sample tube.
The basic problem is one of flow. I can never get wine to flow into the ampoule. I have also seen the pictures at . No help there.
Suggestions? I am not using the titretor and was told by several wine friends that it is unnecessary.
I think you're squeezing in the wrong place - the broken off bulb tip doesn't make a squeeze valve. The valve is built into the flexible tubing that you push over the end of the titret, just above the hard plastic tube. It looks like a small, clear ball in the tube. Squeeze there and it should work.
I have the same trouble about half the time - no matter which part of the tube I squeeze. I sometimes end up breaking the top off and squirting wine down into the vial. I really hate using them. Too bad there's not a better product out there for these tests.
What Ed said - the valve isn't the broken off bulb tip but rather where the little plastic ball is. I've never had any troubles with these, with or without Titrettor. If this is giving you problems, though, why not pop for one? It may not be totally necessary and seem expensive at $5 or $6 for a plastic thing but that's only the price of four or five titrets!
- Mark W.
Having the titrettor is not a necessity. However many winemaking items are not "necessities" i.e. hydrometer, racking tube, bottle filler etc. Spring for the titrettor. It's only 5 bucks. (less than the cost of a few wasted ampuoles.)
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