I checked my mustang wine last night. The S.G.= .996 so the alcohol should be about 13%. I wanted to start racking, but, when I tasted it, the wine was bitter. I checked the Acid and the best that I can tell(using acid test kit) is, 8ppt or 1.25%. I don't want to use water to lower the acid level. Is there an antacid tablet that has Calcium Carbonate or Potassium Bicarbonate that I could use and get at the Grocery Store?
Thanks Steve
Steve Payne wrote "I checked the Acid and the best that I can tell(using acid test kit) is, 8ppt or 1.25%. I don't want to use water to lower the acid level. Is there an antacid tablet that has Calcium Carbonate or Potassium Bicarbonate that I could use and get at the Grocery Store?"
Steve - If you do have 1.25% acid in your wine that's quite a high amount. What was the starting acid before fermentation. Before adding anything to your wine you might try chilling the wine to around 32F for several weeks. This should drop some K bitartrate out of the wine (Note: This assumes there is tartaric acid in Mustang grapes...I'm not familiar with this grape's acid content). If cold treatment doesn't help I wouldn't use pharmaceutical antacid tablets. Go to a homebrew/winemaking shop and order some K bicarbonate powder. Use this to neutralize the excess acid in your wine. Read up on the limits of acid reduction by this method before you begin. If you don't have a local homebrew/winemaking shop here's some sources for K bicarbonate and a couple of excellent on-line winemaking site that should help with your acid problem.
Bill Frazier Olathe, Kansas
snipped-for-privacy@bacchus-barleycorn.com
Also, the book "Modern Winemaking" by Philip Jackisch
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