PH and Country Wines

In that case, I think you are going to have to just use your taste buds. pH is important and meaningful IF you are talking about "grape" wines. But, if you are making wines from non grape fruit, the acids will be a lot different and you will either have to go with a tried and proved recipe or through trial and error come up with one on your own - but the trial and error is not all that bad - you have to taste a LOT and that in itself can be an enjoyable experience.

could also consider frozen grape juice concentrates or wine kits for adjusting properties.

Hi AJ, Haven't heard from you since we discussed the "Fishwrapper" some time back. I love my pH meter, but it isn't much good by itself. I use mine along with a titrate kit because I can't seem to find that darned end-point without it. My pomegranate ended up with Ph=3.57, TA=0.7, and SG=1.011 when I bottled it back in March. Obviously, I'm prejudiced but I think it tastes great. With the cold climate, it sounds like a Chardonnay would work great. If you are interested, I have a couple cans of concentrate and I can figure out the cost and shipping charges. I'm presuming you are somewhere in the 995nn ZIP code.

A few comments... first, pH and acidity are two different things. It's possible to have a low pH and a low level of acidity, or conversely, it's possible to have a high pH and high acidity. Also, if a wine isn't degassed or given time to degass, the carbon dioxide still in solution could effect the measured pH.

Jack Keller's website covers both grape wines and country wines. His site also has articles that explain pH and acidity in detail. The URL is:

Greg

Hi there. I am in 99508.

I took my grandkids to the Kenai Peninsula for their first salt water fishing adventure last weekend. The seas were calm, the fish were biting and Grandpa got to be the hero of the day. I should have checked on the Fish Wrapper while we were there.

I guess I can use the meter to measure acidity in dark wines. I read a lot about how indispensable they were but did not notice that most of the literature concerned grape wines. I made that startling discovery when I got home and started reading after I purchased the meter.

I make a few kits each year (Wine Expert Limited Editions) but most of my winemaking is from fruits and flowers available here in South-central Alaska. I usually use my son-in-law's and ex-wife's taste buds for final adjustments to wines I produce. I made a few white wines from Alexander's Sun Country canned concentrates and they turned out good, but final adjustments were made by taste.

I have not decided what to do with this Pomegranate yet. I think I will bring the acidity down to 7.0 with sugar water adjusted to 1.080 and let it ferment out again. The Pomegranate taste is intense enough to handle it.

Later, A.J. The Anchorage Fishwrapper and Litterbox Liner Press

Hello, A J -

I'm on the pH meter hunt. Have had a couple of informative replies so far.

What make and model is yours?

And what diameter is the probe? (How large a sample do you need to get a reading from it?)

Thanks.

Jack

"A. J. Rawls" wrote:

I like the Hanna pHep5 for the price. you need around 10 ml to 20 ml for a sample.

Joe

Thank you, Joe.

Now can you tell me how I killed my yeast? Tried twice to make a starter solution for faster start in the musts. Both failed.

Activated the yeast (EC1118, K1 V1116), nice foam after 30 minutes. Added it to a solution of water (a cupful, room temp), a tsp sugar, and juice from a lemon. Second try, used a tsp yeast nutrient (DAP), and 1/4 tsp citric acid instead of the lemon.

Foam died in both attempts over a 12 hour period. Each time, a second pack of the same type of yeast was activated and pitched directly into must, and worked. Slow start, but nice head after a couple of days.

Joe Sallustio wrote:

I guess I would opt for the lemon juice being the culprit, nothing else sounds off. 1 lemon is usually around 2 ounces, that could have added more acid than you think. I don't do starters often but when i do I just hydrate the yeast per instructions and then use the must itself as the starter. I pull off about 8 ounces, when it's going triple it and than once it is going again, I'm adding it to the batch.

A.J. The pH meter is still useful for country wines, just not necessarily in the same way. First, as Casey says, they are very usefull in titration and finding the end point. Als, they are still useful to determine how much S to add. You will just not necessarily be able to get the pH down to where you add a minimum. But you can still tell how much to add. Also, if you can not get the pH down to a good range and at the same time the the acidity into a good tasting range, then adjust to taste and realize that the wine will just not have the storage life that a perfect wine would have. You may just have to drink it up in 2 years instead of 5. Life can be tough.

It might be a better idea to make a blending wine rather than try to restart the pomegranet. It should keep well in long term bulk aging as it is so it is not in any danger. You might make a low acid wine such as a Welch's Niagara from frozen concentrate and use it to blend with. The pomegranet should dominate the niagar very well but the niagara will make a good blending wine that will add vinuosity. I like to make miagara wine and keep it around for blending.

Ray