# How do you read these Accuvin SO2 tests??



## Gekko4321 (Jul 28, 2011)

I cannot determine where the color in the tube falls on the scale on the packet! It looks like it is over 40 ppm as best I can tell. I think. BTW-I just added sulphite 4 weeks ago when I cleared and degassed the wine. I was told to add more now at bottling/bulking, so maybe the SO2 is still fine? I did notice the plastic cap in the bubbler had started to sink after being at the top of the bubbler this whole time. Reality is I just cannot see the appropriate color. Neither can my wife and it is also hard on the pH test strips. Any advice?


----------



## Randoneur (Jul 28, 2011)

Have you tried to move to different lighting, maybe outside under natural light?


----------



## PeterZ (Jul 28, 2011)

Best light for the Accuvin tests is a 60 watt incandescent light bulb. When George first started carrying these kits I tested them in full sun, cloudy sun, flourescent light, incandescent light, and photoflood light. Incandescent bulbs gave the best color match.


----------



## ibglowin (Jul 28, 2011)

If you just added the sulfite pack that came with the kit only 4 weeks ago and your going to bottle you are good to go. You would only need to add more if you bulk aged an extra 3-4 months. Sounds like that 40ppm is spot on. Peter is right. I have performed the exact same test he did looking for the best lighting conditions. I found mine to be under a ceiling fan with (4 ) 60 watt light bulbs in it.


----------



## Gekko4321 (Jul 28, 2011)

Peter, I did see your advice on that from an earlier post and that is exactly what I was operating under. Mike, my instructions (RJS EP Cab) say to add 1/4 teas. if I plan on aging more than 6 months. After my non-read last night that is what I decided to do. It did not say if I were planning to bulk age, just age which I assumed in the bottle. I plan to retest in daylight today or a different 60 watt bulb. Am I gonna be alright with the 1/4 add if I bottle today?


----------



## ibglowin (Jul 28, 2011)

When they say aging, they mean "bulk aging" in a carboy or similar, not bottle aging. If you added another 1/4 tsp I suspect you have way more than needed to last forever in a bottle. Do a taste test and see if you can smell it or taste it. Red wines only need 20-30 ppm free sulfite depending on the pH. If your test read 40ppm you have double what you need so don't add anymore!


----------



## Gekko4321 (Jul 28, 2011)

I haven't bottled yet so is there something I should do to save it? Will it dissipate in the bottle? I planned on aging it for at least 18 months. Should I maybe bulk age this now versus bottling? Would that help? I cannot effectively use these pH strips or the Accuvin tests. Even the bars your supposed to match too don't seem to go dark to light but hop around. George tells me that these tests are not really useful with kits which further frustrates me here at the finish line.


----------



## ibglowin (Jul 28, 2011)

Do the taste, smell test. If you can taste it or smell it in the wine I would just bulk age it for 3 mo then bottle. If you cant taste it or smell it then go ahead and bottle it. 
The Sulfite levels will drop much faster in a carboy than in the bottle (thats why you add more every 3-4 months. Once in the bottle it will drop but very slowly.......


----------



## Gekko4321 (Jul 28, 2011)

Will do. I will let you know how it goes later.


----------



## Gekko4321 (Jul 28, 2011)

I dunno. I wasted a few more Accuvins and still cannot really grasp the color matching. I would 'guess' that yesterday my low range test showed 40 ppm. I did a high range test today, after adding the 1/4 teasp. last night, and I would guess it shows 65 ppm now, but I can see 90 fitting too. I smelled and tasted a sample. I cannot smell anything really. I believe I sense a slight burnt match taste. Could be in my head though cause I know that is what I am looking for. Next I took a sample that I did not sulphite yesterday. Maybe 28 ppm on this one. I could note that the freshly sulphited was more astrigent vs. the untouched sample. I would not say bad but a little more puckering? What should I do from here? I intended to bottle today the sulphited batch. I planned to bulk age the unsulphited batch, but realize I need to apply some SO2 to it too. If I bottled the heavily sulphited and bottle aged it for 18 months what is my worse case scenario? Will the SO2 calm down by then? Does aerating the wine then dissapate the sulphite concerns? What do I do with my planned bulk aged batch? I feel like I have to go back to being blind about this as these test strips just do not seem to work for me. Any advice appreciated.


----------



## ibglowin (Jul 28, 2011)

I gave up on the Accuvin as I had the same experience. I might as well have thrown darts at a dart board. I went with an Aeration/Oxidation rig but then I am a chemist by trade so it was right up my ally. I think your worrying way to much. If you want you could splash rack it once to react some of the free SO2 so it will be bound up as SO3. Its still in there so you may be able to taste it but not smell it. 

I over sulfited every batch of my first years wines. I followed the add 1/4 tsp every 3 months. I guess I have a sensitive nose for it as it was all I could smell.

It will fade a bit over time in the bottle but it could take another year to do so.

I have done enough testing to know that you can get by with just the initial packet of sulfite for up to 6 months bulk aging for a red wine that is properly topped up and stoppered. I might add 1/8 tsp more for a white at 6 months.

If you can't smell it I wouldn't worry about it, the puckering taste is just that of green (unaged wine). That will fade over time as it settles down and becomes what it was meant to be. 

Aeration does wonders for wine so just remember to give your wine time to breath before serving it. This will help to rid the wine of any sulfite smell and let the wine express itself.


----------



## Gekko4321 (Jul 28, 2011)

Thanks Mike as always.

"I have done enough testing to know that you can get by with just the initial packet of sulfite for up to 6 months bulk aging for a red wine that is properly topped up and stoppered." 

When you say stoppered are you speaking of the standard 3 piece airlock? Would it be wiser of me to let this one bulk age for 3-6 months since the SO2 dissapation will be greater? I am stuck not knowing what to do going forward. Without proper testing and with the blind 1/4 teasp. being too much(often), one has no way of knowing do they? Alot of time and money invested to just get dropped here at the goal line.


----------



## Randoneur (Jul 28, 2011)

I think you will use up more free SO2 if you use a 3 piece airlock vs. a solid bung.


----------



## ibglowin (Jul 28, 2011)

An airlock is what you want in this case for sure!


----------

