Brix only 18 on my petite pearls.

[Ivywoods]

I'm growing a variety of grapes, but mostly petite pearl. They appear ready to harvest, but I tested the brix and it is only 18. Is it possible to raise the brix higher at this stage? I'm very new at this!

 

[Rice_Guy]

Petite Pearl is one of the later harvest grapes, in the midwest I expect it to be ready to pick about two weeks after Marquette or Frontenac or three weeks after Briana.

My PP is still green, last year I picked at the end of September. curious? Are the yellow jacket wasps going after it? If not let it ripen.

 

[Ivywoods]

My Petite Pearl grapes have been dark, dark purple for well over a week, maybe at least 2 or 3 weeks. I just tested the brix last night and most were right around 18. I've seen a few wasp, but not many. I'm not sure there is much I can do at this point. Perhaps I should let them alone unless they predict rain.

 

[Hazelemere]

I'm growing a variety of grapes, but mostly petite pearl. They appear ready to harvest, but I tested the brix and it is only 18. Is it possible to raise the brix higher at this stage? I'm very new at this!

leave them alone its only the 3rd week of July. Watch them. Open one up and look at the seed colour. If the seeds are white they are under-ripe. If they go brown and taste good i.e. not too acidic with a good smell they may be ready to pick. Try to get the brix up to about 21-22%. 18 is generally under-ripe and certainly under-ripe in late July. If the skins are glossy try to wait until they start to go dull and even shrivel a tiny bit. At that point if the seeds are brown and they taste good i.e. not too acidic, they are ready to pick.

 

[Greg Corey]

Brix is a great measure, and I think it's telling you that they are underripe. Along with what @Hazelemere and others have said, I would taste some berries now and try to remember that flavor. Then, in 4-6 weeks (or more) taste again, with another Brix reading and compare the flavors. I think you'll find that the berries are more smooth with less of an astringent sharp bite. Getting good at tasting berries and assessing ripeness is a crucial skill I believe. Sort of the art next to the science of brix.

 

[countygrapeguy]

I don't expect to pick my Petite Pearl until the first week of October

 

[Rice_Guy]

My calendar tells me that the local winery invited me to pick PP on Oct 4 last year. I did mine about a week before.

Patience , ,,, the gravity last year was 1.102, two years back was 1.090