Carménère Fresh Juice Pail

[Tigre Cieca di Bocco]

Just picked up my Chilean fresh juice pail. Going to use BDX yeast. Just waiting for the juice to come up to temp.

pH = 3.7
TA = 3.5
Brix = 21

This is the first time I have used fresh juice. Should I adjust the TA now or wait until after fermentation? The Brix is a bit low, but I am using the Mosti All-Grape pack so that should give it a little boost. I will take another reading just before pitching the yeast.

 

[heatherd]

I would adjust your pH to be less than 3.4.

 

[Ajmassa]

I would adjust your pH to be less than 3.4.

Heather, why would you go less than 3.4 on a red? That seems low to me if already at 3.7.
i stopped messing with juice bucket ph’s altogether. for whatever reason after fermentation and mlf it always seems to fall into place for me. i do however like to bump sugar to about 1.100 sg. that grape pack is fantastic. but only adds a couple ticks to SG if i remember correctly.

 

[heatherd]

Heather, why would you go less than 3.4 on a red? That seems low to me if already at 3.7.
i stopped messing with juice bucket ph’s altogether. for whatever reason after fermentation and mlf it always seems to fall into place for me. i do however like to bump sugar to about 1.100 sg. that grape pack is fantastic. but only adds a couple ticks to SG if i remember correctly.

Yeah, that makes sense.

 

[Tigre Cieca di Bocco]

Decided to leave the pH/TA alone, but did add 9 oz. of sugar to bring the Brix to a hair under 22.

I will pitch the yeast today and see where this goes.

 

[Ajmassa]

Yeah, that makes sense.

no i was genuinely asking! i know 3.6 is kinda like the default safe target ph. but one of my best wines was around 3.3. and i know some expensive commercial reds can be around 4.0. all over the map!
Was curious if certain varietals or variables factor into how you adjust must.

 

[heatherd]

no i was genuinely asking! i know 3.6 is kinda like the default safe target ph. but one of my best wines was around 3.3. and i know some expensive commercial reds can be around 4.0. all over the map!
Was curious if certain varietals or variables factor into how you adjust must.

That's info from MoreWine that SO2 is pH-dependant. Guide to SO2 Management and SO2 Calculator | MoreWine (morewinemaking.com) And the desired pH is from Winemakers Academy: The Importance of pH in Wine Making – Winemaker's Academy (winemakersacademy.com)

"In Technology of Winemaking the following pH ranges are recommended for wine must:

• White Wines < 3.3
• Red Wines < 3.4
• Sweet Wines < 3.4
• Dessert Wines < 3.6"

 

[Tigre Cieca di Bocco]

Picked up the Fresco bucket yesterday and something does not seem right. I think my pH reader may need replacing. I recalibrated it and was consistently getting a pH of 2.8. The Brix was 24 so that seems correct. Any ideas why a reading would come in that acidic on what is supposedly a balanced juice? Could a little extra Star San residue cause this? I emailed the company to see if they can provide me with their readings from when they balanced it.

 

[Tigre Cieca di Bocco]

An update on the first Toro Negro juice pail...

SG was 1.02 on 5.18 so I have it a final punch down and put it under airlock. Going to give it a 70 day extended maceration, or on that range.

 

[Rice_Guy]

StarSan?, a few ml in a six gallon bucket would not be able to push the pH a measurable level.
Low pH? ,, a few choices 1) it actually is low in which case the taste will be noticeably sour/ acidic, this goes along with early picking and low sugar 2) the bucket is fermenting this will go along with some bubbles a yeasty taste/ bitter carbonic acid flavors 3) bad meter or probe check on a few branded products (branded foods have specifications/ are controlled) expect numbers like; Pepsi=2.5, 7Up=3.5, CitrusDew soda=3.0, Snapple tea=3.0, Dannon yoghurt=4.1, MillerLight=4.3
My experience with digital meters is that they are quite reliable, however if you run dirty materials as pilot plant samples the probe can get dirty and the old style liquid KCl probe needs to be refilled every year. .... First and foremost taste the juice, if it is off you will taste it.

Picked up the Fresco bucket yesterday and something does not seem right. I think my pH reader may need replacing. I recalibrated it and was consistently getting a pH of 2.8. The Brix was 24 so that seems correct. Any ideas why a reading would come in that acidic on what is supposedly a balanced juice? Could a little extra Star San residue cause this? I emailed the company to see if they can provide me with their readings from when they balanced it.

 

[Tigre Cieca di Bocco]

I figured it could not be the StarSan. It tasted fine so I am thinking my probe is bad.

 

[Tigre Cieca di Bocco]

I was able to get it working again. 3.4 pH 4.10 TA seems a little more in line. I had to clean the probe with some solution and recalibrate yet again, but it seems all good now.

 

[joemercurio]

Picked up the Fresco bucket yesterday and something does not seem right. I think my pH reader may need replacing. I recalibrated it and was consistently getting a pH of 2.8. The Brix was 24 so that seems correct. Any ideas why a reading would come in that acidic on what is supposedly a balanced juice? Could a little extra Star San residue cause this? I emailed the company to see if they can provide me with their readings from when they balanced it.

who'd you buy it from?

 

[Tigre Cieca di Bocco]

@joemercurio I bought it from Musto. I get everything there.

 

[Tigre Cieca di Bocco]

Update. Just racked and pressed both batches. 74 day EM on the Toro Negro and 67 days on the Fresco.

The SG of the Toro Negro was at .994 and SG of the Fresco was at .992.

Going to add some dark toasted French oak to both and bulk age for a min of 8 months.