High PH and Normal TA

[winemaker_3352]

So I am wondering if I should be concered.

My Seyval TA was high this year - after getting my TA to 7g/l - the PH is at 3.7.

I know that high PH can lead to spoliage generally due because the acid is low.

But being my acid is at the right level - am i still at risk for spoilage?

 

[ShawnDTurner]

Let say that your P.H is correct. 3.7 you would need 63 ppm free So2 to protect this wine adequately. At 50 ppm the nose can detect the So2. Is this Seyval Blanc? Which I believe is a white wine are you going to Malo or no?

How does it taste, is it flabby? I would think it would be at that PH.
Cheers.

 

[winemaker_3352]

The wine tastes fine.

Not flabby at all.

The TA is 7.2 g/l which is spot on for seyval blanc. I am not doing a malo fermentation with this.

 

[ShawnDTurner]

Then I would say add the adequate amount of S02 in order to protect it and roll with it. Cheers!

 

[winemaker_3352]

Yeah that's my thoughts as well.

With the acid being at the right level it shouldn't spoil as it would if the acid were low right??

 

[salcoco]

The Ph level is the indicator of possible bacterial contamination. That is why so2 levels are tied to Ph levels. the higher the ph level the greater the risk, therefore the greater the amount of so2.

 

[ShawnDTurner]

No......Total acidity is a measure of all of the organic and inorganic acids in wine. Each acid (tartaric, Malic, Citric, acetic, etc) contributes to the total acidity of the wine.

The PH measures the quantity of acids present, the strength of those acids and the effects of minerals and other ingredients in the wine.

PH and TA have a correlative and non-relative aspect to each other and quite complex to describe. It's like trying to nail down a fart in a windstorm.

When you are looking at wine stability (Temp, Color, Spoilage) PH has the greatest effect. Cheers!

 

[winemaker_3352]

So should I lower the ph?? It will make the TA go up through the roof.

 

[GreginND]

The pH is high but not out of the range to be able to protect your wine with so2. If it tastes fine, I would not try to adjust it.

 

[Runningwolf]

I agree with Greg, I would not touch the ph. At 3.7 calculations say you should be at 73ppm. I personally would not go over 60 ppm. After that it could be detectable in taste.

 

[winemaker_3352]

I guess I am working too many hours lately.

But my TA was 6.6 not 7.2 g/l - miscalculation on the syringe hash marks.

So I went and adjusted it - PH is now 3.50 and TA is 7.2.

Taste is still very good if anything a little more more fruit aromas come out.

I am happy with those readings.

Thanks for the help and advice.