How much dilution and acid addition for Primitivo

[Landwaster]

Just received and crushed our Primitivo shipment from CA.

I blended and strained a sample of must and got 28 brix, 3.98 PH, 6.4 TA.

The MoreWine guide has an example of dilution and acidification using similar measurements, and recommends dropping the brix to 24.5 and bringing up the TA by 2 g/L.

I don't want this wine to be too high heavy and high alcohol, but don't want to water it down or make it too tart either. Are these adjustments within an OK range pre-fermentation and MLF? For our 100 gallons of Primitivo must, I would be looking at adding 10 gallons of water with 750g of tartaric acid.

 

[Donnab1045]

Watering down your wine prefermentation should not cause it to taste watery; watering down after fermentation will. Make your brix adjustment before you make your pH adjustment, after you know the new brix. 26 brix would be fine. Your TA at 6.4 looks good to me, but you need to taste it. No reason to go to 8 g/L TA; that is more like a white wine TA. When you add the tartaric, if you do, only add half of what your guide recommends and taste and test. Youi can always add acid later. What you want now is to get the brix down prior to fermentation, and the pH to a more reasonable number.

 

[ibglowin]

Always use acidulated water to lower brix unless you have a high brix and LOW pH wine (which is very unusual). Also make sure you only add 1/2 the amount of Tartaric you calculate as you can always add more but its not as easy to take it back out once its in. Check your pH, TA and taste along the way.