Hydrometer or PH meter

[David Engel]

Hi All,

Pretty basic question. I have a hydrometer and know how to read it. This year I will have my first year of a good harvest that will (could) give me 3-5 gallons of wine. Those of you who have been here... did you use the hydrometer for all your lab work or did you use a PH meter? Why or why not?

Dave

 

[Cynewulf]

You need a pH meter to help you decide when to harvest, what your must’s initial pH is in case you want to make adjustments, and inform your sulfite additions. Once fermentation has started you use the hydrometer to monitor progress but the pH meter won’t really be used until after alcoholic and malolactic fermentation is complete to determine the final pH.

 

[David Engel]

Should I interpret this as a hydrometer will not give me the real data I need to make decisions on additions and subtractions?

 

[ChuckD]

They do completely different things. The hydrometer tells you the initial sugar content and is used to monitor the progress of your fermentation. The pH meter is used like @Cynewulf states, to make adjustments to the must and wine. With experience your mouth can tell you roughly what’s going on with pH. If I were limited to one it would be the hydrometer. I wouldn’t voluntarily do without either of them.

 

[Rice_Guy]

A hydrometer will give a density reading. The density gives a fairly “good enough “ estimate of sugar. FAIRLY good, but not as good as a lab test which measures sugar. With a hydrometer we can adjust the sugar up, and monitor its disappearance as yeast consume it. It is a cheap tool so we use it a lot.

pH is related to chemical and microbial stability. Generally speaking lower is more stable, but yeast don’t like below 2.8. A practical limit is try to be above 3.2 or even 3.0, yeast make CO2 which lowers the pH. Since this is a “preservative” issue we adjust this in the juice.

Titratable Acidity is a measure of how many grams of acid are in a liter. This is related to impact on your taste, ,,, ie how quickly the acid washes off your taste buds. If you have a pH meter you can run TA by buying a syringe and 0.2 or 0.1 Normal sodium hydroxide. ,,, Since this is a flavor issue we “fix” or adjust it before bottling. Chilling can remove tartaric. MLF can remove malic acid.

 

[BigDaveK]

Earlier this year I bought my first pH meter. Did I really really need it? Probably not, but I love it and use it all the time.

I think it will up your game a bit...and isn't that what we try to do?

 

[qasimbashir6242]

Hi All,

Pretty basic question. I have a hydrometer and know how to read it. This year I will have my first year of a good harvest that will (could) give me 3-5 gallons of wine. Those of you who have been here... did you use the hydrometer for all your lab work or did you use a PH meter? Why or why not?

Dave

Hey Dave,

Congrats on your upcoming wine harvest! When it comes to winemaking, both a hydrometer and a pH meter have their roles. The hydrometer is key for measuring sugar levels during fermentation, helping you track alcohol potential. On the other hand, a pH meter is useful to monitor the acidity of your wine. Maintaining the right pH range is crucial for flavor, fermentation efficiency, and preventing spoilage.

So, ideally, you'd use both tools for different purposes. The hydrometer helps you gauge fermentation progress, while a pH meter ensures your wine's quality. Each contributes to a successful winemaking process. Best of luck with your harvest!

Cheers,
Ahmad