Insipid wine

[dderemiah]

I have a tempranillo from grapes that is now in secondary that I tasted and the best way to describe it is "incipid". When I got the grapes the original readings were :

OG 1.102 Ph 4.16 and TA 3.9 . I used Lalvin 71B-1122 and the ferment was quick (4 days!) I pressed at 1.000 . I went back to the handbook and noticed that the acid level for reds should be 5-7 TA. Is the low TA the problem? I think it is missing the tartness I assume would be due to tartaric acid. Can I add acid now or is it too late in the process to do that? I could just hold onto it until I have a wine that is too high in acid and blend...

P.S. I did a 2nd run with Welches, nutrient and sugar and added acid up to 7 TA and it actually tastes more like wine. Maybe I should blend the second run with the first.

 

[surlees]

If it were mine, I'd let it finish fermenting then add tartaric acid to get the pH down to 3.3-3.6.

Fred

 

[Midwest Vintner]

If it were mine, I'd let it finish fermenting then add tartaric acid to get the pH down to 3.3-3.6.

Fred

sounds about right. don't mess with acid in fermentation process. better wait till she's done.

 

[Wade E]

God advice above!

 

[dderemiah]

Will there be any disadvantage to adding acid after ferment rather than adding it to the must before starting the ferment?

 

[Wade E]

The only disadvantage is that you might not have as good of a fermentation but if its going good you should be fine. Make sure you get thsi done and sulfite it as soon as possible because out of whack wine will go south much faster!

 

[Midwest Vintner]

The only disadvantage is that you might not have as good of a fermentation but if its going good you should be fine. Make sure you get thsi done and sulfite it as soon as possible because out of whack wine will go south much faster!

agreed. needs protection from both acid and alcohol.

acid should be right (~3.4-3.6 pH) before fermenting, but the actual fermentation process might be stopped/stalled if you change things during.

 

[dderemiah]

I don't have a Ph test kit, but I tested the acid level a couple days ago and it says the level is around 6. Maybe it gained some acidity from fermenting on the skins?

The low level was tested by the grower right after crush. I racked off the lees after it completed fermenting. Right now it is just bulk aging.

I forgot to add sulphite when I racked the last (3rd) time. Do I need to rack again to add the K-meta or do I just drop it in the carboy on top?

 

[surlees]

dderemiah,

First, regarding Kmeta, you didn't say what size carboy you have, but if it's a 6-gallon add 1/4 tsp. of Kmeta. You don't need to rack again to do this. Add it to just enough water to dissolve it (about 50 ml.) then pour it in your wine and gently stir for about a minute.

Second, regarding pH, I think you're confused. If your pH is 6 as you said, you practically have water which is pH 7. Usually wine pH is between 3.0 and 4.0. If you used pH strips to test your wine these are notoriously hard to read, especially in red wine, because the wine's color distorts the strip color. Get someone with a pH meter to test it for you or borrow one from someone.

Fred

 

[dderemiah]

It's the TA that is 6. The question was if the TA increases after being on the skins or is my test kit not measuring correctly?

 

[surlees]

Sorry, I misunderstood. TA of 6 sounds about right. The pH is actually a more important number though. Can you access a pH meter to test ph?

Fred

 

[dderemiah]

I can get a litmus test at the HBS on Monday. Thanks.

 

[surlees]

Litmus test or pH strips are a waste of money. You need better accuracy than that. A ph meter will run you about $85 up. I don't know if you want to invest that much, but it's an essential item for all but kit wines.

Maybe someone else on this forum will have some suggestions.

Fred

 

[Midwest Vintner]

Litmus test or pH strips are a waste of money. You need better accuracy than that. A ph meter will run you about $85 up. I don't know if you want to invest that much, but it's an essential item for all but kit wines.

Maybe someone else on this forum will have some suggestions.

Fred

that would be mine ^

 

[dderemiah]

I decided to just experiment with different amounts of acid on a sample and it tastes great with 1g/L of tartaric acid. So that's what I'll add.

Thanks for all the advice. At some point I may break down and get the Ph meter, but for now this works.