Raspberry wine recipe question - acid/php

[brottman]

I'm in the beginning steps of this Raspberry wine recipe:

http://www.purplefootusa.com/galleryImage.asp?ID=7

My main question - the recipe calls for the addition of acid blend. Is this really appropriate? I've heard a bit that it instead might need the opposite for right now - potassium bicarbonate to buffer the ph, and then worry about adjusting the ph down the road prior to bottling.

So should I add acid blend, or potassium bicarbonate, or neither?

 

[salcoco]

Best bet is to measure your acid and ph, shoot for number like 6-8 grams/liter and ph of 3.3-3.5 for ph. if you need to add acid do as required of commercial wineries add citric acid. if acid is high go ahead and ferment do your adjustments post fermentation. post fermentation start with taste test, the back sweeten if to tart.

 

[acorn]

I agree with salcoco about measuring acidity and pH first, but from my experience, adding acid blend to raspberry must as per recipe was one of the most unwise ideas that I ever used in wine making. Even though I used ripe raspberry juice diluted with water at a ratio of about 1:3.5, after adding 1.5 tsp of acid blend as they recommended (1/2 tsp per gallon), I ended up with quite unpleasant acidity, and pH of about 3.2. I am thinking of "rescuing" this batch by back sweetening, although it is my last resort to make it drinkable. So, if you aim to make a dry or off-dry raspberry wine, go ahead and measure the acidity first, and then decide. However, I would advise to keep acid additions to a minimum in this case.

 

[Turock]

We always adjust PH up front before fermenting. We set our PH on rasp at about 3.4. Use calcium carbonate or some Acidex for adjustment. Adjusting up front is a lot easier--and integrates better, too--than doing it afterward.