Question:
Sorry Chris, I don’t know. However, I expect it would be a very small correction. Regards, lum
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks, I forgot about that test. I am going to have to try it tonight. By the way, do you know how much a degree up or down affects the value of 3.56? -Chris
Response:
Lum, so there is something that you don’t know? :) Well as a follow up I tried the test (under the assumption that cream of tartar does not break down over age) using some that I borrowed. After I calibrated with my pH solution, I was getting readings somewhere around 2.2 so it must be my solutions. Time to get some newer solutions. -Chris – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Sorry Chris, I don’t know. However, I expect it would be a very small correction. Regards, lum Thanks, I forgot about that test. I am going to have to try it tonight. By the way, do you know how much a degree up or down affects the value of 3.56? -Chris
Response:
As for the acid content, I have been following recipes that I have taken from various sources (mostly from Jack Keller’s site).
Chris, my recipes should yield pH values in the 3.2-3.6 range, although a star fruit wine I made was a puckering 2.8 and was immediately blended with a banana wine to soften it considerably. Having followed this thread to this date, I think you have arrived at the explanation. Your solutions should still be good, but you don’t know how long the kit was on the shelf before it was sold or if it was subjected to extreme heat when it was shipped. I would be interested in the true pH values of your wines when you get new calibrating solutions. Jack Keller, The Winemaking Home Page, http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/index.asp
Response:
Thanks, I forgot about that test. I am going to have to try it tonight. By the way, do you know how much a degree up or down affects the value of 3.56? -Chris – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hi Chris, Go to the grocery store and buy some "cream of tarter" (potassium bitartrate) and some distilled water. Make a saturated solution by adding 1/2 tsp. of cream of tarter to cup of water. Stir well. The solution is saturated if you can see crystals in the bottom of the container. The pH of this saturated solution is 3.56 at 68 F. The pH is stable, and the solution can be used to check or even calibrate your pH meter. Regards, lum On the weekend I set out testing one of my blueberry wines to see if I could figure out what was going on with the acidity. I tested it with my pH meter, which I calibrated 2 minutes prior to testing. I had a reading of 1.7. I then did a T.A. test where I was approx. 6.5 g/l . I then decided to test a red wine kit that I was doing. The pH was 2.2! Something wasn’t quite right. So I then took the pH of my fish tank which read 7.1 . I then did the standard chemical test for fish tanks to determine the pH. I had a reading of at least 7.5 (that was the highest the pH kit went to). So my conclusion is that my pH meter is not working. I think it must be the solution that I am using to calibrate it. It is the only thing I can think of. Problem is, I am still waiting for the only place in town that I know of, that carries it to get some more stock in. If anyone knows any places in Toronto (or north of Toronto where I can get pH solution, feel free to tell me). So I guess this mystery of the fruit wines will have to stay a mystery for the time being. As a side note, why is it that people only mention two methods of testing pH; strips of meters? Is there a chemical method, similar to testing fish tanks for this? It would probably be just as accurate (if not more) than strips. -Chris I calibrated my pH meter about an hour before the testing. Maybe my pH solutions are getting old (about 5 months now). I am testing the wine (not the must). The wine has quite a dry, alcoholic bite to it but is not unpleasant. I found it strange that they were all roughly in the same area for the readings. As for the acid content, I have been following recipes that I have taken from various sources (mostly from Jack Keller’s site). -Chris Buffers only 5 months old should still be fine. I use mind for up to year. But *something* has to be wrong with your measuring system, somewhere. 1/10th molar tartaric acid in water (15 g tartaric in 1 liter) has a pH of only 2.2. Given that wine typically has half this much acid, it doesn’t seem possible that your wine would have a pH a whole pH unit lower. What is the TA of your wine? Dave
Response:
Hi Chris, Go to the grocery store and buy some "cream of tarter" (potassium bitartrate) and some distilled water. Make a saturated solution by adding 1/2 tsp. of cream of tarter to cup of water. Stir well. The solution is saturated if you can see crystals in the bottom of the container. The pH of this saturated solution is 3.56 at 68 F. The pH is stable, and the solution can be used to check or even calibrate your pH meter. Regards, lum
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – On the weekend I set out testing one of my blueberry wines to see if I could figure out what was going on with the acidity. I tested it with my pH meter, which I calibrated 2 minutes prior to testing. I had a reading of 1.7. I then did a T.A. test where I was approx. 6.5 g/l . I then decided to test a red wine kit that I was doing. The pH was 2.2! Something wasn’t quite right. So I then took the pH of my fish tank which read 7.1 . I then did the standard chemical test for fish tanks to determine the pH. I had a reading of at least 7.5 (that was the highest the pH kit went to). So my conclusion is that my pH meter is not working. I think it must be the solution that I am using to calibrate it. It is the only thing I can think of. Problem is, I am still waiting for the only place in town that I know of, that carries it to get some more stock in. If anyone knows any places in Toronto (or north of Toronto where I can get pH solution, feel free to tell me). So I guess this mystery of the fruit wines will have to stay a mystery for the time being. As a side note, why is it that people only mention two methods of testing pH; strips of meters? Is there a chemical method, similar to testing fish tanks for this? It would probably be just as accurate (if not more) than strips. -Chris I calibrated my pH meter about an hour before the testing. Maybe my pH solutions are getting old (about 5 months now). I am testing the wine (not the must). The wine has quite a dry, alcoholic bite to it but is not unpleasant. I found it strange that they were all roughly in the same area for the readings. As for the acid content, I have been following recipes that I have taken from various sources (mostly from Jack Keller’s site). -Chris Buffers only 5 months old should still be fine. I use mind for up to year. But *something* has to be wrong with your measuring system, somewhere. 1/10th molar tartaric acid in water (15 g tartaric in 1 liter) has a pH of only 2.2. Given that wine typically has half this much acid, it doesn’t seem possible that your wine would have a pH a whole pH unit lower. What is the TA of your wine? Dave
Response:
On the weekend I set out testing one of my blueberry wines to see if I could figure out what was going on with the acidity. I tested it with my pH meter, which I calibrated 2 minutes prior to testing. I had a reading of 1.7. I then did a T.A. test where I was approx. 6.5 g/l . I then decided to test a red wine kit that I was doing. The pH was 2.2! Something wasn’t quite right. So I then took the pH of my fish tank which read 7.1 . I then did the standard chemical test for fish tanks to determine the pH. I had a reading of at least 7.5 (that was the highest the pH kit went to). So my conclusion is that my pH meter is not working. I think it must be the solution that I am using to calibrate it. It is the only thing I can think of. Problem is, I am still waiting for the only place in town that I know of, that carries it to get some more stock in. If anyone knows any places in Toronto (or north of Toronto where I can get pH solution, feel free to tell me). So I guess this mystery of the fruit wines will have to stay a mystery for the time being. As a side note, why is it that people only mention two methods of testing pH; strips of meters? Is there a chemical method, similar to testing fish tanks for this? It would probably be just as accurate (if not more) than strips. -Chris – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I calibrated my pH meter about an hour before the testing. Maybe my pH solutions are getting old (about 5 months now). I am testing the wine (not the must). The wine has quite a dry, alcoholic bite to it but is not unpleasant. I found it strange that they were all roughly in the same area for the readings. As for the acid content, I have been following recipes that I have taken from various sources (mostly from Jack Keller’s site). -Chris Buffers only 5 months old should still be fine. I use mind for up to year. But *something* has to be wrong with your measuring system, somewhere. 1/10th molar tartaric acid in water (15 g tartaric in 1 liter) has a pH of only 2.2. Given that wine typically has half this much acid, it doesn’t seem possible that your wine would have a pH a whole pH unit lower. What is the TA of your wine? Dave
Response:
Yes, CB! next time, test the pH of your must and if it is low, add bananas! It will bring up your pH. For something as low as yours, try adding 1 lb per gallon during ferment, check evry 3-4 days when the bananas break down. Add more if necessary. Joanne – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I don’t think I have seen this mentioned before but does anyone perform pH tests on their fruit wines? I know that grape wines are generally in the neighborhood of 3-4 . I check some strawberry, blueberry and pear wine this weekend and they all had a pH of 1.5 – 1.6. This sounds really low to me. Anyone have any experience with this? -Chris
Response:
I calibrated my pH meter about an hour before the testing. Maybe my pH solutions are getting old (about 5 months now). I am testing the wine (not the must). The wine has quite a dry, alcoholic bite to it but is not unpleasant. I found it strange that they were all roughly in the same area for the readings. As for the acid content, I have been following recipes that I have taken from various sources (mostly from Jack Keller’s site). -Chris
Buffers only 5 months old should still be fine. I use mind for up to year. But *something* has to be wrong with your measuring system, somewhere. 1/10th molar tartaric acid in water (15 g tartaric in 1 liter) has a pH of only 2.2. Given that wine typically has half this much acid, it doesn’t seem possible that your wine would have a pH a whole pH unit lower. What is the TA of your wine? Dave
Response:
I just started 20 gallons of cherry in the last couple of weeks. When I tested the pH, it was 3.2. I don’t have any fancy testing equiptment, just pH strips. You said you tested your wine, not must? I heard, maybe here, that pH lowers after the juice becomes wine. Could this be why yours is so low? Tom
Response:
I calibrated my pH meter about an hour before the testing. Maybe my pH solutions are getting old (about 5 months now). I am testing the wine (not the must). The wine has quite a dry, alcoholic bite to it but is not unpleasant. I found it strange that they were all roughly in the same area for the readings. As for the acid content, I have been following recipes that I have taken from various sources (mostly from Jack Keller’s site). -Chris – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I just started 20 gallons of cherry in the last couple of weeks. When I tested the pH, it was 3.2. I don’t have any fancy testing equiptment, just pH strips. You said you tested your wine, not must? I heard, maybe here, that pH lowers after the juice becomes wine. Could this be why yours is so low? Tom
Response:
I don’t think I have seen this mentioned before but does anyone perform pH tests on their fruit wines? I know that grape wines are generally in the neighborhood of 3-4 . I check some strawberry, blueberry and pear wine this weekend and they all had a pH of 1.5 – 1.6. This sounds really low to me. Anyone have any experience with this? -Chris
Response:
Yes. I measure pH regularly on my fruit wines. They are all between 3 and 4. There must be something wrong with your measurement. You can’t get a pH that low unless you are adding lots of strong acid. What kind of pH meter are you using? Have you calibrated it properly? —-Greg – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I don’t think I have seen this mentioned before but does anyone perform pH tests on their fruit wines? I know that grape wines are generally in the neighborhood of 3-4 . I check some strawberry, blueberry and pear wine this weekend and they all had a pH of 1.5 – 1.6. This sounds really low to me. Anyone have any experience with this? -Chris
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