Acidity in Wine: Part 5 (Final)

After you have completed your acid testing you will have determined the acid level present in your wine sample. Recommended acid levels for various types of wine were provided in Part 2 of this series on wine acidity.

If you need to increase the acid level in your wine to meet the recommended level you can add acid blend. It takes one gram of acid blend to increase the acidity in one liter of wine must by 0.1%. Thus, if you have a 6-gallon carboy (23 liters) you would need to add 23 grams of acid blend for each 0.1% increase in acidity desired.

No scale? No problem! A level tablespoon of acid blend weighs approximately 15-1/4 grams, a level teaspoon would weigh approximately 5.1 grams, and a quarter teaspoon would tip the scales at approximately 1.2 grams.

Having to decrease acidity in wine must is not usually where you want to be. Increasing acidity is easy, decreasing it is possible but the results can be less than satisfactory.

The addition of calcium (or potassium) carbonate will reduce the total acidity (TA) of your wine but should never be used to lower the TA by more than 0.4% as the carbonate can taint the flavor of your wine. It takes approximately 2/3 gram of carbonate to lower the TA of one liter of wine must by 0.1%. The maximum dosage (to lower TA by 0.4%) is thus 2-2/3 gram per liter. If you do not have a scale you can approximate the proper dosage of carbonate by knowing that a level teaspoon of carbonate weighs approximately 2.6 grams.

Rules of the Road:

Test twice prior to adding anything to your wine must; and

Additives should be mixed into your wine must in very small quantities as it is easier to add more then to remove excess; and

Test after each addition to determine whether additional quantities are required.

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