Using an Acid Test Kit to Measure Wine Acidity

A simple and inexpensive way to measure the acidity level (TA) is to purchase a home wine making acid test kit from the BlueStem Winery web site. This acid testing kit uses a titration method to determine the acid level present. Without teaching a lesson in high school chemistry, titration testing involves the addition of a reagent (in this case it is sodium hydroxide) to a mix of your wine and a color indicator (phenolphtalein).

A wine sample (15ml) is drawn and placed in a test tube. Three drops of the color indicator are drawn and added to the wine sample. Swirl the test tube until the wine and indicator are thoroughly mixed.

Next a syringe is used to draw 10ml of the reagent. The reagent is added to the test tube containing the wine/color indicator at the rate of 0.5ml. After each addition the test tube is swirled to mix the reagent with the wine/color indicator. As the drops are added the color of the mix in the test tube will change. White wines will turn pink, red wines will turn gray/black. As the test tube is swirled the color change disappears. Keep adding the 0.5ml droplets until, when swirled, the wine/indicator mix does not go back to its original color. Each milliliter of reagent used indicates an acidity level of 0.1% TA. Correct acidity levels for various types of wines was presented in my just prior blog entry.

BlueStem Winery is a wine making and homebrew supply retailer located in Parkersburg, Iowa and on the web. BlueStem features a comple line of beer brewing and wine making equipment plus an excellent assortment of our own BlueStems Best home brewing ingredient kits and an extensive inventory of both Cellar Craft and WinExpert wine kits. You can expect that you will not be treated like a purchaser at a big box home brew equipment retailer. We offer beer ingredients, brewing equipment and beer brewing kits at reasonable prices but our time and advice provided in any quantity free of charge. We take the time to see you through any winemaking or homebrew problem.

Recommended Levels of Acidity in Wine

When you drink a glass of wine, the acids which are present are what provide the crisp, tart taste. If a wine tastes flat it is because the wine has too little acid present. If your wine has too much acid present it has a sour taste (like a grapefruit). Wine which have what is referred to as proper balance are wines which have the correct level of acidity, alcohol, sugar, etc.).

Dry wines require a lower acidity level then sweet wines because the presence of sugar helps mask the tartness of the acids. Dry white wines should have an acidity level between 0.65% and 0.75% while dry red wines require a slightly lower acid level of 0.60% to 0.70%.

Sweeter white wines generally have an acid level between 0.70% and 0.80% or even slightly higher. Sweet red wines should have acid levels between 0.65 and 0.75% or slightly higher.

Wines made from lighter colored fruits (apples, pears, peaches, etc.) have a recommended acid levels between 0.55% and 0.65% while darker colored fruit wines (plums, raspberries, blackberries, etc.) need to have acid levels between 0.50% and 0.60%.

The percentages expressed are referred to as titratable acidity (or TA) by those making wine and are a percentage of volume.

For those who are wine making at home from wine kits such as the Cellar Craft and WinExpert wine kits that BlueStem Winery sells on our web site there is no need to test for acidity levels as the winemaking kits have been acid balanced when produced.

Our next blog article will provide information on how to measure the acidity present when you are making wine. The BlueStem Winery on-line wine making supply store has the acid testing kit you need.

In addition to keeping an inventory of everything you need for wine making at home our on-line store also has the supplies you need for making homebrew beer. Beer brewing is a great alternative to wine making with your finished product being ready for consumption in about 5 weeks (as oppposed to the much longer period required for aging wine).

Punching the Cap (Part 2)

My blog article of March 16 provided information about punching down the cap (especially when making wine from one of our wine kits that has crushed grape skins or from fresh fruit of any kind). This blog article is a follow-up on that winemaking article and offers some hints for punching down the cap.

First, when starting a new batch of wine be sure and use a primary fermenter which is large enough for your batch. Keep in mind that when you are punching down the cap that you will be inserting a spoon or other stirring device into the must and then agitating it. If you are making one of our Cellar Craft or WinExpert wine kits which contain crushed grape skins you need a fermenter large enough to contain the 6 gallons of juice, the stirring device you will use and a 2 liter bag of crushed grape skins and still provide enough head space for the fermentation of the wine.

You can use a variety of utensils to punch down the cap. Examples would be spoons (solid or slotted) made of stainless steel or PVC plastic. Break up the cap and stir the cap down into the must until the cap is totally broken up and everything is moist.

Punch down the cap the first time right after you pitch your yeast. This will aerate the must and incorporate the yeast into the must. Fermentation will begin shortly and the carbon dioxide bubbles will cause suspended matter to be pushed to the surface which will form the cap. Punch the cap down at least three times (more is better) per day to keep the broken up and moist.

When fermentation begins to slow because the supply of sugar is decreasing the solid matter present in your wine must will sink rather than float (there is no longer enough carbon dioxide gas to push the solids to the surface).

BlueStem Winery is a full-service wine making and brewing supply outlet located in northeast Iowa and on the web. Although BlueStem Winery is a licensed winery our store offers both beer brewing and wine making supplies, brewing equipment, our own line of brewing kits known as BlueStems Best and wine kits from both WinExpert and Cellar Craft. We offer beer brewing equipment, beer ingredients and everything else you need for home brewing. Our website features shipping for only $8.95 to anywhere in the lower 48 United States for any quantity of beer kits, brewing supplies and wine making supplies you may wish to order. We can help you make great home brew beer or assist you in wine making at home.

Punching the Cap

I do enjoy driving my Ford truck but this has nothing to do with Ford trucks or caps in the context of a baseball cap. When making wine the cap we are discussing is the layer of stems, seeds and bits of grape skins that are pushed to the surface of your primary fermenter by the carbon dioxide gasses being produced as the yeast consumes sugars present in the must. This cap is a layer of foam and the bits described previously that rise to the surface during fermentation. The term usually ascribed to breaking up this layer of foam and disbursing it back into the wine must is punching down the cap.

Why is it important for someone engaged in home winemaking to punch down the cap? If making wine from one of the Cellar Craft or WinExpert kits that we sell it is not as important (you can do it once or twice a day rather than 3 or more times per day) unless you are using one of the wine kits that include a crushed grape skin pack. Cellar Craft wine kits from their Showcase series of red wines all include a two liter package of crushed grape skins. Punching down several times (at least 3) a day when using one of these wine making kits is very important. It is also important if you are making wine from fresh grapes or any other fresh fruit and of lesser importance if the winemaking is done using juice or from one of our wine making kits which does not include grape skins.

Here is a concise list of reasons why you should punch down the cap when wine making at home:

1. Tannins and flavors and colors which are in this cap will be added back into your wine must.
2. The potential for bacteria formation in this layer of foam is reduced. Heat which is a natural product of fermentation is not allowed to be trapped under this layer. Warmth provides fertile ground for bacterial growth.
3. Yeasts which may be imbedded in this layer are moved back into the wine must.
4. By the very act of stirring and pushing down the cap oxygen (which is beneficial to your yeast) is introduced into the wine must.

BlueStem Winery offers a complete line of beer brewing and wine making supplies at our retail outlet in Parkersburg, Iowa. We are also on the web with our complete inventory of brewing equipment and winemaking ingredients. We feature both Cellar Craft and WinExpert wine kits for wine making and hour own line of home brewing beer kits known as BlueStems Best. Visit our website at bluestemwine.com and you will find friendly service, prompt delivery and knowledgeable answers to your home brewing and winemaking questions.

Yeast Nutrition

For yeast to start the fermentation process and for it to continue the process through to a full fermentation it needs an environment rich in nutrients. If your must lacks proper nutrition you may have wine that does not begin fermentation or that becomes stuck (stops fermenting) or which develops a rotten egg smell (hydrogen sulfide develops which is caused by a shortage of nitrogen).

Nutrients which wine must requires include nitrogen (nitrogen produces protein which is required for the development of new yeast cells), oxygen (without getting too scientific, oxygen helps the initial yeast cells procreate rapidly) and trace vitamins and minerals (these include phosphorus, urea, citric acid, and amino acids among others).

BlueStem Winery markets it own line of beer brewing kits (known as BlueStems Best), home brew equipment, wine kits from both WinExpert and Cellar Craft for wine making at home, and home brew supplies from Muntons, Briess, Brewmart and others. Cellar Craft wines from their Showcase Collection produce world class wines as do wines from our selection of WinExpert wine kits. If you are looking at getting started in either the home winemaking or home brewing hobby, BlueStem Winery has the home brew supplies, homebrew equipment and winemaking ingredients you need for these great hobbies.

Choosing the Water to Use

Whether your are home brewing or making wine from one of the WinExpert wine kits you are using water for the boil when beer brewing or you are adding water to the juice concentrate that is in your winemaking kit. How important is the choice of the water you use? The home winemaking and home beer brewing folks at BlueStem Winery believe your choice of which water to use can have a huge impact on the quality of your final product. You have made a significant investment in either your brewing ingredients or in one of our WinExpert or Cellar Craft wine kits and you do not want to put the quality of your home brew or wine at risk because you do not use quality water.

So what are your choices? If you live in a community of any size you most likely have access to municipal water. If you live in a rural area your water may very well come from a well. Distilled water can be purchased at most every grocery store and from many other sources. Bottled water (not distilled) is also available at grocery stores and many other places and in some areas you might also have access to spring water. Which should you use?

Municipal water (tap water) has typically been treated with chlorine tor chloramines to depress bacteria levels. If you can smell chlorine in a glass of warm city water you should not use the water without first boiling or filtering the water to remove the chlorine. Boiling water removes the free chlorine but not chloramines (call the city water folks and ask them whether they treat your city's water with chlorine or chloramines). Chloramines can be removed by filtering your water with an activated charcoal filter and then treating the water with 10 parts per million of sulfites. The fact that your brewing ingredients are boiled takes care of the chlorine (not chloramine) problem for any water used in the boil. Remember that water added after the boil could still have chlorine in it. An activated charcoal filter which has been impregnated with silver will remove bacteria and also flouride from your water. If using a water filtration system remember to change your filters often to prevent bacteria growth within the filters.

Well water has a whole host of problems associated with it including bacteria, iron, trace minerals, and in agricultural areas nitrates. Rural water is typically very hard and many people use a water softener and this infuses the water with sodium which creates another source for bad tasting wine or beer. Use an activated charcoal filter to remove particulates and a silver impregnated one will also remove bacteria. Our first recommendation if considering the use of well water is . . . don't.

The distillation process (or a reverse osmosis water filter) removes virtually everything from your water that can impact your wine or beer . . . both negatively and positively. Wine and beer needs some mineral content in the water to provide food for the yeast. If using distilled water use a small amount of yeast nutrient to provide food for your yeast.

Bottled water is typically water which has been purified but not distilled. Perfectly good for making wine or beer but not as good as using spring water (and usually more expensive!).

Spring water is an excellent water to use for either beer brewing or wine making. Spring water has the trace minerals necessary to provide food for your yeast but it does not have the flouride, chlorine or other contaminants. Purchased spring water has been tested for purity but not all water sold as spring water is really spring water. Some spring water is just tap water being passed off as spring water. Read the bottle label and look for the source of the water. Sometimes the bottler will use a code such as PWS as the source (Public Water Source). Actual spring waters will list where the water actually came from.

BlueStem Winery is a licensed and bonded winery located in Parkersburg, Iowa. In addition to marketing its own label wines, BlueStem carries a complete inventory of beer brewing equipment and supplies for wine making at home plus wine kits from both Cellar Craft and WinExpert and our own line of home brewing kits known as BlueStems Best. We would love to hear from you!

Paper (ur . . . Glass) or Plastic?

BlueStem Winery (in addition to being a licensed winery) operates a full-service beer brewing and home winemaking supply store in Parkersburg, Iowa and on the web. Every once in awhile I have a home brewing or winemaking customer ask about using plastic carboys (the glass jug used as a secondary fermenter for making home brew beer or for wine making at home). Some brewers also use a larger carboy as a primary fermenter.

Although I never say never, at the present time BlueStem Winery does not sell nor do we recommend the use of plastic carboys as a secondary fermentation vessel for either wine making or for homebrew beer.

Both types of carboys have inherent advantages and disadvantages but in our opinion the advantages of glass outweigh the advantages offered by the plastic carboy and the disadvantages of plastic outweigh the disadvantages of glass carboys.

Glass carboys have a few very obvious disadvantages. The number one concern regarding this piece of wine making and beer brewing equipment is its weight. The glass carboys simply weigh quite a bit more than the plastic ones. The obvious disadvantage of glass is that it will break (shatter would be a better word and this comes from experience!). Obviously, both of these disadvantages of the glass carboys are advantages for the plastic version.

Another advantage touted about the plastic carboys is that they are cheaper to purchase than plastic. I tend to agree (partially) with this statement. The carboys themselves are cheaper but they also require quite a bit of peripheral equipment that dollars up fairly fast.

Glass carboys offer the following advantages over plastic:

1. Glass is easier to clean and sanitize than plastic and will not scratch when cleaned (every scratch is a potential hiding place for bacteria);

2. It is easier with glass to get a good seal between the carboy and an airlock. Bad seals equal potentially bad wine (it is called oxidation but it tastes like vinegar);

3. Glass is not capable of transferring a chemical or solvent from within the glass itself. Plastic can possibly leach solvents (and bad flavors) from its own chemical composition into the wine;

4. Plastics are not immune to the passage of air through the very plastic itself. Although this is probably of very little consequence during a brief fermentation period it can have negative effects during long term storage. In this sense, plastic would be more viable as a secondary fermentation vessel used for beer (where secondary fermentation is a short period of time) as compared to the secondary fermentation of wine.

Looking for a reliable source for purchasing your beer ingredients or your wine kits? BlueStem Winery is a great place to purchase your home beer brewing equipment, supplies and ingredients. We also stock a great line of winemaking ingredients, supplies and equipment plus a super lineup of both Cellar Craft and WinExpert wine kits.

Beer Brewing 101

Home brewing is a four step process (but most home brewers only do three of the four).

Malting is the first step and is also the one that most home brewers do not do themselves. They instead allow a malting company to do this for them. After the malting process is complete the grains are kilned (dried) which allows for longer storage times. They drying also enhances flavors and aromas which are then removed in the brewing process.

Mashing is the second step. The grains are soaked in hot water which dissolves the starches. Maltose (the most prevalent sugar produced in this process) and other malt sugars are what the yeast converts to alcohol during the fermentation process. This mashing process has been done for you, too, if you use malt extracts (liquid or dry) instead of grain when you brew.

Step 3 is the boil. Malt sugars, water and other ingredients are combined in a brewpot to make what is called wort (beer before it is beer). Boiling sanitizes the beer ingredients. Hops are added at various times with the first hops providing bittering (the boil removes oils from the hops to do this). Later hop additions provide both flavor and aroma. After the boil (usually about 60 minutes) the wort is cooled and yeast is added.

Usually within about 12 hours the yeast will be at home in the wort and it will begin to convert the sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This fermentation process will take from four to seven days. Some beers (especially lagers) may take several months to fully ferment. When fermentation is complete the beer is ready to bottle or keg.

If you would like to brew your own beer, BlueStem Winery has the brewing equipment you need and will assist you in your beer brewing endeavors.

BlueStem also stocks everything you need if your preference leans toward making wine. BlueStem stocks wine making kits from both Cellar Craft and WinExpert and is always ready to answer your winemaking questions.

Removing Labels from Recycled Bottles

Soak . . . scrub . . . rinse . . . soak . . .

Yes, BlueStem Winery sells new wine and beer bottles as part of our inventory of wine making and beer brewing equipment inventory but we have also acquired many used (recycled as we call them) ones over the years and have spent spent a significant amount of time removing the labels so the bottles can be reused.

Some of them just darn near refuse to let you have your way!

Whether you are using new bottles or bottles with a little experience, the most important thing is that you get these bottles clean and sanitized. Inside! Outside! Period!!

The easy labels can be removed by simply filling a large sink or tub or basin with warm water and letting the bottles soak. Be sure to fill the bottles with water so that they will remain submerged.

Most labels will peal off fairly easily (or if necessary you can scrub them a little with a Scotch Brite pad).

The more difficult labels require a little persistence. If they are plastic you will need to get under them with a sharp knife and peal them off. If they are just stubborn you will need to soak them and then peal off the outer layer (sometimes this layer is metallic) and then soak them again. If a persistent glue residue remains use products such as Goo Gone (available in most hardware stores) to soften up the glue and then remove it. Read and follow the safety instructions for the product you are using as some will require the wearing of gloves or that you use the product in a well ventilated area.

Or . . . you can purchase new bottles from our inventory of beer making supplies and winemaking supplies. Our beer bottles are available in several sizes and styles, including the E-Z cap bottles (like a Grolsch bottle). Our wine bottles are available in several sizes, shapes and colors and with cork or screw top finishes.

Try out one of our BlueStems Best beer making kits which are available in many beer styles or if you are into wine making at home you can purchase ingredients for numerous fruit wines or try your favorite grape wine with one of our wine making kits from either WinExpert or Cellar Craft. The WinExpert wine kits produce world class wine if you have patience to wait through the aging process. The Cellar Craft wine kits are first rate with all of the Showcase Series reds featuring a 2-liter bag of crushed grape skins for on the skin wine making!

Sanitation is Essential for Making Good Wine (or Beer!)

Wine (and beer) is created when yeast converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

The environment created when you mix sugar and water and put it in a warm place is perfect for beer brewing or winemaking but it is also a perfect place for the growth of bacteria.

The way to make sure that it is your brewer's or wine yeast that gets a good start and not a bacteria culture that can overwhelm your beer, make sure that you take extreme care to sanitize everything that comes in contact with your wort (beer before it is beer) or must (wine before it is wine).

Wash (with dish soap and water), then rinse with clear hot water and then soak your equipment in sanitizing solution for 10 minutes (or longer). Fill your fermenter with sanitizing solution and then place all of your equipment into the fermenter to soak.

When ready to use a piece of equipment remove it from the fermenter and rinse it with very hot water (unless you are using a no rinse sanitizer such as Easy Clean).

BlueStem Winery is a full service home brewing supply retailer located in Parkersburg, Iowa. In addition to stocking a complete line of beer brewing kits, supplies and equipment, BlueStem also stocks a large inventory of both WinExpert and Cellar Craft wine kits for the person who enjoys making wine at home.

Stop in the store in Northeast Iowa or visit the BlueStem Winery website for all your homebrew beer and winemaking equipment.

What You Should Know About Acid Blend

BlueStem Winery opened for business in mid-2004 selling a complete line of beer brewing ingredients and supplies for making wine. One of the items we purchased from our wholesaler was their acid blend product.

Without the appropriate level of acid wines can taste stale (flat) so it is important during the winemaking process to check acid levels and adjust to the recommended level. There are typically three types of acid used to prepare the typical acid blend. Our wholesaler was using 50% Citric Acid, 40% Malic Acid and 10% Tartaric Acid.

I used this mix myself when doing some home wine making from fruit and thought that my wines tasted a little too much like a grapefruit or a lemon. I did some on-line investigation and discovered rather easily that acid blend has changed a little over the years. Years ago acid blend was typically made with a 50/50 mix of Tartaric and Malic Acids or a 40/40/20 blend of Tartaric, Malic and Citric Acids. Why the change?

In an effort to control costs the Acid Blend was made using a much larger amount of Citric Acid and less of the Tartaric Acid which is the more expensive of the three acids.

BlueStem Winery started blending its own mix of Acid Blend for wine making shortly after that. Our Acid Blend is a 50/40/10 blend of Tartaric, Malic and Citric acids. A little costlier to prepare but with the makings for a much better wine.

BlueStem Winery is a licensed and bonded winery with (at present) a total of six BlueStem label wines for sale: Once in a Blue Moon is our Riesling dessert wine, Red Crescent is our Cabernet Franc dessert wine, Dark Side is a dry Montepulciano, Prairie Fire is our off-dry Riesling, Feelin' Groovy is an off-dry Gruner Veltliner, and Crystal Moon is our Gewurztraminer dessert wine. We will have an off-dry Gewurztraminer, a Late Harvest Riesling and a Blush Zinfandel on the wine racks before summer's end.

BlueStem presently carries wine making kits from both Cellar Craft and WinExpert and a very nice line of beer making kits, brewing equipment and everything else you need for home beer brewing. We are looking to expand our line-up of wine kits by slightly expanding our line Cellar Craft wine kits, greatly expanding the number of Winexpert kits that we inventory plus possibly carrying the Mosti Mondiale line of 23 liter pure juice wine kits. We will also be expanding our line of brewing supplies later in 2009 as we finish our new warehouse.

BlueStem Wine Featured in Navy News

BlueStem Winery has truly gone international this month as an article appeared in Navy News which featured both BlueStem Winery and its relationship with the British Navy destroyer HMS Wizard.

If you have been a long time reader of my blog you will remember articles that I have written about my father and the fact that he was a prisoner of war of the Japanese during World War II. He was stationed on Corregidor Island in Manila Bay at the start of the war and from May of 1942 until September of 1945 he was a prisoner of the Japanese. His final prison camp address was at Nagoya Camp No. 3 located near Funatsu, Japan.

When the war ended my father was transported to Nagoya, Japan by rail and then was transported by the British destroyer HMS Wizard from Nagoya to Tokyo. Several years ago I wrote an article and provided photographs for a website done by a Roger Mansell which provides information about Japanese prisoner of war camps. Through this article contact was made with a lady named Adeline Medford of Wales in Great Britain whose husband John had been a crewman on the HMS Wizard when my father was rescued.

I recently named one of my beer brewing kits in honor of the crew of the Wizard (the kit is called HMS Wizard Magic Circle Mild Ale) and shipped ingredients for 100 bottles of beer to Wales. The ingredients were brewed in England, bottled and enjoyed at the last reunion held by former shipmates of the HMS Wizard. The article in Navy News retold this story.

In addition to HMS Wizard Magic Circle Mild Ale, our brewing supply store features approximately 30 other beer brewing ingredients kits, plus a complete line of home winemaking kits from both WinExpert and Cellar Craft.

Our blog provides beginning and advanced information about both the home brewing and home wine making process and brewing and home winemaking problems and their solutions. Making wine is our specialty and we can help with your selection of either a WinExpert of Cellar Craft wine kit but we also provide information about home brewing.

Welcome aboard!