4. The ideal Brix (sugar concentration) when making
wine is 22%. When you test the Brix level it
will often be lower then the 22% desired level.
You can correct this in two way.
1. You can add sugar to water. Add water to 2
pounds of sugar until a gallon mixture is
produced. Then add to the wine until the
desired level of Brix is achieved.
2. You can add sugar to the juice. Add 1.5-1.6
ounces of sugar per gallon for each point short
of the desired Brix.
5. o Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) is commonly added to the must after the grapes
have first been crushed. Adding SO2 will inhibit wild yeasts and
unwanted bacteria, help prevent oxidation, and preserve flavor and
freshness in the wine. Potassium Metabisulfite contains SO2 and yields
about half its weight, thus, potassium metabisulfite is commonly used
during this stage.
o 100 parts per million (ppm) is usually the desired standard.
o To achieve this, add two grams of potassium metabisulfite for each
bushel of grapes or add enough water to 100 grams of potassium
metabisulfite to make 1 liter, which would be a 10% solution or 100 ppm.
o For those of you trying to achieve other desired levels this might be
helpful:
o 1 gram of metabisulfite (1/4 teaspoon) = 150 ppm per gallon
o 1 Campden tablet (made of potassium metabisulfite) = 30-50 ppm per gallon
6. Sometimes during fermentation the acid of the
must can reach a higher level then desired. If this
is the case there are two commonly used chemicals
to help reduce the acid.
1. Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3)
Using 2.4 grams (1.5 tsp) per gallon will lower the acid by
0.1%. If you use more than 5 grams (2 tsp) per gallon you
will end up with an undesirable flavor.
2. Potassium Bicarbonate (KHCO3)
Use 3.4 grams per gallon to lower the acid per point.
7. To lower the amount of acid in a finished
wine, use Potassium Carbonate (K2CO3).
To lower acid 0.1% add 230 grams in 500 ml
water, then add 5 ml of mixture per gallon of
wine.
8. For those of you just starting to learn how to
make your own wine we thought we would
give you an idea of how much wine a crate of
grapes will make. This should help you to
calculate how many crates to buy based on
how much wine you want to make.
1 crate of grapes = approximately 30 pounds
3 crates = 90 lbs = 5 gallons of wine
5 gallons = 30 bottles of wine
