Pewter_of_Deodar said:
Though there may not be any right answers, and I haven't measured any batches yet, does someone have some data on where their good tasting batches of mead or wine finish as far as acidity level? I plan on taking some measurements in the future.
Good tasting? I'm pretty sure that's a subjective test. What I like probably doesn't equate to what you like. given that, there are some concensus on what makes a quality wine, but that's no guarantee that everyone will like it.
Again, the acidity that works best is what works best for the yeast. I'm no expert, but I'd think that wine yeasts work better in lower pH's. To be fair, I only use two or three yeasts, so I'm not really fit to discuss it entirely.
Pewter_of_Deodar said:
Also, where do the batches start as far as Ph and does the Ph change much during fermentation?
I do agree with Dan about the finish points. I find that mid to high 3's is where I like it. But I would disagree that the the pH doesn't move much. In my particular batches, I see about .3 to as much as .5 shift toward acid.
Just keep in mind that the difference between Dan and my observations are probably totally normal. I have no idea what yeasts Dan uses, what honey, and every other variable.
In fact, I had no idea that TA kits didn't work on honey as Dan explained above. I've tested mine and had some whacky results. I thought it was opperator error until now. Thanks Dan, my chem professors can quit posthumously rolling their eyes at what I thought was my inability to titrate correctly.