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Tartaric acid and PH

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E

enoughhawk

Guest
Guest
Hi
I'm new to this site. I am makeing a 15 gal batch of blueberrie melomel. I started with about 36 lbs of blueberries and enough honey to bring the SG to 1.101. The sulphites measure 50 ppm.
The PH measures 3.4 and the acid titrates to 2g per liter. My question is if I add tartaric acid to raise the TA wouldn't that lower the PH enough to affect the fermentation and or taste?
Thanks for any help or comments.
Clif
 
J

Jmattioli

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Oct 23, 2003
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Clif wrote:
I'm new to this site. I am makeing a 15 gal batch of blueberrie melomel. I started with about 36 lbs of blueberries and enough honey to bring the SG to 1.101. The sulphites measure 50 ppm.
The PH measures 3.4 and the acid titrates to 2g per liter. My question is if I add tartaric acid to raise the TA wouldn't that lower the PH enough to affect the fermentation and or taste?
Thanks for any help or comments.
Click to expand...
Adding Tartaric Acid would definitely affect the taste. It is the harshest tasteing of the 3 commonly used. The best advice I ever received here was not to add acid at the start of fermentation. You don't need your PH any lower. If when finished, you taste the melomel and you think it could use some acid to balance the sweetness then add it then and you might prefer a more pleasant acid such as citric. My small amount of experience adding acid at the start especially when using acidic fruits has been that it actually slows fermentation prematurely in most cases. However, most old British recipies and many others I have read add acid at the start. I now have 3 batches going in which I have added no acids at the start and they have been doing just fine. I will add it at the end and only if I need it. (Taste) Good luck... Joe
 
E

enoughhawk

Guest
Guest
Hi Joe,
Thanks for the advice. I did pitch the yeast this morning (Lalvin 71B-1122) and it's already showing some activity. I plan on keeping a close watch on this batch to have it to refer back to next year when and if my bees let me steal some more honey. This is my first try at mead but in the past I've made fruit and grape wines with some success. At least friends took a second bottle with a smile on their face.
Thanks again - Clif
 
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