Grapes and Juice
Grape Varieties

Order List

Wine Supplies
Catalogue
Nomacorc Info

Contact Us

For Grapes

For Wine Supplies

Sugar (Sucrose)

Dissolve sugar in hot water and add to wine.

9.2 g/L sugar addition = 10 Brix increase in wine

17.0 g/L sugar addition = 1% Alcohol increase in wine

Acidity

Generally referred to as Total Acidity (TA) and is defined either in g/100 ml or g/L.  Acidity may be increased through addition of tartaric acid. Avoid use of acid blends (blend of tartaric, malic and citric acids) to raise acidity. Decreased in order of preference by malolactic fermentation, cold stabilization and/or additions of potassium carbonate or calcium carbonate.

1.0 g/L tartaric acid raises TA by 1g/L and decreases pH by 0.1 units

1.0 g/L potassium carbonate decreases TA by 1 g/L and raises pH by 0.2 units

0.67 g/L calcium carbonate decreases TA by 1 g/L and raises pH by 0.3 units

Nutrients

Reduces potential for hydrogen sulphide production in wine. Added directly to must or juice.

Typical Additions

Diammonium phosphate (DAP)

                                                  0.1 g/L to 0.2 g/L

     Lalvin Fermaid™

                                                  0.1 g/L to 0.4 g/L

                                               2 to 8 tsp per 20 litres must

  Fining Agents

Bentonite

                    attracts positively charged particles and

                    carries them downward with gravity, mix

                    with warm water to hydrate, add mixture to

                    wine

                                                          0.25 to 0.375 g/L

Gelatin

                    attracts negatively charged materials which

                    agglomerate and settle out, good for tannin

                    removal to soften wine, dissolve in

                    warm/hot water.

                                                          0.01 to 0.25 g/L

Neosol

                    liquid used for removal of colloidal hazes, 1

                    year shelf life, often used with bentonite

                    and gelatin as a tannin substitute

                                                          0.3 to 0.5 mL/L

Polyclar VT (PVPP)

                    combines with phenolic compounds, add

                    directly to wine, wine should be filtered

                    after use

                                                          0.25 to 0.75 g/L

Sparkolloid

                    attracts negatively charged particles which

                    agglomerate and settle out, mix with hot

                    water, add mixture to wine

                                                          0.13 to 0.4 g/L

Sulphur Dioxide Additions

Sulphur dioxide inhibits yeast and bacterial growth and acts as an antioxidant in wine. These benefits are realized from the presence of molecular SO2 which occurs in free SO2. As a general rule, about 60% of the SO2 added to wine is present as free SO2, and the remainder occurs as bound SO2. Between 0.5 and 0.8 ppm of molecular SO2 is required to prevent spoilage and oxidation. It is important to note that the proportion of molecular SO2 in free SO2 decreases as the pH of the wine increases. The amount of free SO2 needed to achieve a molecular SO2 of 0.5 ppm and 0.8 ppm at various pH values is provided below:

        3.0                              8                                                           13

        3.1                             10                                                          16

        3.2                             13                                                          21

        3.3                             16                                                          26

        3.5                             25                                                          40

        3.7                             39                                                          63

        3.9                             62                                                          99

The following calculation can be used to estimate the amount of potassium metabisulphite

(Kmeta) to add to a wine to achieve a desired free SO2 concentration.

    Grams of Kmeta = free SO2 desired (ppm) x volume of wine (L) x 3.1/1000

The value of 3.1 is a constant which is used in the equation to adjust for the fact that: a)

potassium metabisulphide is only 57% SO2 content in; and b) about one third or more of the SO2 that is added binds with the phenolics in the wine and is not available as free SO2. This constant is sometimes increased to 3.4 to 3.6 for reds with a high phenolic level. Following addition of SO2 and an equilibration period of 3 to 5 days, it is recommended that the resulting free SO2 concentration be established using an SO2 test kit (Page 8). The value should then be adjusted accordingly. Wine losses free SO2 as it ages. For example, the free SO2 content of the wine in a barrel decreases by 10 mg/L or more per month, whereas that stored in a demijohn decreases by about 5 mg/L per month.

Potassium Metabisulphite

                              1.4 g or 1/4 tsp. at crush per 2 bushels of grapes     

                              (5 gal of must)

                              1/4 tsp. will add about 40 ppm SO2 to 18.9 litre

                              carboy

                              0.088 g will add 50 ppm SO2 to 1 litre of wine

Campden tablets

                              1 tablet contains about 0.44 g of metabisulphide

                              1 tablets contributes about 250 ppm SO2 to 1 litre of

                              wine

Sulphur Sticks

                              Sulphur sticks -  burn 1/4 stick for a 50 litre barrel

  MEASURES AND CONVERSION FACTORS

Liquid Measures

    1 Imperial gallon  =  1.2 US gallons =  4.54 litres

    5 Imp. gal. = 6.0 US gal. =  23.0 litres

    1 US gal.  = 0.88 Imp. gal. = 3.79 litres

    5 US gal. = 4.4 Imp. gal = 18.9 litres

    1 litre(1000 ml) = 0.26 US gal = 0.22 Imp gal

Dry Measurements

          1 pound = 16 ounces = 453.4 grams

          2.2 lb.= 1 kilograms =1000 grams

          1 ounce =  28.4 grams

Volume Measurements

         1 teaspoon (tsp.) = 5 ml

         1 tablespoon = 3 tsp. =15 ml

Dry Volume Weight Measures

                    Note: Tsp. refers to teaspoon