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WINE TESTS
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Quick TestsTM provide easy chemistry
tests for the wine industry with the information necessary to use them to
optimize wine quality.
Quick Tests are manufactured by AccuVin LLC and distributed by Unitech
Scientific LLC. |
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pH
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pH, one of the
key parameters of interest to the winemaker, is an important factor in
selecting the optimum time to harvest grapes. It is measured:
- to see if adjustments need to be made
prior to primary fermentation.
- when adding sulfur dioxide as a
preservative since the effectiveness of this chemical varies dramatically
as pH changes.
- to optimize conditions for fining, for
improving a wine's resistance to microbial instability, and in defining a
wine's balance.
The Quick Tests pH kit is optimized for enology use
with a pH range from 3.0 - 4.0, and a sensitivity to 0.1 pH unit. |
| Malic
Acid
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Malolactic fermentation, the
secondary fermentation of winemaking, is a method for reducing total
titratable acidity by adjusting the relative concentrations of L-malic and
L-lactic acids. This process softens the wine and allows it to develop mellowness and
full-bodiedness. It also results in enhanced microbial stability
since Malic Acid, one of the key nutrients of spoilage bacteria, is removed.
The Quick Tests Malic Acid Kit has a range of 30 - 500
mg/L. |
| Lactic
Acid
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The L-Lactic Acid Kit is
intended for measuring the L-lactic acid in wines to ensure that malolactic
fermentation has begun. It is not always easy to determine if the appearance
of bubbles following primary fermentation is the onset of actual MLF or
merely a wine "outgassing" as it warms.
The Quick Tests Lactic Acid Kit has a test
range of 10 - 400 mg/L, and can also be used to screen for high levels of
contamination by lactic acid bacteria. |
| Titratable
Acidity Back to Quick Tests |
The level of titratable acidity
is important in optimizing extraction of flavor components prior to
fermentation. During processing, controlling TA improves fermentation. Post
fermentation monitoring of acidity levels leads to correct balance, and
improves the efficacy of aging; it
can also be used to follow undesireable changes in the wine caused by yeasts or
bacteria.
The Quick Tests TA Kit range is from 4.0 -
11.0 g/L as tartaric acid. |
| Harvest Sugar |
An indicator of ripeness along
with pH and TA, with optimum levels of 23 - 25% for many varieties and
applications. |
| Residual Sugar
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Reducing sugars in wine consist
of hexoses (mainly glucose and fructose) and pentoses (mainly arabinose and
xylose). The pentoses can vary from 0.4 - 2.0 g/L; they are not fermentable
by wine yeasts. Therefore, the best measure of primary fermentation is the
determination of glucose and fructose.
The Quick Tests Residual Sugar Kit tests only
for fructose and glucose sugars, the sugars reduced in primary fermentation.
The test range is 100 - 2,000 mg/L. |
| Free SO2
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Not all the sulfur dioxide present in
must and wine is useful as a preservative. Some SO2 is bound to other
chemical components, reducing its effectiveness as a preservative by 30 -
70%. Also, the degree of binding can change over time, affecting the ability
of an adequate dose to continue providing its preservative properties.
The effectiveness of sulfur dioxide as a
preservative is also pH-dependent, with low pH wines requiring lower levels,
and high pH wines requiring significantly greater concentrations to achieve
the same effectiveness as in a typical wine with a pH of 3.3 - 3.4.
The Quick Tests Free SO2 Kit includes a Low
Range (0 - 40 ppm) and a High Range (40 - 130 ppm). |
Ammonia/
Amino Nitrogen |
These are the two primary
nutrients for yeast. Low levels cause sluggish fermentations and off
flavors; excess causes production of carcinogens. |
| Alcohol |
Used to confirm target levels. |
| Volatile Acidity |
A spoilage indicator which can
develop during processing or aging. |
| Carbon Dioxide |
For monitoring levels that can
enhance sense of acidity, fruit character. |
| Tannins |
A measure of the phenolics
responsible for a wine's color, astringency, bitterness, and to some extent,
taste. |
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