How do you like your sugar: reducing,
residual or total?
May 2004
Introduction
There are a number of different ways to measure the sugar content of juice,
must and wine. They range from the simple and inexpensive to the complex and
expensive, although all have their applications. As usual, it depends upon
how accurate you want to be and how much time and money you have. In this article
we outline the main ways that this important parameter in wine is measured,
try to reduce some confusion about the terminology used, and point out which
technique may be
best for your application.
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Is your wine really protected? Using
molecular sulfur dioxide levels as the yardstick. Feb 2004
Introduction
If you haven’t already realised from our previous articles, in our opinion
two of the most important measurements you can make in a wine lab are pH and
sulfur dioxide. By using these measurements the level of molecular sulfur dioxide
can be obtained. Using molecular sulfur dioxide as a yardstick is becoming
increasingly popular as it is a far better guide to the protection of wine
than free sulfur dioxide on its own.
As usual a lot of what we talk about in this article
is not new, but it is worth revisiting. We have in previous articles
discussed separately how to measure pH and sulfur dioxide effectively.
In this
article we look at why you should consider what the molecular
sulfur dioxide level of your wine is, rather than the level of free
sulfur dioxide.
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Optimising refrigeration usage for cold
stabilisation of wines
Oct 2003
Introduction
The prevention of tartrate crystals in bottled wine is an important task for
the winemaker. Although the crystals are harmless, the average consumer isn’t
likely to see it that way. With all the talk of contamination of foodstuffs,
it is deemed necessary to ensure that wine is cold stable, i.e. that no tartrate
crystals are present in the finished product.
Cold stabilisation of wines takes a considerable amount
of refrigeration power, and can cost a considerable amount of money.
Winemakers should always strive to use the minimum amount of refrigeration
to make the wine cold stable. Not enough refrigeration and the wine
won't be stable, although too much refrigeration will certainly make
the wine stable but will waste refrigeration resources unnecessarily.
Several techniques are in use to check the cold stability
(also known as tartrate stability) of a wine. The most commonly used
techniques will be discussed in this article.
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Are you using the correct filter in your
wine lab?
July 2003
Introduction
The use of filtration in a laboratory is a well established technique. Some
filter media like paper
have been around for decades. Newer media such as
plastic membrane filters are a relatively recent development. In this article
we look at new developments in lab filtration and suggest some criteria on
how to choose the best filtration device for your wine laboratory application.
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Don’t waste your time measuring
the pH of your wine unless you do it properly! Feb 2003
Introduction
Measuring pH is one of the most important but probably one of the most frustrating
tests in the winery. In this article we give a few hints on how to measure
pH accurately.
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Which alcohol analysis method should
you use?
Introduction
In this article we review the methods available for determining alcohol,
advantages and disadvantages of each method, and strategies for ensuring
your label meets the requirements of an importing country.
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Malolactic
Fermentation Monitoring - Methods and Strategies
Introduction
Accurate monitoring of MLF is one of the most critical analytical parameters
in red winemaking, but one that is commonly overlooked prior to bottling.
We are often asked to investigate causes of red wine spoilage, and
one of the first questions we ask the winemaker is “what was
the malic acid concentration prior to bottling?” Unfortunately,
many winemakers simply do not bother to check or assume that MLF
has gone to completion based on no more visible signs of fermentation,
or by
using qualitative methods such as Paper Chromatography.
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CONTACT US
If you have any questions regarding the topics presented here, please
contact the following people, either by phone, fax, email.
Testing and Export Services
info@vintessential.com.au
Results - Microbiology and Routine Tests
lab@vintessential.com.au
Products
ric@vintessential.com.au
