Dilution is the Solution

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Dilution is the Solution

• Michael Moyer, M.S.

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High Ethanol is a Problem

• Yeast die and dont complete fermentation
• Problem exacerbated at lower pH values(?)
• Residual sugar can rapidly be converted to VA
• Wine sensory effects hot, unbalanced wines
• Taxes federal tax over 14.0 is 10 more per
  bottle
• Smaller volume of wine consumed!
• Wine writer backlash against high alcohol wines?

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High Alcohol is a Wine Fault Not a Badge of
Honor

• Title of post by writer Matt Citriglia on
  winegeeks.com, May 14, 2006

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Picking Decisions

• Of course we pick for flavor
• pH affects microbial stability and perceived
  sourness
• TA affects sourness and is an indicator of grape
  ripeness
• Brix correlates directly with wine alcohol
  concentration

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The most important piece of information I need
to begin fermentation is what the sugar
concentration is so I can get the addition of
water in there and get the thing dry.

• --- Barry Gnekow as quoted in the February 2009
  issue of the Wine Business Monthly

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How Not to Make Vinegar

• Take Brix measurement as soon as the juice is
  pressed or the must is in the tank
• If possible, mix the tank to homogenize
• Use a refractometer (assuming fermentation hasnt
  begun)
• most automatically correct for temperature
• hydrometers can be quite imprecise and do not
  automatically correct for temperature
• our densitometer does not automatically correct
  for temperature either
• Re-measure red musts the next day (temperature?)
• Brix can increase overnight
• Dessicated berries? Zinfandel/Primitivo?

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The Most Important Analytical Tool
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Sugar and Ethanol

• Conversion of sugar to ethanol and carbon
  dioxide is 90 to 95 efficient
• Myth wild yeast strains are less efficient than
  cultured yeast strains
• This has not been demonstrated and has more to do
  with marketing than anything else (Wine writers!)
• Cultured yeast strains have been selected for
  ethanol tolerance, not efficiency
• Final Ethanol 0.6 x Brix
• 0.6 conversion factor may be slightly lower for
  reds and may be slightly higher for white wines

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2008 College Cellars Vintage Data
2008 Starting Brix Final Ethanol Conversion Factor
BC Semillon 22.0 13.5 0.61
Center Cab Sauv 22.2 12.5 0.56
SC Cabernet Franc 23.9 12.9 0.54
Kagels Sangiovese 22.9 13.3 0.58
Lowden Hills Syrah 23.1 14.0 0.61
SC Cabernet Sauv. 24.4 14.3 0.59
SC Malbec 23.1 13.5 0.58
Gibbs Cabernet Franc 23.6 14.2 0.60
JW Lemberger 23.3 13.7 0.59
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2007 College Cellars Vintage Data
2007 Starting Brix Ethanol Conversion Factor
SM Sauvignon Blanc 20.0 12.0 0.60
Estate Merlot 24.3 14.0 0.58
Estate Malbec 23.7 13.6 0.57
Sagemoor Semillon 23.5 14.4 0.61
Estate Carmenere 22.4 13.6 0.61
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2006 College Cellars Vintage Data
2006 Starting Brix Final Ethanol Conversion Factor
Sagemoor Semillon 24.2 15.3 0.63
Estate Merlot 25.2 15.0 0.60
Estate Malbec 24.6 14.8 0.60
Frol Syrah 25.4 15.1 0.59
Estate 25.0 15.0 0.60
Demo 23.0 13.0 0.57
Alder Ridge 25.2 15.0 0.60
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Examples

• Hypothetical red must
• 26.0 x 0.6 15.6
• 26.0 x 0.58 15.1
• Hypothetical white
• 23.0 x 0.60 13.8
• 23.0 x 0.62 14.3

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Water Additions 101

• Assume 160 gallons of juice per ton
• Choose your desired ethanol concentration
• (lt15.0 for reds, lt13.5 for whites)
• Divide desired ethanol concentration by the
  conversion factor of 0.6, or
• How careful do you want to be?
• Volume juice x (Brix have/Brix needed) Volume
  needed

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Example 5.0 tons at 27.0 Brix.

• For 15.0 ethanol 15.0/0.60 25.0 Brix
• Volume of juice 5.0 tons x 160 gallons/ton
  800 gallons
• Volume needed (27.0/25.0) x 800 gallons 864
  gallons
• Volume of water 864 800 gallons
• 64 gallons of water

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Saignée and a Water Addition

• Sure, why not?
• But do you want to make a rosé, especially from
  27.0Brix juice?
• 27.0Brix x 0.62 conversion factor 16.7
  ethanol
• Be sure to add a bunch of water!
• Or, dump 25 cases of potential product down the
  drain?!

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Dilution?

• Sugars, yes.
• But this is what we want!
• Acids, yes they are diluted.
• No problem, acidify the water with tartaric.
• A rise in pH, not so much.
• Wine is buffered and will resist a change in pH
• TA measurements?
• Tannins and anthocyanins? Not so much either
• Add tannins, oak chips, if you wish, but not
  necessarily because you are adding water.

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Take Home Message

• Do your job! Finishing the alcoholic
  fermentation is the winemakers primary
  responsibility.
• Take extreme care to obtain and accurate initial
  Brix reading. It is the most important
  measurement you take.
• Is dilution a solution? YES! Add enough
  (acidified?) water to finish fermentation.

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