Vintessential : Articles for Winemakers

Allergen Residue Analysis

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 03:51:48 GMT

From 1 July 2012, new allergen labelling requirements came into effect in the European Union (EU).

If milk (casein) or egg products have been used and the wine has not tested negative for these residues using a technique with a detection limit of 0.25mg/L, then the presence of allergens...

Take care of your pH electrode!

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 03:50:24 GMT

Measuring pH is one of the most important tests in the winery but it can also be one of the most frustrating. A sluggish or non-reproducible response indicates that the pH reading may not be accurate. Can you trust the equipment you’re using?

Taking a few simple steps to look after...

Rescuing Stuck or Sluggish Yeast Ferments

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:22:44 GMT

To avoid spoilage characters and hours of work on starter cultures in the cold days ahead, it is important to acknowledge sluggish ferments early and act quickly with the appropriate rescue yeast.

Rescue yeast

Fermichamp has the specific ability to metabolise fructose (the dominant sugar found in most stuck ferments) in high...

Post Fermentation spoilage compound analysis

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:22:14 GMT

With harvest coming to an end in most regions of Australia, many of you will be happy to put the challenges of this growing season behind you! Primary and secondary fermentations are now in full swing which brings a new set of challenges, such as producing wines without excessive levels...

Product Tip: Malic acid testing by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC)

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:21:47 GMT

For best results take note of the following:

Sample

make sure your Sample spots are as small & concentrated as possible.
always allow the spots to dry between applications.

Solvent

It is most important to ensure the plate is completely dry between the applications of Solvent & Indicator. Use warm air from a hairdryer to...

Lab Tip: De-gas your TA sample to get accurate results

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:20:14 GMT

It is good practice in a winery lab to always degas wine samples prior to analysis of titratable acidity (TA).

This is of particular importance at this time of year for wines that have just finished primary or secondary fermentation, as they can contain a high concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide....

Standardising Sodium Hydroxide Solutions : Factsheet

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 01:20:07 GMT

"Do you know the correct concentration of your sodium hydroxide solution?"

Introduction

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions are one of the main reagents used in a wine laboratory.

The accuracy of your Sulfur Dioxide, Titratable Acidity (TA) and Volatile Acidity (VA) results are dependent on these solutions having accurately known concentration values.

NaOH absorbs carbon...

Product Tip : Dilution rates for samples when using Enzymatic Test Kits

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 03:34:41 GMT

The concentrations of the Standards we supply with our kits are designed to give a good working range with a typical spectrophotometer.

For example, the Ammonium Standard is typically 40 mg/L (ppm); this gives an absorbance of around 0.5 absorbance units. Likewise the Malic Acid Standard is typically around 0.2 g/L...

Product recommendation March 2012 - Anchor NT50

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 03:26:42 GMT

Anchor NT50: A yeast for producing fruity red wines

NT 50 enhances red berries (strawberry, raspberry and cherry), black berries (blackberry and black currant) and spicy aromas in red wines. It is suitable for wine with or without wood maturation. It is most suited for vinifying Shiraz, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Gamay,...

Anchor NT202 Co-inoculant bacteria

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 03:49:03 GMT

The team at Anchor Yeast have had published an article in the March 2012 issue of Grapegrower and Winemaker magazine on the newly released NT202 Co-inoculant bacteria.

The conclusion was that Anchor NT 202 Co-Inoculant when used with Anchor Yeast NT 202 ensure a simple, secure and speedy AF and MLF.

Advantages...