Titratable Acidity of Wine

Refer to Nelson pages 10 to 19

and Chapter 4 pages 226 to 250
Aim: Calculate of the concentration of titratable acid in wine.
Background: The pH of wine is important for several reasons;

More than 40 organic acids are found in wine. Three organic acids commonly found in wine are;

Avoid these acids:

Other acids present maybe;

The pHlip pHlop of Titrations

Or why we cannot titrate the acid in wine against the primary standard of sodium carbonate.
1. The primary standard, sodium
carbonate.

Common features of each titration:

2.Standardise hydrochloric
acid.

3. Standardise sodium
hydroxide.

4. Standardise organic acids

in wine.

Titratable Acidity of Wine

Refer to Nelson pages 10 to 19
and Chapter 4 pages 226 to 250
Aim: Calculate of the concentration of titratable acid in wine.
Background: Determining the pH of wine is important for two important reasons;

o pH contributes to taste acidity balances sugar and alcohol

o pH of fermentation mixture must be optimum for enzyme

action

More than 40 organic acids are found in wine. Three organic acids commonly found in wine are;
Tartaric acid
found in grapes

Malic acid
found in grapes and other fruit

diprotic

diprotic
some is converted to lactic acid during
fermentation

Avoid ethanoic acid and lactic, acid which are bi-products of fermentation process.
Other acids present maybe;
amino acids, carbonic acid, sulphurous acid

Citric acid
found in low levels in grapes

tripotic acid

The pHlip pHlop of Titrations

Or why we cannot titrate the acid in wine against the primary standard of sodium carbonate.
1. The primary standard solution,
sodium carbonate.

2.Standardise hydrochloric
acid solution.
solution
of
unknown
conc

Find mass of Na2CO3 and then its

molar mass. Calculation the
concentration.

Common features of each titration:

1. Unknown in burette
2. acid vs base
3. weak solution vs a strong solution

solution
of known
conc

3. Standardise sodium
hydroxide
solution.
solution
of
unknown
conc

solution
of known
conc

2.Standardise organic acids in

wine
solution.
solution
of
unknown
conc

solution
of known
conc

Reason that we cannot titrate the acid in wine against the

primary standard of sodium carbonate.
1. Accurate equivalence points can be determined with
strong vs weak.
2. Two weak solutions act as buffers and so the
equivalence point is not easily determined.