I spent most of my weekend fiddling with my various wine batches currently in the works. My Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Zinfandel were all racked off their fine lees and probably won't see the light of day until bottling (which is my next challenge). I'm really liking how they're tasting so far!

In the process, I also removed the oak cubs from those batches. They were all tasting a bit heavy and figuring the intensity would taper off a bit, I think they received just the right amount overall.

I also took this time to measure the PH, play with measuring red wine using titrets, all so I could add the right amount of SO2. This is a lot more difficult than it sounds though. First of all, PH meters, if not taken care of become unreliable. The node that measure the samples has a shelf life of one year (6 months without using the storage solution). The one I have is an old model and frankly, it sucks. I'm very tempted to but the Phep 5 this year or even the Martini Pro Series if my other "wants" don't get too crazy.

The Titrets are tricky business. First off, they're not very accurate but will give you a good "ballpark" ideas where your free SO2 levels are at. They're meant for white wines but if you dilute your red wine sample with water, you can make these work. Basically, instead of the solution going from blue to colorless, it'll go back to whatever your diluted sample looks like. Aim to make it look like a rose and the titrets should help you out.