Adjusting the juice and wine making is a critical step. It is also a rather easy step. Using a simple titration kit that you can buy at a wine shop, you will need to measure the acid content. For dry reds, you will want an asset level that is around 6 to 7 g/L. For dry whites, the asset level should be between 6 ½ to 7 ½ g/L. If your levels are off, you will need to add tartaric acid to your wine in intervals of 1/8 teaspoon. After adding a little tartaric acid, check the acidity again carefully. Continue to add it until you reach the desired level of acidity. Make sure to always have tartaric acid on hand when you are making wine. You can find it at your local wine making shop. I tend to forget to buy tartaric acid for I start a batch of wine. Luckily, my neighbor who works with roofing Edmonton always has extra on hand for me to use.
You will also need to use your hydrometer to measure the sugar level. For both reds and whites, the must level should be about 22° Brix. If you need to bring the concentration of sugar up, you can make your own sugar syrup with 1/3 cup of water to 1 cup of sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil in a pot and then remove it from the heat immediately. You will need to let this mixture cool before adding it in 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the Brix degrees desired. If you need to lower your level of sugar, you can use water or juice to dilute your must.
To provide the perfect environment for the yeast cells in the wine, you may need to adjust the temperature of your must. You can do this through gently warming up the juice to bring it to pitching temperature without damaging the wine quality. Just be careful not to boil it.
If you find that your grapes are too cold, you can heat a little of the juice in a microwave and then mix it back into the pail and test the temperature again. You can also opt wrap an electric blanket around the fermentation pail, but this will usually take longer.
Racking the wine must be done on a regular basis. Racking is a method that separates the fermenting wine from the sediment. To rack the wine, use a clear plastic hose to siphon the fermenting wine into another jug that has been sanitized, leaving the sediment behind. Top off the wine and put on a fermentation lock.