Why is testing for citric acid important in winemaking?

Citric acid is one of the less commonly found acid’s in wine. The acid is a weak organic compound which is commonly found in large quantities in citrus fruits like oranges and limes. The quantity of citric acid found in grapes is small, it still makes up 5% of the total acid content in grapes.

Citric acid is most commonly used as an acid supplement during the fermentation process to help winemakers boost the acidity of their wine especially grapes grown in warmer climates. It can also be used as a stabiliser to prevent ferric hazes. The acid is used in the metabolic activity of several strains of bacteria which could lead to the increase of unwanted microbes. Within the EU citric acid can only be used for stabilisation purposes and final citric acid content should not exceed 1g/L.

Randox Food Diagnostics offer multiple tests for wine analysis including citric acid on both the RX misano and the RX monaco.

Citric Acid

Method            No. of Tests        Catalogue No.         Sensitivity                    Linearity

Manual               40                          CTR4065                      N/A                         N/A

RX misano         80                          CTR4065                     9.60 mg/l               400.00 mg/l

RX monaco        N/A                       CTR4065                     On request            On request

For more information please email us at: info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com or visit our website at www.randoxfood.com