Malic Acid

[fishplate]

How much Malic Acid should I had per litre please

 

[PD]

I've always used a level tsp per demi jon.

 

[LeedsBrewer]

Hey PD,

Where do you buy your Malic Acid from? It seems a little expensive for the little 50g plastic tubs. By the time i've paid postage i'm looking at £5 and it'll only do about 5 batches.
Can you buy bigger tubs of it anywhere?

 

[theboytony]

Ideally if making cider you would add it untill you get the Ph in the range of 3.2 to 3.8 but I think most peeps on here add 1 tsp per gallon

 

[PD]

I get mine from my local home brew shop, its very handy.
I've only ever seen it in little tubs, any bigger and it would last years and probably get lost !
Sorry.

 

[calumscott]

From some very basic sums and semi-educated guesswork based on some apple composition data I've collated...

...I figured out the average malic content for eating apples and compared that to the "ideal" given by a dedicated cider making website...

...and the difference between the two?

Roughly a teaspoon per gallon!

 

[theboytony]

From some very basic sums and semi-educated guesswork based on some apple composition data I've collated...

...I figured out the average malic content for eating apples and compared that to the "ideal" given by a dedicated cider making website...

...and the difference between the two?

Roughly a teaspoon per gallon!

Any chance of you posting your working out?

 

[graysalchemy]

I use 1 tsp per gallon never tested the pH and i make cracking cider even if i say so myself. :lol:

Calum has a data base of figures for malic acid content of major varieties of apples cider and desert and looking at them we concluded that the deserts (which is what carton apple juice is made from needed 1 tsp per gallon which is what all the recipes I have read say.

:thumb:

 

[calumscott]

Any chance of you posting your working out?

As graysalchemy says... it went something along the lines of:

"Ideal" apple juice from here: http://www.cider.org.uk/part2.htm - 0.4% malic.

Then took the average malic content of desert apples from the database I've pulled together. 0.28%

A litre of apple juice weighs 1048g (apparently!)

The missing 0.12% malic is going to weigh 1.26g * 4.54 litres in the gallon is 5.7g. A teaspoon of dried stuff weighs around 4 or 5g...

...close enough in my book. :thumb:

 

[fishplate]

Can I use malic acid in Ribena wine

 

[weepete]

I would suggest that there would be no point unless you are also innoculating with a strain of LAB. To get MLF you not only need the acid but the bacteria that converts it too.

But hey, i'm a newbie so dont take my word as gospel

 

[fishplate]

Not sure what LAB is or MLF is.

 

[Moley]

Not sure what LAB is or MLF is.

MLF: MaloLactic Fermentation.

LAB: Damned if I know either, lactobacillus? :wha:

 

[fishplate]

Cheers.

 

[bobsbeer]

LAB = Lactic Acid Bacteria
MLF = Malolactic Fermentation

The bacteria is naturally present on grapes and apples, but if you are using pasteurised juice it will have been killed. The same goes for wine kits. So you need to add the bacteria into the fermentation near the end and let it convert the malic acid into lactic acid. For juice you may also need to add malic acid as the juice is made from different types of fruit which is low in acid to make them more appealing to eat.

 

[brizleciderarmy]

Hey PD,

Where do you buy your Malic Acid from? It seems a little expensive for the little 50g plastic tubs. By the time i've paid postage i'm looking at £5 and it'll only do about 5 batches.
Can you buy bigger tubs of it anywhere?

I got a 350g tub off of Ebay for 6.49 inclusive of postage. Nice big tub that will last me years --> Clickety Click

 

[LeedsBrewer]

Thanks pal that's great.