Analysis

Description
Alcohol by volume is a worldwide standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage. Alcohol (ethanol) is the main product of primary fermentation and a critical measurement in the determination of tax rates as well as aromas, flavors and stability. Alcohol measurement is useful in fermentations where high potential alcohol is a concern. It is also useful in advance of secondary (malolactic) fermentation to determine the correct bacteria strain selection.

Includes
Alcohol
(Units: % vol, Technique: NIR)

Description
N-OPA refers to one of the two prominent forms (along with NH3) of nitrogen that serve as yeast nutrients. The determination of the enzyme of the reaction or N-OPA is commonly measured along with NH3 to determine YAN (Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen).

Includes
Alpha Amino Nitrogen (N-OPA)
(Units: g/L, Technique: Sequential Analyzer)

Description
This comprehensive panel is made up of analyses that are most often requested by countries within the Pacific Rim region.

The TTB lists export requirements for specific countries. We recommend you refer to their website for details.

Includes
Alcohol by Volume
(Units: % vol, Technique: NIR)

pH Analysis
(Units: g/L, Technique: Manual)

Titratable Acidity (TA)
(Units: g/L, Technique: Auto-Titration)

Volatile Acidity VA (as Acetic Acid)
(Units: g/L, Technique: Enzymatic)

Malic Acid (ML)
(Units: g/L, Technique: Enzymatic)

Glucose + Fructose
(Units: g/L, Technique: Enzymatic)

Free & Total Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
(Units: mg/L, Technique: Aeration Oxidation)

Sorbic Acid
(Units: mg/L, Technique: Distillation / Spectroscopy)

Volume per Bottle
(Units: mL, Technique: Manual)

Microplating is used to detect yeast/mold/bacteria that may be present in the bottled wine if filtration or sterility was compromised during the bottling process. We plate 250mL of the bottled samples through a sterile system onto WL nutrient media in a flow hood, then the plates are incubated at 30*C for seven days with a reading at Day 3 and Day 7.  We then report CFU (colony forming units) per/250mL and if any are present, we examine them under microscope to determine the morphology and report the findings, along with a photo of the microbes under microscopy.

Description
Brettanomyces volatiles, ethyl-phenols (4-EP and 4-EG)
4-Ethylphenol and 4-Ethylguaiacol (4-EP and 4-EG) are the metabolites or chemical markers that indicate activity of Brettanomyces and impact the sensory characters of a wine. 4-EP produces aromas generally describes as “barnyard” or “band-aid” while 4-EG can be medicinal or smoky.

Includes

4-Ethylguaiacol
(Units: ug/L, Technique: GC-MS

4-Ethylphenol
(Units: ug/L, Technique: GC-MS

Description
Culture for Brettanomyces Plating can determine the presence and, in most cases, the quantity of Brettanomyces in the sample. Growth is apparent at five to seven days; final results at seven days.

Description
Brix is the measurement of the sugar concentration in solution. One-degree Brix is defined as 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution, or 1% sucrose. Sucrose is a key nutrient in fruit that is broken down and consumed by yeast to produce alcohol.

Includes
Brix
(Units: % w/w, Technique: Densitometry)

Description
Brix is the measurement of the sugar concentration in solution. One-degree Brix is defined as 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution, or 1% sucrose. Sucrose is a key nutrient in fruit that is broken down and consumed by yeast to produce alcohol.

Includes
Brix
(Units: % w/w, Technique: Digital Refractometer)

Description
This test measures the total concentration of calcium, a naturally occuring mineral. Calcium present in water used to decrease alcoholic strength may be a cause of precipitates in spirits. Calcium is also found in fruits such as grapes as well as wine. The calcium present is due to uptake from the soil and is used as a nutrient during fermentation. High concentrations of calcium can result in calcium tartrate instability. Calcium is naturally present in water. It may dissolve from rocks such as limestone, marble, calcite, dolomite, gypsum, fluorite and apatite. Calcium is a determinant of water hardness, because it can be found in water as Ca2+ ions. Magnesium is the other hardness determinant. In some cases, additional calcium ions may need to be added to adjust water chemistry for brewing beer.

Includes

Calcium
(Units: mg/L, Technique: MP-AES

Description
A routine set of analysis useful for determining critical properties during the aging process.

Includes
pH Analysis
(Units: g/L, Technique: Manual)

Titratable Acidity (TA)
(Units: g/L, Technique: Auto-Titration)

Volatile Acidity VA (as Acetic Acid)
(Units: g/L, Technique: Enzymatic)

Free & Total Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
(Units: ppm, Technique: Flow Injection)

Description
One of several organic acids, citric acid may be used to adjust acidity. Citric acid testing is often performed to meet regulatory or export requirements.

Includes
Citric Acid
(Units: g/L, Technique: Enzymatic)

A Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) Panel is a highly effective method to develop a cold stable product. It is designed to determine the proper addition of CMC to inhibit tartrate crystallization. Initial cold stability by conductivity is performed to determine range of CMC required.  Additions in the determined range are made and followed by a cold stability by conductivity of the treated samples. Results will identify the lowest addition rate that is considered acceptable. Heat stability and colloidal stability are performed on both control and treated samples. 

Description
The cold conductivity test measures the change of conductivity over a 20-minute period at a test temperature of zero degrees Celsius. Wines are generally considered cold stable with a conductivity drop of <3%.

Includes
Cold Conductivity
(Units: uS, Technique: Conductivity)

Description
This test involves filtering with a 0.45 micron membrane followed by freezing for 24 hours. The solution is then thawed prior to inspecting for any crystalline tartrate precipitation. If no crystalline tartrate deposits are observed, it is considered cold-stable and expressed as a "pass."

Cold Stability
(Units: Pass/Fail, Technique: Visual

Description
The measurement of absorbance is used to determine the amount of color that is found in solution.

420 nm is used to determine the amount of yellow and brown color in a wine.

520 nm is used to determine the amount of red color in a wine.

430 nm is used used to determine beer color by converting to the Standard Reference Method (SRM) System. The scale is generally from 2 to 40+ depending on the beer style.

Includes
Color Absorbance
(Units: Au, Technique: Spectroscopy)

Description
The Copper Trial is a sulfide fining trial used to determine the addition rates of Copper Sulfate (CuSO4) and/or ascorbic acid for removal of sulfur off odors. Several addition rates are made, then sensory analysis is performed to identify the lowest addition rate that results in minimization of off odors.

Recommended Copper Sulfate Addition
(Technique: Sensory)

Description
Density is defined as the mass, or weight, of a substance per unit volume. In the case of liquids, density is often measured in units of g/mL, which is the weight in grams (g) of each milliliter (mL) of liquid. The density can be determined by the concentration of items like alcohol, sugar, glycerol, and other dissolved solids.

Includes

Density
(Units: g/mL, Technique: Densitometry)

Description
Fill Height or Volume per bottle is the measure of the exact volume of liquid in a bottle. Can be used for export purposes, quality assurance (QA) purposes, as well as the oxidation potential during the aging process. Ullage (headspace) will increase over time due to storage conditions, evaporation, and absorption.

Includes

Fill Height
(Units: mL, Technique: Manual)

Description
Sulfur Dioxide is a chemical compound that acts as a preservative; counteracting the effects of oxidation and prevention of microbial growth. The measurement of free & total sulfur dioxide is used to determine the amount of both free and bound SO2 (SO2 molecules that are bonded to other compounds in the wine).

Includes
Free & Total Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
(Units: mg/L, Technique: Aeration Oxidation)