056: Winemaking Chemistry Series - Sugar and Alcohol

This episode is the first in a series of solo podcasts where I present my assessment of the most critical chemical analyses a winemaker needs to understand.  It's a peek inside the chaotic jungle that is my harvest-season brain and the attempts to organize sugar's conversion to alcohol during harvest, when winemaking decisions are most critical.  If there was a straight-forward and precise working ratio of sugars to ethanol, this would be a simple, 60-second podcast.  Approach this as my quest to identify the variables that affect primary fermentation's numerical outcome, the tools available to a contemporary winemaker, the value and costs of each tool, and the limits of their ability to yield accurate measurements.  Not every winemaker would agree with my thoughts presented here, so use this as one of many resources to gain proficiency in wine chemistry. 

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Predicting Potential Alcohol - ETS Labs
• Understanding Sugar Analyses - ETS Labs
• MyEnologist Wine Lab
• The Durand Corkscrew is now available to purchase in the Inside Winemaking Store