When is homemade wine-based vinegar simply bad wine?
If I am making homemade wine-based vinegar, is there a way to tell if it's just plain soured wine? One recipe described the process as leaving the wine mixture open for a few weeks - is there a turning point: Vinegar versus bad wine?
Best Answer
There is not really a turning point. The way that wine goes bad is the process of making vinegar. From wikipedia:
The word "vinegar" derives from the Old French vin aigre, meaning "sour wine".
The Canadian government limits things that can be sold as 'vinegar' to something with an acetic acid content of 4-12%, so you could do the technical-bureaucratic thing and wait for the acetic acid to get up to 4%.
If you aren't hung up on technicalities, then you can use it as soon as it gets sour enough. It is done when all the alcohol has been changed to acetic acid, but it is a bit hard to taste since the acetic flavor dominates.
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Is wine still alcoholic when vinegar turns?
Because wine doesn't have much alcohol in it by volume\u2014typically from about 12 to 16 percent\u2014it's not going to evaporate nearly as quickly as would the same amount of rubbing alcohol. In fact, wine that's just sitting there evaporating would probably turn into vinegar before it would become alcohol-free.How do you know if red wine vinegar is bad?
The biggest oxidation-related changes you might notice in an older bottle of red wine vinegar are a darkened color and the appearance of some solids or cloudy sediment. You might likewise notice a change in its aroma and a loss of body, or weight, on your palate over time.How long does it take for homemade wine to turn to vinegar?
It will take about two weeks to two months for your wine to turn into vinegar ... or for you to figure out it's not working.Can you make vinegar from bad wine?
There are only a few faulted wines that can be used for vinegar. Wines with hints of volatile acidity aren't a problem because it's typically caused by acetic acid. Wine with some Brettanomyces can be used to make vinegar.More answers regarding when is homemade wine-based vinegar simply bad wine?
Answer 2
You should get a flabby-looking bacterial colony in there called mother of vinegar. That's the little guys that turn the alcohol into vinegar.
I'm not sure how easy it is for it to form spontaneously and/or to introduce it. Mine has been around for quite a while, borrowed a small piece from my parent's when I left the house. I just refill the bottle with red wine and filter as much as I need with a coffee filter to use it.
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