78 W i n e s & V i n e s M A R C H 2 0 1 4
WineEast
Support equipment includes beakers, flasks, filter apparatus,
vacuum systems, stir plates, hot plates and much more. Some of
this equipment is used by virtually every test conducted in the labo-
ratory and will not be an inexpensive part of the whole laboratory
setup. A suggestion list of the minimum supplies that all laborato-
ries will need is posted with this story at winesandvines.com.
There are several laboratory equipment companies (including
VWR Scientific, Thomas Scientific, Cynmar Corp. and Thermo
Fisher Scientific) that supply this equipment as well as much
of the equipment mentioned below. Compare the prices for
various items, since there is variation in the pricing structures
between companies.
Basic lab analyses
If you are starting a new winery, get the best equipment you can af-
ford for each of the tests. The table on page 76 shows three levels
of analyses for a basic wine laboratory. The five tests discussed be-
low are some of the most fundamental for your laboratory, because
these evaluations will allow you to protect your wine from future
damage, detect a problem and correct it, or create the products
that determine your winery's success.
Soluble solids
In a vineyard or winery, measuring soluble solids is one of the first
analytical steps used to determine the harvest date. Two types of
instruments are required: one for measuring juice soluble solids
and one for wine-soluble solids. A hydrometer can measure both
juice and wine, but a refractometer should only be used for juice.
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Jennifer Wampler uses an electronic ebulliometer to measure
the alcohol in wine at Tamanend Winery in Lancaster, Pa.
Winemaking
