Determining the harvest time of grapes in the vineyard and monitoring the fermentation process is crucial when producing high-quality wine. The SmartRef Digital Refractometer allows you to measure sugar content in grapes including alcohol prediction quickly and accurately. Paired with the Wine Meister mobile app for iOS and Android, the SmartRef is the only refractometer that can also track the must weight during fermentation, providing automatic alcohol correction for consistent and precise results.

How to measure with SmartRef during the winemaking process

In winemaking, it is crucial to focus on the right parameters to optimize the production and quality of your products.

The sweetness of the grapes at harvest is a key parameter that influences the entire process and significantly impacts the quality of your wine. Grapes typically take between 3 - 4 months to ripen from flowering.
During this period, the sugar content gradually increases, but the speed of ripening can vary depending on the weather. Therefore, regular sugar content checks are mandatory. At harvest, the sugar content of the grapes usually ranges from 18 to 24 °Brix, depending on the grape variety and the desired wine style. This sugar content is also essential for the subsequent alcohol production in the wine.

The SmartRef Digital Refractometer allows you to measure the sugar content in °Brix, °Oechsle, °KMW, °Baumé, and more during the ripening process and just before the harvest with high accuracy if preferred directly in the vineyard. For an optimal alcohol content prediction in finished wine,
it additionally determines the potential alcohol content of your grapes based on Brix or Oechsle.

After harvesting the grapes, they need to be destemmed and crushed. For white wines,
the next step is direct pressing, while for red wines, the grapes go through maceration first to develop their color. Both processes should be followed by filtration before fermentation begins. At this step, it is essential to measure the must weight and set the original gravity in the Wine Meister mobile app. This initial measurement is crucial for the automatic ABV calculation during fermentation.

Now, yeast is added to the mash, to convert the sugars in the grape juice into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Fermentation can take several days to weeks, depending on the temperature and the desired wine style. It's important to monitor the fermentation regularly to track its progress, address any issues that arise, and ensure that it proceeds smoothly to achieve the desired alcohol content.

The SmartRef assists you with measurements during the entire fermentation process from start to finish.

In combination with the Wine Meister mobile app, the SmartRef is the only refractometer that determines the must weight during fermentation already corrected for alcohol.

Determining the optimal harvest time for the grapes and carefully monitoring the fermentation process is crucial for producing high-quality wine. The SmartRef Digital Refractometer and the Wine Meister mobile app provide a precise and efficient way to measure and track these parameters, ensuring the best possible wine quality.