Description

Malic Acid

Malic acid is the main acid in many fruits, including apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, grapes, peaches, pears, plums, and quince, and is present in lower concentrations in other fruits, such as citrus.

It contributes to the sourness of unripe apples. Sour apples contain high proportions of the acid. It is present in grapes and in most wines with concentrations sometimes as high as 5 g/L. It confers a tart taste to wine; the amount decreases with increasing fruit ripeness. The taste of malic acid is very clear and pure in rhubarb, a plant for which it is the primary flavour.

As Malic Acid is the main acid in apples, it is the best acid to add to cider to adjust the pH level.

Malic is less sour than tartaric acid and can also be used to make acid adjustments in Rieslings, Gewurztraminer, and Muscat varieties, though many winemakers still prefer to use tartaric acid in these situations. You would not want to add Malic acid to any wine that will undergo a malolactic fermentation. As a note: only half of the artificially added malic acid will convert to lactic acid during a malolactic fermentation.