How to troubleshoot sugar result issues
Glucose Issues
Possible cause one:
The glucose strips are out of date or have been compromised. Ensure that they are in date and have been stored correctly (2°C – 8°C/35.6°F – 46.4°F, with lids closed).
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Possible cause two:
Excessive CO₂ present in sample. All samples with visible effervescence should be degassed prior to testing. If not degassed, bubbles can cause sample-electrode contact issues and lead to erroneous results.
Possible cause three:
Sample excessively high in glucose, far exceeding the measuring range of 0.1 – 10 g/L. This test is designed for dry style wines as they near fermentation end. Testing samples with extreme sugar levels can lead to erroneous results.
Fructose Issues
Possible cause one:
The fructose buffer and/or strips are out of date or have been compromised. Ensure that they are in date and have been stored correctly (2°C – 8°C/35.6°F – 46.4°F, with lids closed).
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Possible cause two:
As per above for Glucose, cause two.
Note: excessive CO₂ for fructose samples can also impact upon dilution accuracies. CO₂ can displace sample in a transferal process, leading to lower than required volumes being aliquoted.
Possible cause three:
As per above for Glucose, cause three (fructose with same measurement range).
Possible cause four:
The sample dilution step is not being completed correctly. The dilution should be conducted with a volumetric pipette, and always a 1:4 dilution ratio with the Sentia fructose buffer. The analysis should be conducted within 30 minutes of diluting the sample.
For further information on how to perform a fructose dilution, please read our Guide to sample preparation for Sentia analysis or watch Preparing Diluted Samples for Sentia Analysis.