MLF Starter Culture

Haven't done this but just feeding it more apple juice and any nutrients the starter recipe calls for should do it. You can always email Wyeast and ask there, they'd have a definiteve answer as they're making the culture.

Pp

LOL Thanks Pp for such an obvious and perfect solution! That'll do it.

I was so excited with it working I must have lost my mind! Nice...

Thanks! Steve Oreg>>> Anyone started MLF starter culture using Wyeast MLF and more or less

Innoculate your first malo tank with the culture. When this one is going you can trasfer a 1-2 % innoclation of this tank to the next tank you need to seed to get them going. Also once you have a tank through malo, rack off the lees, without adding SO2 to the tank you are racking from, and then spread the lees about. This works well also.

spud wrote:

You can keep the ML culture alive by feeding it more apple juice; however, the useful lifetime of the culture is often dictated by the growth of VA (volatile acids, aka vinegar smells). A little bit of VA adds complexity to your wine, but too much is not good thing.

In commercial wineries, a new ML culture is usually started about once a week to keep the VA in check.

One strategy is to buy frozen ML yeast, and culture only a little at a time, so that you can have fresh ML when you need it.

Gene

spud wrote:

Gene:

Is this different from the freeze-dried ready to use ML culture? That one seems to lose effectiveness very quickly once the package is opened.

Thx,

Pp

Just for future reference, if you use the right strains of yeast ( not Bayanus ) and don't add any SO2 after sugar fermentation is complete you shouldn't even need MLF culture. SO2 would then be added after MLF was done. Bayanus strains of yeast can inhibit MLF due to their tendency to eat all the nutrients needed for MLF. If using Bayanus strains, add MLF nutrients also before adding the MLF culture.

Bob

spud wrote:

Yes, this is a culture you receive frozen and have to store in your freezer until use.

Gene

That's also the case for the freeze-dried "white powder" culture that I am using. But that one says on the package to use immediately after opening. The whole package is for 250L of wine which is (much) more than any single batch I make so I have to split it among several batches. The problem is they are not ready for the culture at the same time so I tried using just part of the package, resealing immediately and putting back in the freezer but it does appear that the culture is weaker after that.

So I was wondering if what you're using is a different culture that's more stable in the freezer after opening? Mine is from Hansen. It comes as white powder that's ready to use without making a starter, just like active dry yeast.

Thx,

Pp