I'm making my first batch of wine from grapes. I've done it once before from a juice kit. I'm now 4 days into fermentating 75lbs of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and everything is going smoothly (I think). I think it will be another 2 or 3 days before the wine is dry and I can think about pressing. I would like to do ML fermentation on this batch. My question is, do I press the grapes before starting the MLF? Or do I start MLF with the grape skins and everything still in there?
Beginner question - MLF
Oct 18, 2007
3 Replies
start it in the must first, then press. That'll give the ML some food to beef up upon! (1) what's the SG and (2) has your must temperature peaked and started to fall? we've always used the temperature curve as a guide for innoculation. I know it's not good science, but that's what our "compare" (goombah, to youse auslanders) used as a frame of reference for years & now we do too! just our HO...
I think that is pretty good advice.
Thanks for the advice guys. My SG is 996 and temp is 78 deg F. The fermentation peaked at 88 deg F and is now falling. The ML bacteria I have (from Lalvin) says to add the bacteria immediately after alcoholic fermentation is complete. Based on all this, I think I'll add the ML bugs today! Thanks again-
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