Malolactic Starter vs. Just Pitching It

In article , Greg writes

I have to admit that after studying several lengthy treatises on the subject of malolactic fermentation, I am unable to assess it's place or value in home winemaking. Can anyone give a simple layman's guide to this process?

Basically, you encourage the growth of, or inoculate with, types of bacteria that eat malic acid in the wine, and excrete lactic acid. A little googling will tell you the merits of those two acids in your wine, but basically, you'll have to have tasted them both to really know why.

I'm not really an oenophile, so I don't judge this wine as "crisp with an apple bouquet" vs that wine "with a buttery finish". However, people learning to become wine snobs will take a bland white wine, then add traces of either apple juice or butter, to teach themselves the difference

Greg, which flavor of MLB are you pitching? What quantity do you intend to pitch, and what is the volume of the target wine? Some freeze-dried powder varieties can pitched in very small quantities w/o a starter (e.g. Enoferm).

Here are some possible reasons for a ML starter:

1. Some brands need to be hydrated.
2. Reduces costs.
3. Increased chances of a ML fermentation.
4. Allows the bacteria to begin growth in a optimum environment w/o competing w/ yeast for nutrients.

Here's a good article on starter preparation:

You may want to rethink MLF if you added citric acid or sorbate to your wine.

-David Denver, CO USA

Greg,

I'd go by the instructions that came with your ML bacteria rather than what the shop told you. I've used two types of ML bacteria packaged for home winemakers over the past 4 years, and one called for direct addition to the wine and the second called for rehydration in distilled water for 15 minutes and then was added directly to the wine.

Ed

The same value as it has > However, people learning to become wine snobs will take a bland white

There's nothing snobbish about understanding and describing the differences in wine taste.

Ben