My Cabernet is at the tail end of fermentation (my first batch from grapes rater than a kit) and I'm ready to pitch the ML culture (from Wyeast). Everything I've read says that the free SO2 needs to be below 15ppm. I think that I'm around 30. How do I get the SO2 to drop or do I really need to?
I bought the Chemetrics tester but with the red wine, it was very difficult to pinpoint the endpoint of the titration. Are there better test kits or is this something I can put together myself?
-Danno
Malolactic fermentation is affected by several variables, mainly:
Temperature Free SO2 PH Nutrients
If most of them are within the ML culture's requirements and one is a little out (A little has different meanings for each variable) you'll probably have a successful ML. Check the culture's requirements and if your PH and temperature are good, I wouldn't worry about the 30ppm of free SO2. Add some ML food to be safe like Bactiv-Aid or Luecofood. As for the SO2 testing, there are other ways involving some laboratory equipment, but it's nothing nearly as convenient or inexpensive as the titrettes. (BY THE WAY, the titrettes will read high in a red, so if you didn't subtract 10ppm from the reading you probably ARE at 20ppm free SO2.)
Regards,
John
It is recommended to have less than 25ppm for the MLF IF you don't add a ML culture since you don't whant to kill the wild bacteria. But, for you, you are quite right with 30ppm to add a ML culture. It mean that you added enough So2 at the start to kill the wild ML bacteria and now your ML culture will take place to do the job! All is ok
Séb
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