Hello all,
This is my first batch of wine, so I hope you'll excuse a newbie question on MLF in non-grape wines.
I went to check on it last night and I found it undergoing malolactic fermentation. From what I've read I knew MLF was often desirable in certain grape-based wines, but I wasn't too sure about other fruit-based wines, and after reading a bit from the archives of this group, other sites on the web, and from "First Steps in Winemaking" I'm still a little confused.
Is MLF desirable in a blackberry wine, or is it likely to ruin it? I found a few posts indicating it was undesirable, and a few where it was mentioned nonchalantly. "First Steps in Winemaking" seems to indicate it's desirable, but I think it may have been in relation to grape-based wines.
If MLF is undesirable, is additional sulfiting likely to stop it? A few past posts suggested that once MLF starts, it's nearly impossible to stop.
Finally, if it's undesirable, how do I prevent it in the future? From what I've read, increasing the acid helps to inhibit MLF, but I also read that sulfiting does too, but I did that in the suggested amounts, and it still occurred.
Relevant (?) data: I used three pounds of blackberries, and one pound each of strawberry and blueberry. If it makes any difference, I used an acid blend (66% tartaric acid, 33% malic acid) in the must, so there are other acids present beyond malic. I sulfited when I transferred it from primary to secondary. And I've also let all the sugar ferment out. At this point, everything seemed to be going along fine and the wine smells no different than when I last racked it.
Thanks for any advice!