1. Home
  2. Winemaking Craft Forum
  3. When to add the ML culture?

When to add the ML culture?

I've read the 'ML?' post by Jim and it got me thinking about the two batches of Merlot I have in primary. I obtained fresh grapes from a farm in Escondido, the numbers were 24 Brix and total acid 62.5%. I don't have the test kit for Tartaric or pH (I know, no flaming please). I crushed and split the 11+ gallons of must into two batches after adding 10 Campden tablets. I let it set overnight and and the next morning added 'Pasteur Red' yeast to one batch and a Lalvin yeast (the name escapes me) to the other. Day 5 showed 1.02 SG on the Red and

1.00 on the Lalvin. At this point I innoculated the Red with White labs Malolactic WLP675. Since I could only get my hands on one tube of Malo I didn't innoculate the Lalvin batch. Also, since I'm new to wine making this year I thought it best to see the differences between with the Malo and without it. Sorry for the novel my questions are:

When is the time to add the Malo?

'From Vines to Wines' has a general statement about 'when the primary slows down' or 'at the end of primary fermentation' add the culture.

What effect does this have if you add late vs. sooner in the primary?

White Labs web site does have general instructions but nothing specific. I understand it's up to the taste of the winemaker but since I'm new to this I'm trying to develope a game plan based on desired effect, in this case for me it's an unknown. I plan on having the skins in the must for 8-10 days before removing them and transferring to the glass secondary.

From the drive down to pick up the grapes, to the kids in the barrels crushing them, to watching the juice turn to wine, it is fun and quite a diversion from the day to day.

Enjoy and Thanks in advance!

DV

Reply to
Diamond Vintner
Loading thread data ...

I'm as interested as you in the other replies you'll get to this question. For my own part, I have been fermenting reds in open vats (typically 50 gals of must). I have been adding ML (pitched straight in, not started) late in in the primary - typically just a few days before I press and take to secondary. The MLF appears to continue for quite a while in secondary, although varies with each batch of wine.

Reply to
Ric

I am fermenting about 400 lbs. in a 45 gallon plastic primary fermentor then I have been adding Scott Lab MBR41 or MBR31 at the end of alcoholic fermentation along with some Scott Lab Optimalo for insurance. I lay a plastic garbage bag on top of the must and will incorporate Tom's idea of a little spitz of metabisulphate on top of the plastic. I will probably stir every couple of days and at 20Cel. or 70Far. The ML should be complete in 2 weeks and I can press of add

50ppm of SO2 and now let the wine settle in my secondary.
Reply to
Jim

Ric, Thanks for the reply, I was starting to think this was a ghost town. Did you measure SG when you added the ML? And if so, have you varied the point at which you add, weighing the end result?

I'm curious to hear of your and others experiences with this type of adjustment.

DV

Reply to
Diamond Vintner

DV,

There are a number of issues to consider with regards to the timing of MLB inoculation.

See under "Timing of inoculation of cultured MLB" at

formatting link

HTH, Ben

Reply to
Ben Rotter

Actually, I suggested spritzing (lightly) the top of the cap and wiping down the walls of the fermentor with sulfite solution _before_ covering with the plastic. Sulfite on _top_ of the plastic will do nothing to protect the wine on the other side of it.

I will probably stir every couple of days and at 20Cel.

I wouldn't be too hasty about adding the sulfite after pressing. You want to be sure that ML is complete, and it may take more than 2 weeks for that to happen.

Better is to settle the wine for an hour or two after pressing, then rack away from the heaviest of the lees into your carboys/kegs/barrel under airlock, topped up, until you're certain ML is finished. Then it's time to sulfite.

Tom S

Reply to
Tom S

Well after reading this article I have decided to no longer perform ML on the gross lees but instead press of after alcoholic fermentation wait 3 days to allow settling rack and then add my ML to the remaining fine lees. Keep the carboids under air lock and as Tom suggested stir every couple of days till ML is complete add 50ppm SO2, rack then bulk age. How does this protocol sound?

Reply to
Jim

That'll work. You probably woudn't need to stir using that protocol since you will only have fine lees. It's only when you have gross lees present that you have a potential H2S problem.

Tom S

Reply to
Tom S

DrinksForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.