when to rack for MLF?

Sep 23, 2004 1 Replies

I finished the primary fermentation (no sulfite), and I've innoculated with ML bacteria midway through the primary. Today, when the SG approached 1.0 or a bit below, I pressed the must, and I now have a couple of carboys of turbid wine and about 1 inch of dead yeast has settled on the bottom of each carboy. By tomorrow, I'll have probably about 2 inches, and the wine will likely be relatively clear. My question is whether or not I should rack again. I realize that there are nutrients in the fine lees, but it's mostly just dead yeast, and I've used some ML nutrient. My concern is that in a must that hasn't been sulfited, don't I stand a significant risk of developing H2S?



I've also head that I should be stirring the must weekly for ML, which is only going to murk up the wine each week.



Help would be much appreciated.



Lee


Sulfited or not, I'd get the wine off the gross lees. If ML is happening it'll still go. Just don't sulfite it until ML is done. Keep it topped up though.

Tom S

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