# Malolactic in barrel



## salernovic (Nov 28, 2015)

hi there, I'm kinda new to winemaking so bare with me. Just wondering when to inoculate with malolactic bacteria when aging in barrel. I do not own a barrel yet but looking at a 50l one Hungarian oak that I can order here in Canada. Do I need two barrels for racking or I can get away with one ?


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## syncnite (Nov 30, 2015)

One barrel is fine. You can rack out to carboys and back into the barrel after cleaning it. Inoculating MLF in a barrel is the same as in anything else. Do it either during or immediately after alcohol fermentation.


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## salernovic (Nov 30, 2015)

Thanks, that would mean leaving the barrel in a place where the temperature is over 20 degrees Celsius I suppose . My cellar now in November is showing 16 but we ve been having s warm November here in Thunder Bay ontario. Would that difference in temperature stop mlf ?


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## NorCal (Nov 30, 2015)

My process is to press when less than .5 brix, let settle for 48 hours, rack to barrel, ml in barrel, rack and clean barrel after mlf is completed and put the wine back in the barrel. Check the mlf you are going to use, but mine is good to 68F (20C).


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## nicklausjames (Jan 29, 2016)

I agree check the mlf you are using but my experience is mlf needs a temp of around 70 (in us so don't know fancy Celsius). I've tried even a little cooler and it was unbearably slow. Also if you don't know nice you mlf in the barrel you will be stuck w mlf ing w the same strain each time in that barrel.


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## berrycrush (Jan 29, 2016)

Does the barrel ever expose to KMeta if you use it for MLF?


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## ibglowin (Jan 29, 2016)

Not sure what you are asking here.



berrycrush said:


> Does the barrel ever expose to KMeta if you use it for MLF?


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## berrycrush (Jan 29, 2016)

ibglowin said:


> Not sure what you are asking here.


Do you add KMBS to the barrel, ever?


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## Boatboy24 (Jan 29, 2016)

berrycrush said:


> Do you add KMBS to the barrel, ever?



Yes. Sulfite levels drop quickly in the smaller barrels.


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## berrycrush (Feb 2, 2016)

Boatboy24 said:


> Yes. Sulfite levels drop quickly in the smaller barrels.



Exactly. Here is my caution against doing MLF in a small barrel: When you have a slow MLF which last for months, you will face two hard choices, either risk oxidation or kill the MLF by adding KMeta.


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## ibglowin (Feb 2, 2016)

You do your MLF in a carboy (first) and only when finished or as finished as it is gonna get do you sulfite and transfer into the barrel.


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## Thormo (Feb 16, 2016)

If you have a slow MLF, you can segregate the container (barrel, carboy, etc.) in a 70° F environment to finish it off. I have moved a small 30 gal barrel to a smaller space and ran a heater for 2 weeks to finish off the ML.


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