# MLF, Potassium Sorbate and back sweeting



## homer (Mar 10, 2014)

Was studying up on MLF today and it emphasized not to add Sorbate after MLF, what do you do if you back sweeten the wine? bk


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## dgarver (Mar 10, 2014)

You could try sterile filtering. 


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## Pumpkinman (Mar 10, 2014)

Malolactic fermentation in the presence of sorbate yields hexadienol, which produces the strong and disagreeable odor of rotting geraniums - an unfixable and highly undesirable outcome!
I'm not sure if an "absolute" filter will make a difference, these filters are expensive especially if there is no guarantee that t will work as you would like it to.


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## grapeman (Mar 11, 2014)

Don't do an MLF on a red wine if you have any plans to sweeten later. The mlf will reduce the acidity slightly and round out the edges. If you like a sweet wine, just don't do it.


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## Turock (Mar 11, 2014)

I agree--it's never recommended to sorbate a wine that's been thru MLF.


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## GreginND (Mar 11, 2014)

I agree with all that has been said.

But, back to the issue . . what does a home winemaker do who wants to sweeten a wine that has undergone MLF? Sterile filtration is not an option.

Sometimes MLF happens unintentionally. I have 10 gallons of apple wine that I would really like to sweeten. It spontaneously underwent MLF. I don't know if it will be balanced as a dry wine.

Options?


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## ibglowin (Mar 11, 2014)

Proper sulfite levels and lysozyme. Sterile filtering (true sterile filtering) is pretty expensive stuff!


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## jensmith (Mar 11, 2014)

Maybe sweeten, let it referment, repeat untill yeast dies. Never done any mlf so this is just a guess. I also prefure dry wines and if I serve my wines to others I sweeten by the glass or bottle as it gets drunk. No sorbate or bottle bomb issues that way!


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## homer (Mar 11, 2014)

jensmith said:


> Maybe sweeten, let it referment, repeat untill yeast dies. Never done any mlf so this is just a guess. I also prefure dry wines and if I serve my wines to others I sweeten by the glass or bottle as it gets drunk. No sorbate or bottle bomb issues that way!



I don't think that sounds de rigueur... would you like one or two scoops of sugar in your wine? 
Bottom line is I sweetened up 10 gallons of wine then blasted it with Sorbate then read the article, how long do you think it takes to start smelling like dead geraniums? bk


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## jensmith (Mar 12, 2014)

And how is it sweetening by the glass is any more suger added then by the carboy? Added suger is added suger. Btw, If it must be sweetened I use concentrated juice or agave syrup. Cane suger gives me migranes, so my wines are fermented dry dry dry. Most people who like sweet wines can not stand my wines. I am not insulted if they need to sweeten it up! After all many store bought wines have been sweeten somehow. Its all just a matter of prefence. 

With your mfl sweetened and sorbated wine, drink fast!  


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## ColemanM (Mar 15, 2014)

How about a non fermentable sugar? I am not sure but would stevia ferment? Sweet-n-low? Definitely do bench trials as these may add a chemical taste. 


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## GreginND (Mar 15, 2014)

The only artificial sweetener I would use would be Splenda - mostly pure sucralose with some maltodextrin. Don't use the small packets because they do add dextrose to it and it could ferment.

I would never use Sweet-n-low (saccharin) because it has a medicinal taste to me. Other sweeteners, like stevia, while it may be essentially no-calorie when consumed, could break apart in the wine to free up some fermentable sugars and I would worry about it from a chemical stability standpoint. I would not use nutrasweet either as it will decompose slowly and become less sweet.


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## ColemanM (Mar 15, 2014)

Good info, thanks Greg. 


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