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Though I haven't seen any research on it, the conventional wisdom is that inoculating after dryness ensures that the ML bacteria aren't competing with the yeast for nutrients. If you're providing plenty of nutrients or your must's YAN and nutrient profile is good it likely doesn't make much...

I'm in the same boat. I have some $$$ Cabernet fruit from the Moon Mountain AVA in Sonoma coming this year, and I have no idea if there's smoke taint. Trying to be patient to see how things come out. Would be good to keep this thread going and post information as it comes in.

Agree with the above, I've heard that it's almost impossible to prevent MLF in a barrel if it contained a wine that underwent MLF in the past. I suppose a high temperature steam cleaning and lysozyme might do it, but it's a risk.

Good points, I do have a glycol chiller and jacketed tank, so I was able to avoid problems likely by keeping the must cool. There's a lot of CO2 still left after fermentation, so not really "counting" on the MLF to provide more protection, just maybe slow down the rate of decline of the already...

I don't do EM anymore, but when I did I inoculated for ML right after dryness and added no SO2 on the theory that the ML fermentation would still release some CO2 providing some protection from air, and my fruit was very clean so I wasn't too concerned about spoilage. It worked without...

Brehm frozen grapes are crushed. If you want to pick up fresh grapes from Brehm you can have them crushed and destemmed into your container at the pickup point (and take a % subtraction in the weight for stems) or you can take the whole grapes. If you take the whole grapes you need a grape...

I'd consider using potassium bicarbonate instead of calcium carbonate. See here. I wouldn't push it too far either as previously noted. Either carbonate can affect flavor at the upper end of the reduction range.

I can recommend Brehm grapes, I've been buying from Peter for 20+ years. I'm near wine country so I pick up fresh grapes instead of frozen, but it's the same high quality fruit. The one time I made wine from frozen (since I was unable to get up to Sonoma when the grapes were ready, so they...

Silver will react with H2S as well, so if you can find some of those silver scrubbers the Ag2S that drops out is a lot less toxic than copper sulfides. Actually a bunch of fine uncoated silver plated wire used in jewelry making might work, but Reduless is a lot easier.

Yes, if you inoculate the four batches you'll be fine. Malo might take slightly longer to complete than if you inoculated with a higher dose, but you'll be fine unless you have unusually low temp, high SO2 or high alcohol.

Well, if the wine isn't perfectly dry when you bottle it, and fermentation re-starts, you can wind up with a fizzy wine and even popped corks. So adding K-sorbate is kind of an insurance policy. Though If malolactic happens in the bottle in the presence of sorbate it creates terrible off...

Actually my joke above notwithstanding, you CAN get rid of SO2 in your must by adding the correct amount of hydrogen peroxide. You have to be very careful doing it, and it may be more trouble than it's worth, but it's an alternative to just splash racking. More info here...

Quickly go and get 3X more grapes and crush them into the mix ;)

Sounds to me like it might be TCA- Did you sanitize anything with any kind of chlorine solution?

All good advice, I would splash rack after adding nutrients to see if you can blow off some of the H2S. There are ways to take care of the H2S if it persists.

Looks like potassium tartrate with some anthocyanin pigment in it. If so, harmless.

Morewine also has a store in Los Altos which may or may not be more convenient than Concord depending on where you're coming from.

Thanks! At least you can remember the younger days, LOL!

Thanks, John!

Thanks! I'm on the Peninsula, in the Woodside hills. Are you local as well?