Another ML Fermentation Question

[Flame145]

I bulk age my wine in a 53 gallon american white oak, medium toast barrel. Would it be a good idea after primary fermentation to rack to a stainless variable volume tank for ml fermentation. Then once ml fermentation finishes, then rack to my wood barrel ??
The reason I ask, I read that once, if you do a ML Fermentation in a wood barrel, it is always there. And it will start a ML fermentation on its own wheater you want it or not. So I'm kinda of confused if I should be doing ML in my wood barrel or not.

 

[grapeman]

If you have a stainless tank, by all means do the mlf in that and then transfer when done and sulfited. If you don't have one yet, it would make a great excuse to use with the CFO of the household.

 

[Wade E]

It is a bacteria that can become embedded in the wood so yes either glass or SS is the way to go unless everything you put in there if S02 levels drop enough the MLB can take hold and start up. Its very possible that a sulfur stick would wipe it out but you never know.

 

[JohnT]

It is a bacteria that can become embedded in the wood so yes either glass or SS is the way to go unless everything you put in there if S02 levels drop enough the MLB can take hold and start up. Its very possible that a sulfur stick would wipe it out but you never know.

Why would you want to wipe out the MLB imbedded in the wood?

 

[Flame145]

If you have a stainless tank, by all means do the mlf in that and then transfer when done and sulfited. If you don't have one yet, it would make a great excuse to use with the CFO of the household.

So after completion or close to it; rack after second fermentation and start MLF, then transfer to barrel for bulk aging

 

[grapeman]

I would do it like that being sure of completion of mlf first and then rack to the barrel for aging.

 

[SovereignSons]

So after completion or close to it; rack after second fermentation and start MLF, then transfer to barrel for bulk aging

that's generally how i'd do it, yes. in fact, i'd go so far as to say that all filtration should be completed before barrell-aging. but that's just me.

 

[Wade E]

Not every wine may need to go through MLF.

 

[JohnT]

Not every wine may need to go through MLF.

OK,

I normally put all of my reds through MLF, so I would not go out of my way to kill of any residual MLB.

 

[AKsarben]

OK,

I normally put all of my reds through MLF, so I would not go out of my way to kill of any residual MLB.

For reds and whites, keep the free SO2 low, in the 20-30 ppm range. Most wild ML are very sensitive to sulfur. There are some commercial strains (that I buy for the winery), notably SB3, a direct innocullum, that have a better tolerance for sulfur dioxide in the wine.

Like mentioned, some wines would not want to go though a ML and you would avoid it at all costs on some of the sweeter wines that have residual sugar as the ML bacteria can sometimes do some strange things with left over sugars.

 

[JohnT]

For reds and whites, keep the free SO2 low, in the 20-30 ppm range. Most wild ML are very sensitive to sulfur. There are some commercial strains (that I buy for the winery), notably SB3, a direct innocullum, that have a better tolerance for sulfur dioxide in the wine.

Like mentioned, some wines would not want to go though a ML and you would avoid it at all costs on some of the sweeter wines that have residual sugar as the ML bacteria can sometimes do some strange things with left over sugars.

OK,

All of my wines are dry. I am just not really into the sweet stuff (with the exception of port)