Ensuring Malolatic Fermentation

[skiboarder72]

Alright, I've been doing a lot of reading about MLF and it seems like they are always coming from the perspective of doing it from grapes. What does everyone do it ensure a good MLF from one of these wine kits?

As far as I understand it, you basically have to add (or maybe not) some bacteria packet to the wine just as its done with the alcoholic fermentation, then stir the lees a couple times a week to "feed" the bacteria. So basically:

Start fermentation in primary bucket
Rack over to carboy at 1.02sg
At below 1.0 sg add the bacteria
Stir a couple times a week until co2 production stops
Rack to clean carboy, leave sediment, add clarifiers, degas, add sulfite

Do I have this right? What does everyone do to get a good MLF from a kit. Also, what does everyone do to avoid it (for fruity flavored whites, or rose's)?

 

[Sacalait]

I can answer only one of your questions, to avoid or stop a MLF clarify with egg whites.

 

[Racer]

Since you mentioned mlf and kits I'll say that most kit manufactures tell you not to put their kits thru mlf. Their kits are balanced (acid wise) and introducing an mlf would throw that balance off.

If your working with grapes or fresh juice the process you have outlined will work just fine. You should have additional test equipment to be able to test for acidity and ph along with a malolactic test kit to let you check for whether the mlf is truely done or not.

 

[cpfan]

My understanding is that

kits + MLF = flabby wine

Although, I don't know what "flabby wine" means, I'm pretty sure that I don't want 30 bottles of it.

Steve

 

[Wade E]

I agree, everything Ive heard says do not do mlf on any kit.

 

[skiboarder72]

So do the kit manufacturers make sure that there is no malic acid in the initial must? I'm not sure how they would do this

 

[Wade E]

They dont make sure that there is none, they just balance it out so that there isnt too much.