Juice bucket and MLF

[JBP]

I am picking up a frozen juice bucket (cabernet sauvignon) this week and planning on trying MLF for the first time. Have been through many threads here and appreciate all the good advice I have found. My plan is to use BM4x4 and CH16, co-inculated with appropriate nutrients, as well as some fermentation tannins and an All Grape Pack. My past experience is that the frozen juice buckets I get are already pre-inoculated with yeast (suspect something bullet-proof such as EC1118). Can I safely use kmeta in advance to facilitate transitioning to BM4x4 or would that be a problem (recognizing MLB is SO2 sensitive)? Should I just resign myself to the yeast it comes with?

 

[cmason1957]

It is a good assumption that the yeast is ec1118 and it really will just laugh at the so2 you add and keep right on going. That sounds well probably cause an issue with mlb starting.

 

[heatherd]

I am picking up a frozen juice bucket (cabernet sauvignon) this week and planning on trying MLF for the first time. Have been through many threads here and appreciate all the good advice I have found. My plan is to use BM4x4 and CH16, co-inculated with appropriate nutrients, as well as some fermentation tannins and an All Grape Pack. My past experience is that the frozen juice buckets I get are already pre-inoculated with yeast (suspect something bullet-proof such as EC1118). Can I safely use kmeta in advance to facilitate transitioning to BM4x4 or would that be a problem (recognizing MLB is SO2 sensitive)? Should I just resign myself to the yeast it comes with?

Some juices are inoculated and some aren't, might be worth checking with your vendor; Wine grapes direct doesn't. In your shoes I would pitch the yeast you desire, MLB, grape pack, nutrients, fermentation tannins, and ferment away.

 

[JBP]

Thanks - guess I will toss in the BM 4x4 and we will never know if it contributes anything in the face of EC1118. But no to the kmeta and yes to the rest.