Other Kits & MLF

[bkisel]

How do the kit manufactures skirt around having us deal with malolactic fermentation (or lack there of)? I don't recall either my RJS or MM kit instructions even mention MLF. I'm guessing MLF is nothing for me to concern myself with so long as I stick with kit wine making, right?

Thanks...

 

[SouthernChemist]

The manufacturers manipulate and balance the acidity. Of course, how they do that is a probably proprietary. The general warning is that you should never attempt MLF on a kit wine as the result will not be good. Better to set the acidity at the beginning than have customers do a MLF step, which would increase the complexity (i.e., technical support issues) and the time until you can bottle (there goes the 4-6 week bottling time).

If you ever get into making wine from fresh grapes, you will have to consider MLF.