LE16 Cab franc and ec-1118 please help yeast question

[bjinacab]

Sour_grapes what do you think about Viniflora CH35 for Malolactic Fermentation after the alcohol fermentation? Is that overkill on a kit like this? Also would you add tannins to a kit as well?

 

[sour_grapes]

Sour_grapes what do you think about Viniflora CH35 for Malolactic Fermentation after the alcohol fermentation? Is that overkill on a kit like this? Also would you add tannins to a kit as well?

This is for a kit? Generally, it is not recommended to conduct MLF on a kit. I do not know if this is true for certain, but the notion is that kits are acid-balanced with malic acid. You would not WANT to change the amount of malic acid in a kit. Tim Vandergrift's money line is that an attempt to do MLF on a kit "will end up in tears."

Doubtless, someone will stop by to discuss L- vs. D-enantiomers of malic acid and their biologic activity, but I think that is not the point. The point is that you don't want to change any of the malic acid molecules.

 

[bjinacab]

Ok thank you. I will just make the kit per the instructions and not deviate from it.

 

[bjinacab]

However what about adding tannins to the wine?

 

[sour_grapes]

However what about adding tannins to the wine?

This I am in favor of. I usually add ~8 g of FT Tannin Rouge during the alcoholic fermentation stage, and ~2 g of Tannin Riche Extra during the aging stage. (I think both of those brand names have been replaced with slightly different names now.) I do not recommend "generic" tannins from LD Carlson or whomever, as I find them bitter.