Malolactic Fermentation - When is too late

ffemt128 · May 13, 2015

Time for another test this weekend. I've been stirring and each time I stir the wine it's like a volcano getting ready to erupt. Something is producing a boatload of gas. Wine smells great and tastes that way also. Maybe since temps have warmed up, the MLF is finally taking hold...

JohnT · May 13, 2015

I doubt that it is the MLF that is causing all of that gas. MLF is normally not that vigorous.

ffemt128 · May 18, 2015

Test complete, no sign of MLF, will rack next week, add kmeta let clear again then plan on bottling the end of June. They taste great...

geek · May 23, 2015

ffemt128 said:
Test complete, no sign of MLF, will rack next week, add kmeta let clear again then plan on bottling the end of June. They taste great...

So, in summary, how many cultures did you pitch?
Can you post pics of this latest test?

Looks like you dealt with this for 6 months? If so that is a lot but assume the wine was fine due to the sulfite levels?

Interested in your results....I have 2 batches of Chardonnay that I pitched Wyeast 4007 culture and after 2 months I still see malo presence and was very close to move on and sulfite it, but then I thought about giving it close to another month and if not complete I will sulfite. :ft

ffemt128 · May 24, 2015

I pitched the cultures 2 times. Different cultures each time. I have to assume the sulfite levels were the issue. I'll get some California or Italian juice in the fall and give it another go. I want to also get some complimenting grapes and ferment the juice with a lug of grapes. I think I still have the last test. I'll snap a pic and post later.

ffemt128 · May 24, 2015

Here is the last test. Have presence of all 3 acids...

geek · May 24, 2015

So based on that test it seems like it didn't fully complete?

ffemt128 · May 25, 2015

That's pretty much the way most of the tests looked. I'm happy with how it turned out. I'll bottle in a few months. It's been in a carboy for a year now. Not in any hurry for it..