MLF and Juice Buckets

[cmason1957]

Hi again, can anyone recommend a decent and affordable chromatography test kit?

This is the one many people purchase:

https://www.piwine.com/chromatography-test-kit-vertical-paper.html

If you aren't sure how committed you are to making red wines from grapes, you may consider these, I have used them and they work great, but eventually cost more:
https://www.amazon.com/Accuvin-Malic-Acid-Test-Kit/dp/B0064OFVUK

 

[Johnd]

Hi again, can anyone recommend a decent and affordable chromatography test kit?

This is the one that I use:
https://morewinemaking.com/products/chromatography-test-kit-wine-making.html

Comes with 25 sheets of chromo paper, so you can run 25 tests, with as many as 8 wines on each sheet.

 

[Mario Dinis]

This is the one many people purchase:

https://www.piwine.com/chromatography-test-kit-vertical-paper.html

If you aren't sure how committed you are to making red wines from grapes, you may consider these, I have used them and they work great, but eventually cost more:
https://www.amazon.com/Accuvin-Malic-Acid-Test-Kit/dp/B0064OFVUK

Looks like the Piwine one is the better one as far as price goes. I can't make wine from fresh grapes, don't have the room for it. That's why I buy the 6 gallon pails of juice.

 

[Mario Dinis]

This is the one that I use:
https://morewinemaking.com/products/chromatography-test-kit-wine-making.html

Comes with 25 sheets of chromo paper, so you can run 25 tests, with as many as 8 wines on each sheet.

Thanks. I've seen this one, a bit pricey though.

 

[cmason1957]

Looks like the Piwine one is the better one as far as price goes. I can't make wine from fresh grapes, don't have the room for it. That's why I buy the 6 gallon pails of juice.

Not sure I understand the can't make from fresh grapes, not enough room. It doesn't really take much more room than anything else. I don't own a crusher/destemmer, most places you buy grapes from have one. I do have a very small fruit press (100 lbs takes 2-3 loadings). My buckets are Brute trash cans. Just some things to think about for the future.

 

[Mario Dinis]

Not sure I understand the can't make from fresh grapes, not enough room. It doesn't really take much more room than anything else. I don't own a crusher/destemmer, most places you buy grapes from have one. I do have a very small fruit press (100 lbs takes 2-3 loadings). My buckets are Brute trash cans. Just some things to think about for the future.

Well, what I meant was that I don't have room in my basement for that process.

 

[user 36973]

Here you go.$60 for the kit

https://www.piwine.com/chromatography-test-kit-vertical-paper.html

 

[Mario Dinis]

Here you go.$60 for the kit

https://www.piwine.com/chromatography-test-kit-vertical-paper.html

Thank you. I did buy that kit yesterday.

 

[AdegaAguiar]

Mario, are you going to add MLB, to all each of the three wines? or just one and then blend?

 

[Mario Dinis]

Mario, are you going to add MLB, to all each of the three wines? or just one and then blend?

I'm going to attempt a MLF on all three and hope for the best. Actually my CH16 and nutrient just arrived.

 

[Mario Dinis]

I wouldn't top it up, when you first move it to secondary and hopefully your mlf finishes before to long, then the sulphites in the top up wine won't matter. They probably won't anyway, since they will get dispersed throughout the receiving wine.

Hello there. Coming back to your advice here. I'm a little concerned about the topping up. I just started first fermentation. Before ot finishes, I'm going to remove the equivalent of two 750 ml bottles to make port. When the first fermentation is over and I rack the wine to a carboy to initiate MLF, there will be a substantial amount of head space. I believe I should top off, my concern is if store bought wine will screw up the MLF, you know, the sulfite issue. What do you advise based on this picture?

 

[cmason1957]

Hello there. Coming back to your advice here. I'm a little concerned about the topping up. I just started first fermentation. Before ot finishes, I'm going to remove the equivalent of two 750 ml bottles to make port. When the first fermentation is over and I rack the wine to a carboy to initiate MLF, there will be a substantial amount of head space. I believe I should top off, my concern is if store bought wine will screw up the MLF, you know, the sulfite issue. What do you advise based on this picture?

I think a generally good plan is to always have all topped up carboys. Particularly while doing mlf, which may be a rather long time period. In your case, I would recommend removing 5-750 ml bottles (1 gallon) and then racking down to the next smaller carboy.

 

[Mario Dinis]

I think a generally good plan is to always have all topped up carboys. Particularly while doing mlf, which may be a rather long time period. In your case, I would recommend removing 5-750 ml bottles (1 gallon) and then racking down to the next smaller carboy.

Thank you

 

[Mario Dinis]

Hello everybody, has anyone ever used water to top off a 6 gallon carboy before MLF? If yes, spring or distilled? TIA

 

[VictorV]

I would not recommend topping off with water. I did that for my first batch of wine from a kit and it came out
tasting watered down. Truly awful. Use some cheap wine instead.

 

[Mario Dinis]

Hello everyone. So I have a 6 gallon carboy of petite sirah showing signs of MLF, a very tiny bubble coming up every so often. Also have a 6 gallon carboy of cab sav that shows some bubbles still coming up. I think the nutrient is probably fighting with the lees. And finally I have a 6 gallon carboy of merlot that shows no activity whatsoever. All three have Option Malo Plus nutrient, 6 grams each. Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon have CH16 mlb. The merlot has Wyeast 4007. I have the feeling that I may not get lucky with a mlf in the merlot. If a mlf doesn't occur, will it leave an off flavor in the wine since I added a 6g packet of nutrient to it even though I left the soft lees in the carboys? I haven't racked them yet.

 

[Mario Dinis]

Also, I did a little stirring only once so far on all 3 carboys.

 

[cmason1957]

I will be very surprised if your Merlot MLB works, two reasons 1) Wyeast 4007 (seldom hear folks having good luck with this) 2) Merlot can often be a Pita for Malolactic.

 

[Johnd]

Sometimes MLF shows outward signs, sometimes none at all. Merlot is noted for difficulty with MLF, some go fine, sometimes it just refuses. The only real way to be sure is to run Malic Acid tests, which can be accomplished with paper chromotography or with Malic Test Strips, they both work well, the strips are fast and easy, but a little on the pricey side compare to PC. MLF can take weeks to months to complete, so don't be too anxious, keep your carboys topped up properly and stay off the sulfite until it is complete.

If you do end up with unsuccessful MLF and end up having to sulfite and bottle, the little bit of nutrients you have in there shouldn't adversely affect your wines taste. Also, you might consider adding lysozyme to the wine before bottling to prevent MLF from kicking off in the bottle later.

 

[Mario Dinis]

I will be very surprised if your Merlot MLB works, two reasons 1) Wyeast 4007 (seldom hear folks having good luck with this) 2) Merlot can often be a Pita for Malolactic.

That's my fear. I'm going to blend with the others anyway.