MLF Friendly Yeast for Co-inoculation in Cab / Merlot blend

[joeycannoli]

As the title states, do you have a recommendation for a MLF friendly yeast? Planning to do a co-inoculation this weekend with our cab / Merlot blend. I was going to use BM45 but their description states it’s not MLF friendly.

 

[Boatboy24]

I use BM4X4 all the time with MLF and have never had a problem (knocking on wood).

 

[Johnd]

I'll reiterate what Jim said above, BM 4x4 has been 100% successful on all of the MLF's I've done in conjunction with it.

 

[BernardSmith]

Do you co-inoculate with BM 4 X 4 or wait until you press or ??

 

[Johnd]

Do you co-inoculate with BM 4 X 4 or wait until you press or ??

Not sure who you are asking, but I co-inoculate......

 

[cmason1957]

And you weren't asking me, but I wait until after I press.

 

[Boatboy24]

I used to wait until after I pressed. The last couple years, I've been co-inoculating.

 

[Johnd]

And you weren't asking me, but I wait until after I press.

C‘mon you old dinosaur, give it a whirl!!

 

[cmason1957]

C‘mon you old dinosaur, give it a whirl!!

Not doing any this year. Just doing 300 lbs of a red into rose. Picking up grapes on Saturday, getting a knee replacement in two weeks. Wife wants it all under airlock, ready to leave alone for a few months prior to that.

 

[Ajmassa]

My 2¢— if you are using a strong malo bacteria and co-inoculating then it almost nullifies any yeast’s mlf “unfriendliness” anyway. If doing sequential-inoculation then it becomes more of an issue, but the bacteria is otherwise getting to work early before the yeast can alter the environment- especially the abv. A co-inoculation bypasses the issue as long as both the yeast and the lactic bacteria are properly fed along the way.
Using BM4x4 or BM45 on a merlot (unfriendly varietal apparently) in sequential-inocc might give a hiccup I’ve read here. But as long as you’re co-inoculating I doubt yeast selection would affect it at all.

 

[Johnd]

Not doing any this year. Just doing 300 lbs of a red into rose. Picking up grapes on Saturday, getting a knee replacement in two weeks. Wife wants it all under airlock, ready to leave alone for a few months prior to that.

I’m doing the same, two 60 gallon barrels and a 30 gallon barrel with 18’s and 19’s. Gotta give it a break.

 

[Johncifelli]

I accidentally used baker's yeast in my 50 gallons of must. Am I screwed or what?

 

[Johnd]

I accidentally used baker's yeast in my 50 gallons of must. Am I screwed or what?

I answered this in the thread you started, but again, add some EC-1118 or other strong yeast to take over the fermentation.

 

[Bubba1]

I co-inoculate with VP-41 MLF regularly with no problems at all