MLF, Potassium Sorbate and back sweeting

[homer]

Was studying up on MLF today and it emphasized not to add Sorbate after MLF, what do you do if you back sweeten the wine? bk

 

[dgarver]

You could try sterile filtering.


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[Pumpkinman]

Malolactic fermentation in the presence of sorbate yields hexadienol, which produces the strong and disagreeable odor of rotting geraniums - an unfixable and highly undesirable outcome!
I'm not sure if an "absolute" filter will make a difference, these filters are expensive especially if there is no guarantee that t will work as you would like it to.

 

[grapeman]

Don't do an MLF on a red wine if you have any plans to sweeten later. The mlf will reduce the acidity slightly and round out the edges. If you like a sweet wine, just don't do it.

 

[Turock]

I agree--it's never recommended to sorbate a wine that's been thru MLF.

 

[GreginND]

I agree with all that has been said.

But, back to the issue . . what does a home winemaker do who wants to sweeten a wine that has undergone MLF? Sterile filtration is not an option.

Sometimes MLF happens unintentionally. I have 10 gallons of apple wine that I would really like to sweeten. It spontaneously underwent MLF. I don't know if it will be balanced as a dry wine.

Options?

 

[ibglowin]

Proper sulfite levels and lysozyme. Sterile filtering (true sterile filtering) is pretty expensive stuff!

 

[jensmith]

Maybe sweeten, let it referment, repeat untill yeast dies. Never done any mlf so this is just a guess. I also prefure dry wines and if I serve my wines to others I sweeten by the glass or bottle as it gets drunk. No sorbate or bottle bomb issues that way!


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[homer]

Maybe sweeten, let it referment, repeat untill yeast dies. Never done any mlf so this is just a guess. I also prefure dry wines and if I serve my wines to others I sweeten by the glass or bottle as it gets drunk. No sorbate or bottle bomb issues that way!

I don't think that sounds de rigueur... would you like one or two scoops of sugar in your wine?
Bottom line is I sweetened up 10 gallons of wine then blasted it with Sorbate then read the article, how long do you think it takes to start smelling like dead geraniums? bk

 

[jensmith]

And how is it sweetening by the glass is any more suger added then by the carboy? Added suger is added suger. Btw, If it must be sweetened I use concentrated juice or agave syrup. Cane suger gives me migranes, so my wines are fermented dry dry dry. Most people who like sweet wines can not stand my wines. I am not insulted if they need to sweeten it up! After all many store bought wines have been sweeten somehow. Its all just a matter of prefence.

With your mfl sweetened and sorbated wine, drink fast!


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[ColemanM]

How about a non fermentable sugar? I am not sure but would stevia ferment? Sweet-n-low? Definitely do bench trials as these may add a chemical taste.


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[GreginND]

The only artificial sweetener I would use would be Splenda - mostly pure sucralose with some maltodextrin. Don't use the small packets because they do add dextrose to it and it could ferment.

I would never use Sweet-n-low (saccharin) because it has a medicinal taste to me. Other sweeteners, like stevia, while it may be essentially no-calorie when consumed, could break apart in the wine to free up some fermentable sugars and I would worry about it from a chemical stability standpoint. I would not use nutrasweet either as it will decompose slowly and become less sweet.

 

[ColemanM]

Good info, thanks Greg.


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