Petit Sirah from Lanza Thread

Boatboy24 said:

Shine a light on it. Do you see the tiny bubbles rising? Could just be degassing, but it could be MLF. My PS took a few weeks before I had any visible bubbles. The Zin and cab even longer.

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The only bubbles I've seen are the micro bubbles after a good stir. About 15 min later, there's nothing going on that I can see.

How long after stirring did you take that image? Looks like MLF to me, or at least that is what my latest batches looked like. Micro bubbles on the edges, but nothing spectacular that would make you think something is actually happening. MLB is stealthy, like someone who robs you blind in the middle of the night and you don't realize it until you notice things missing three days later...

You can probably tell I'm drinking and haven't had dinner yet, need some carbs, just not from beer or wine.

Okay. Slow down there, cowboy. Go get yer self some vittles.

We just had some homemade chicken and gnocchi soup with my favorite chard. Good on a chilly night like tonight.

That was taken about 10-15 min after a stir.

Vittles ingested. Well, if them there bubbles are in the neck on a regular basis, I think maybe something is starting up, hopefully.

If not you have some VP41 coming to the rescue!

Take @ceeaton up on the ActiML offer, seems like good insurance. My current batches of wine went off without a hitch with VP 41, including the Lanza PS, my Chileans didn't do crap with two separate additions. Go figure......

Johnd said:

Take @ceeaton up on the ActiML offer, seems like good insurance. My current batches of wine went off without a hitch with VP 41, including the Lanza PS, my Chileans didn't do crap with two separate additions. Go figure......

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Did you use the Acti-ML with the Chilean batches? If so maybe there is a language barrier in there somewhere (they didn't know that they were supposed to do the MLF thing, try swearing at them in a different language).

Okay, just shoot me.

ceeaton said:

Did you use the Acti-ML with the Chilean batches? If so maybe there is a language barrier in there somewhere (they didn't know that they were supposed to do the MLF thing, try swearing at them in a different language).

Okay, just shoot me.

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Yep, ActiML, and the OptiMalo nutrients. I swore at them more than once, only in English, but in the end, decided to make the wine the way the wine wanted to be made, so they're sulfited and barrel aging now

I went to the wine room to fetch up a bottle of my Aussie Chard and took a peak at the PS. I haven't touched it since yesterday. Shined a light on the top to find..... BUBBLES!!!!


Looks like I've got an active MLF starting up. Fingers crossed.

Two days later and the bubbles continue.

The VP is due this weekend. Probably a good idea to measure again before adding mor MLB. If I don't use it, I can hold it for later use.

jgmann67 said:

Probably a good idea to measure again before adding more MLB. \

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I'd wait until at least early next week to do the next test. It could be working but might not show results we can see on the test any quicker than that.

ceeaton said:

I'd wait until at least early next week to do the next test. It could be working but might not show results we can see on the test any quicker than that.

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Good call. I gave it a good stir this morning. Lotsa bubbles. We'll schedule a test next week.

jgmann67 said:

Good call. I gave it a good stir this morning. Lotsa bubbles. We'll schedule a test next week.

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Just give it to my brother like last time and PM me. He should be over the plague by now I would hope.

Received the VP in the mail... in a shoebox, packed in an envelope with a cooler pack in it. For dehydrated MLB, shipped in December? Okey doke. It's in the fridge with the nutrient.

jgmann67 said:

Received the VP in the mail... in a shoebox, packed in an envelope with a cooler pack in it. For dehydrated MLB, shipped in December? Okey doke. It's in the fridge with the nutrient.

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Stick it in the freezer, it'll keep for a year. If you end up not needing it for the PS, keep it til next Fall.......

jgmann67 said:

Received the VP in the mail... in a shoebox, packed in an envelope with a cooler pack in it. For dehydrated MLB, shipped in December? Okey doke. It's in the fridge with the nutrient.

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Where did you buy it?

Boatboy24 said:

Where did you buy it?

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Midwest Supplies.

Aaaaaaaand the bubbles have stopped. Other than when the wine gets its stir - I'm not seeing any activity. Going to give it a taste this morning (which is perfectly normal) and see if anything has changed.

Just because the bubbles stopped doesn't mean there's nothing going on.

Your only chance of seeing bubbles is when the wine reaches saturation with CO2, if you disturb the wine and cause CO2 to be released, the wine will no longer be saturated and will require some time before it reaches saturation again. The time to reach saturation again, depends on the rate of ML activity, as well as how far you knocked down the concentration of CO2 in the wine while stirring.

I had a little taste this morning and it is a vastly different wine than it was a month ago. Still very tannic, but softer and more pleasant and flavorful than before.

I'm really kinda giddy at the notion that the MLF is actually happening.

The VP and nutrient are in the freezer. I may drop it after the next test... I'm hoping not.