Spontaneous MLF

[terroirdejeroir]

I have a number of batches going right now from grapes/pails and one of them is behaving a bit oddly. A little background: I made some batches with a lug added to a six-gallon juice pail and some batches from 100% grapes. Each batch was pressed using my bucket press when the observable SG was 1.000. I used this same bucket press last year when I inoculated my grapes during the press - the MLF culture came in contact with the press.

I have since cleaned the press with OxyClean, stored it in a freezing cold/blistering hot garage since last harvest, re-cleaned it with OxyClean and sanitized with StarSan.

The question is: I have one particular batch of Merlot that has had the same SG reading for six days (.994) but has shown steady signs of fermentation (i.e. bubbles). It looks identical to the remaining batches that are still fermenting and have declining SG. I am wondering if somehow last year's MLF culture (Viniflora Oenos) could have survived and inoculated this carboy?

I am anxious to rack off the lees and start MLF, but I don't want to get too ahead of myself. I would appreciate any feedback/suggestions.

 

[ibglowin]

Perhaps what you see is the wine degassing itself. If your sure about your Hydrometer reading (test it in distilled water for accuracy) then I think you can assume its just slowly letting go of CO2.

 

[WineQuest]

Ml bacteria is everywhere. Your press may or may not be the source. Most red wines will go through ml eventually without adding. The reason we add commercially sourced bugs is to ensure it happens on our schedule and not when the wine feels like it. It is very possible that this particular wine is just ml happy.

 

[terroirdejeroir]

Ml bacteria is everywhere. Your press may or may not be the source. Most red wines will go through ml eventually without adding. The reason we add commercially sourced bugs is to ensure it happens on our schedule and not when the wine feels like it. It is very possible that this particular wine is just ml happy.

I think I am going to inoculate it tomorrow...