Advice on MLF for first batches of wine. HELP!

[Aaron McClain]

I have been brewing beer for many years but have always enjoyed wine (especially dry reds) and decided to take the plunge.

I bought two kits at different price points, varietals, and concentration levels.

https://shop.brewcraftusa.com/original-alljuice-zinfandel-23l-mms17
- A full volume (No dilution required) Zinfandel which is supposed to be really good and is fairly pricy.

https://shop.brewcraftusa.com/vinifera-noble-malbec-10l-vn111
- A more economically priced, concentrated (10L topped to 23L) Malbec that is supposed to create good wine but is much more of an entry level product.

Already being a brewer I had all the necessary equipment and sanitation measures in place.

It is 3 weeks in and both wines are completely done and are right around .995

I took a taste of both and was shocked at just how good the Zin was. While lacking in complexity, it was jammy, fruity as could be, and had very little harshness to it at all.
The Malbec was a bit more harsh as it had a slight bitterness to it and was much more acidic. I did not take a pH on either but I have a good meter and can easily do that soon.

Here is where I am perplexed. I have read many articles about MLF and have found that there is a lot of conflicting info. I have seen (all from what appeared to be reputable sources)...

-Almost all reds should undergo MLF
-If you dont do MLF it might happen in the bottle
-Don't do MLF with a kit wine
-MLF can make your wine more susceptable to spoilage because it raises the pH
-You have to add lots of nutrients for MLF
-Only add nutrients for MLF if it stalls. Otherwise there will be too much food leftover for potential spoilage bacteria.

I really love a silky oily texture in all wines, but especially reds. Also, coming from a fermentation background I don't like to ever do anything half-ass and skip steps but I also don't want to risk having to dump 12, or even 6, gallons.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. The one thing I did see in common is that you want to start it ASAP after fermentation. Have I already waited too long, or at the very least should I stir the lees back into the wine before starting?

 

[johndghost]

MLF is not recommended and shouldn’t be performed on kits, and won’t have the desired effects.

Purportedly, kits are acid balanced using malic acid, and MLB only works on the natural acid in grapes, not the stuff we add.

Your kit wines will improve and become more rounded with age.

 

[Aaron McClain]

Thanks!