can I overdose with malolactic bacteria?

[mandie14]

Hello lovely people, Amanda here again.

This is a bit of a long story! I will keep as succinct as I can.

In the UK access to wine making chemicals is only on a commercial scale. This year I wanted to try doing a Malolactic fermentation, so I bought Biostart Forte SK2.

Thing is - the 20g sachet is for 1000 litres of wine, and I have 20 litres!!!! I have done the math and I need to put in 0.4g in 4ml of water to get (according to the product page http://erbsloeh.com/product_datasheets/en/PMB_BioStartForteSK2_GB_001.pdf ) excellent start conditions.

These numbers are just silly!!!! Aren't they?

Can I just use more or can I overdose?

What more do you need to know? Red wine, 20 litres, under bubblers, still on gross lees, no sulphite added, finished primary, in secondary.

Hope you can help!

Amanda

 

[grapeman]

Some extra does not hurt a bit. It is just expensive to use the whole packet for such a small amount. Break it up as small as you canand either try to store it in a sealed bag in the freezer or find another user for the extra.

 

[mandie14]

thanks.

Will it keep stored in a freezer until next year?

 

[grapeman]

It probably will if you keep it in an airtight back and keep the freezer temps nice and low.

 

[mandie14]

MLF started (I think!)

I am sooo excited I can see very small bubbles! (Unless that is still carbon dioxide from the secondary that I have never noticed before because I only looked at the bubblers).

In fact that was a puzzle. Before I racked off the gross lees prior to adding MLB they were bubbling at once every 12 seconds and now they are bubbling at once every 3 minutes!

Thanks again for your thoughts and help!

 

[mandie14]

stirring MLB and lees - can I just swirl?

(I put this on an edit to my previous post, forgive me if it comes twice)

I have read that I need to keep the lees and bacteria stirred up 1 - 2 times per week. Is it Ok to just swirl the carbouy and not take bubbler ff to keep the oxygen protection, or do I have to acttually take bubbler off and stick in a stirrer? Is that just a trivial amount of oxygen exposure?

PS Info. 10 litre glass carbouys, red wine, on bubblers, no sulphite added.

Many Thanks again.

Amanda

 

[grapeman]

Some remove the airlock and stir, others just rock the carboy to let it stir up a bit.

 

[Turock]

GENTLE stirring is better because MLB is a top to mid feeder. You want to get it off the bottom. Stir very gently, not whipping O2 into it. Over dosing MLB will give you a faster MLF--only reason most people don't do it is because of cost.

 

[Fsim]

We buy bulk bacteria also and seal it using a vacuum sealer in 1 gram increments. Then store in the freezer. Works great.