CH16 (or really most Malos) co-inoculation racking question.

[benvandam]

Thank you so much everyone here for the invaluable information I've been combing through for the last two weeks!

One lingering question I have:

This Fall I'll be running a co-inoculation (read great threads here about it as well as a few papers that really convinced me - had always been adding CH16 after press and racking up until now) and my big question is do ya'll still rack of the gross less 1-3 days after pressing when running it like this? Or do you simply press and then check to see once MLF is done before racking for the first time and adding sulfite?

I figure there'd be no harm in racking after 1-3 days since the malo bacteria has already been incorperated at an earlier stage, but would love some feedback!

Thank!

 

[Johnd]

Follow your normal production schedule, press, rack off gross lees as normal, top up well, and let it sit in the mid 70’s. MLF should be complete in a month, check to be sure, and let it sit an extra month for good measure before sulfiting.

 

[CDrew]

I agree with @Johnd . I basically only use CH16 (added after the first cap formation), always co-inoculate, and always rack off the gross lees 24-48 hours later. I'll then go another month (and a chromatography test) before sulfite. I don't want to jinx myself, but I've never seen that method fail.

 

[sour_grapes]

And welcome to delurking on WMT!

 

[benvandam]

Appreciate the replies boys!

 

[benvandam]

Another question:

Seeing has how I always calculated how much CH16 post press ( and figure out the volume by how many demijohn I filled) what would be the process to figure it out this time:

Will be making 9 cases worth (36lb each)

 

[cmason1957]

Another question:

Seeing has how I always calculated how much CH16 post press ( and figure out the volume by how many demijohn I filled) what would be the process to figure it out this time:

Will be making 9 cases worth (36lb each)

So about 21 gallons more or less of finished wine. As I recall the CH16 package is good for 66 gallons, so I would add about half of it (more or less), maybe 1/3.

 

[benvandam]

Very interesting - So we're calculating based off finished wine volume!

 

[CDrew]

Agree. I'd add half a packet. I have had good luck eyeballing half then vacuum sealing the remainder in the packet and store in the freezer. It will be good to go at any time.

Alternatively, you could just add the whole packet. It will be more than enough, but you won't have to store what's left.

 

[cmason1957]

Very interesting - So we're calculating based off finished wine volume!

That's what I go with and I go high, in case I get more than expected. My thinking on using that is, if I were to be sequentially inoculating, I would be waiting until I had racked off the gross lees, so that's the number I go with if co-inoculating. I hope some others chime in, just in case I am steering you wrong.

 

[ceeaton]

Another question:

Seeing has how I always calculated how much CH16 post press ( and figure out the volume by how many demijohn I filled) what would be the process to figure it out this time:

Will be making 9 cases worth (36lb each)

I'd just add the whole package, unless you have another wine to pitch the rest of it in now. I don't trust storing it once I've opened the package, so why throw what's left away, or pitch next year and have to re-innoculate with another package if it doesn't work?

Unless I'm way off, more of it isn't a bad thing (aka won't hurt the final product by pitching too much).

 

[Nebbiolo020]

I’m late commenting but as a professional winemaker I will add my opinion, I have found that inoculating after primary is the best route and have had faster and cleaner malolactic ferments doing so, my preferred strain is Laffort b7 direct I have inoculated after primary and after racking again to get off lees, then let it go with malolactic bacteria nutrients I have had fermentations take 14 days.

Adding as a co inoculation I had a much higher incidence across the board of weird malolactic off flavors or increased diacetyl aka the buttery flavor in wines.

Also do not ever save and use malolactic cultures later they will get contaminated and tainted really easily either use the entire packet or toss it.