Degas Before and/or After MLF

[Big Ike]

Experts and those like me,

A local produce house in Phoenix brings in juice from Napa once a year and I plan on purchasing a few buckets (they also bring in grapes, but I don't have a press... yet).

I plan on doing a couple of wines that will benefit from a malolactic fermentation - a Chard, Cab and Merlot. I've read that MLF produces CO2 and thus I'll need to degass after MLF for sure. Any opinions on whether or not I degas after the primary fermentation and prior to MLF?

Thanks for your help!

 

[grapeman]

No need to degas before MLF in my opinion. The MLF will produce more gas anyway so I don't bother. The wine isn't protected a lot before with S02 (will make MLF hard to start) so I don't like handling it any more than I need to at that point.

 

[Tom]

Is there a preferred time to Oak a wine thats getting MLF? Primary, during or after.

Last time, I oaked during MLF.

 

[grapeman]

I have started waiting until after all fermentation is complete, including malolactic. I like to taste the wine for what it has to offer on it's own before introducing oak into the equation. Once in there, taste often to make sure it doesn't get way too much.

 

[Big Ike]

First, thanks Appleman. My initial plans were to treat the juice with k-meta to slow any wild yeast and then inoculate with another yeast. That was the only sulfate/sulfite I planned on introducing until after MLF.


Second, thanks Tepe. I wanted to ask that question too, but didn't want to be too needy either.


Finally, thanks again Appleman. Your oak suggestion makes perfect sense.


Ike