MFL question(s)

[Rembee]

I have never done a controlled malolactic fermentation before.
So for me this will be a learning experience. I grow Noble & Ison muscadines and was wondering if this can be done with them.

My questions,

1) Can a MFL be done with muscadine grapes?

2) Has anyone tried an MFL with muscadines and if so, what was your experience?

Thanks for your response(s)

 

[Johnd]

MLF can be performed with any grape that contains Malic Acid. I don't know how much is in your grapes, but I'd suspect that, like most grapes, they contain Malic Acid, and would benefit from the conversion of that sharp acid to more mellow lactic acid.

Hopefully someone else with some direct experience working with the Noble & Ison muscadines will chime in with some better info than I have.

 

[Rembee]

Thanks @Johnd. I was hoping that you would respond being that you live close to me and know what our southern muscadines are lol.

 

[cmason1957]

My guess is that you do not want to do an MLF on Muscadines. These wines are usually heavily backsweetened and that isn't as easy to do, if you performed MLF.

 

[Johnd]

@Rembee , a very valid concern above by @cmason1957 . If you do MLF and want to sweeten your wine, you may have to do so without the use of sorbate to prevent renewed fermentation. Sorbate in the presence of active MLB will ruin your wine. A pretty heavy dose of sulfite (well over 50 ppm) should knock out any remaining MLF bugs, but there is still a risk there. Sterile filtration is an option as well.

 

[Rembee]

Ok, thanks to you both, @Johnd & @cmason1957.
Although some do backsweeten their muscadine wines pretty substantially, I do not. We prefer a dry to semi sweet wine. I only backsweeten to a SG of 1.015 to 1.018.
I also found out through research that the acid in muscadines is ellagic acid and not malic acid found in other grapes.
As stated in my opening post of this thread, it will be a learning experience. So at least now I know that MFL is not the way to go with muscadines.
Once again, thanks!

 

[Trooper307]

There is Malic Acid in Muscadine grapes. This is what I found from a test on the muscadine grapes: Tartaric acid was the predominant acid in Muscadine grapes. Average tartaric acid content of 0.37 g/100 g, isocitric acid content of 0.11 g/100 g, and Malic acid content of 0.21 g/100 g. These numbers came from Muscadines grown in the Arkansas area.

I hope this helps. yes they do have ellagic acid but it is not the predominant acid in muscadine grapes.

 

[Kev6]

Ok, thanks to you both, @Johnd & @cmason1957.
Although some do backsweeten their muscadine wines pretty substantially, I do not. We prefer a dry to semi sweet wine. I only backsweeten to a SG of 1.015 to 1.018.
I also found out through research that the acid in muscadines is ellagic acid and not malic acid found in other grapes.
As stated in my opening post of this thread, it will be a learning experience. So at least now I know that MFL is not the way to go with muscadines.
Once again, thanks!

I've been making small batches of muscadine wine in northeast Florida with varying degrees of success over the last several years. Did you try malolactic fermentation and what was the result?