MLF and headspace

[Wild Duk]

I just pressed my red. I'm gonna wait about 2 days, rack off the gross lees, then put it through MLF.
While doing so, do I need to worry about too much headspace or will the MLF put off enough gas to protect it????

I was planing on doing the MLF in a 5 gallon Carboy. It's about 3 1/2 gallons of wine.

Thx

 

[ibglowin]

You need to rack down to a smaller vessel.

 

[Wild Duk]

Just saw that some sites say you can do MLF in the plastic bucket. If I rack to a 3 gallon Carboy I would have some wine left over and could not put it all thru MLF...

 

[ibglowin]

Sure you can. Put all the wine in your bucket, add MLB and Opti Malo nutrient, stir well, transfer the inoculated wine into the carboy and then use 1.5L Magnum or 750ml bottles or even a Split to hold the extra in. Stick an airlock in the top and done.

I have a mess of gallon jugs, magnums, 750's and even a split that are all on the workbench doing just this.

 

[robie]

Some start the MLF long before alcohol fermentation is complete. In this case, lots of CO2 is still coming out to protect the wine. This is likely the case where MLF is carried out partially in the fermenter bucket, but I can't say exactly.

If that's not the case and alcohol fermentation is completed or very near completion, since you can't add SO2 during or before MLF begins, and the level of CO2 generation is much less at this point, you need to protect your wine from oxidation by keep it topped up. I have found that MLF can take a lot longer than some say. You don't want your wine unprotected during a 6 to 8 week MLF.

Some CO2 is being generated by the MLF. If I remember correctly, 2/3 of the malic acid is converted to lactic acid; the other third is converted to CO2. However, that small amount of CO2 over several weeks is not enough to protect your wine without it being topped off, especially a white wine.

As Mike wrote, you need to rack down to several smaller, filled containers. I have several 3 gallon carboys, several gallon jugs, and lots of spare 1.5l and 750ml bottles on hand; all for cases like this.

 

[Wild Duk]

Headspace and MLF



Is this too much headspace while it goes thru MLF???
Should I top up a little

 

[Pumpkinman]

You want to top it off.

 

[grapeman]

If the wine has conditions for mlb to act on the wine, other nasties can work at the same time.Remeber mlb is a bactreria not a yeast. Do like ibglowin said and it won't oxidize on you. If primary ferment is over, you don't have adequate C02 protection, even from the minute amount mlf might generate. Remember you have no protection from adequatesulphites while performing mlf or it would not work so you could also get undesireable acetobacter or other nasties.

Judging from the picture if you have not racked off the gross lees, do so and then if you are still that close to the top, put an airlock on it, but I would still top it off or educe it to a 3 gallon and whaver else it will fill.

 

[rwallick11785]

If the wine has conditions for mlb to act on the wine, other nasties can work at the same time.Remeber mlb is a bactreria not a yeast. Do like ibglowin said and it won't oxidize on you. If primary ferment is over, you don't have adequate C02 protection, even from the minute amount mlf might generate. Remember you have no protection from adequatesulphites while performing mlf or it would not work so you could also get undesireable acetobacter or other nasties.

Judging from the picture if you have not racked off the gross lees, do so and then if you are still that close to the top, put an airlock on it, but I would still top it off or educe it to a 3 gallon and whaver else it will fill.

I agree with what everyone else has said here. I do know that there are options for inoculation that probably won't help too much this year since you're already ready to begin. Morewinemaking.com has a great selection of ML strains that I have used successfully with so2 levels of 40 ppm which is often enough to protect your wine. These options are a little more expensive than regular strains but I've always had wines that quickly finish ML.
Another thought: if you're planning to oak your wine you am consider doing that concurrent to ML. The oak gives the bacteria surface area to grow on and the extra time gives the oak more time to integrate into the wine. Don't forget to carefully stir your wine about on a week to get the fine lees (what didn't rack off right after pressing) into solution. That's your ML bacteria food and the bacteria can get buried in that lees and stop their job. Also don't forget to warn your wine to about 70 degrees. Those little bugs are very particular about temperature among everything else.

 

[joea132]

You need to airlock your wine right around 1 brix. I press around 1 and immediately airlock. Consequently, I also leave extra room for fermentation. Usually about what you have in your picture. Sometimes the oxygen dissolved during pressing and moving the wine into a warmer room can kickstart the rest of the fermentation. I wait for 7 days and rack off of the gross lees.

After that I innoculate with MLB after using opti-malo plus and make sure I am topped up within and inch of the bung. The common denominator here is that you need an airlock on that bad boy! And top it up ASAP so you don't oxidize your wine. I really hope you haven't already.

 

[altavino]

If you innoculated right after AF and racking off the gross lees ( best done 24- 48 hours after pressing to avoid h2s development a week is a bit too long to be safe from h2s) and put the Wine under airlock while it is going through active mlf it will be fine with a few inches of head space ( up to the shoulder like the above picture half empty might be too much ) in the carboy for the duration of active mlf . It will generate enough co2 to displace the small amount of o2 in the headspace.(4-8 weeks , even 12 as long as its active )
The wine is still saturated with co2 from primary and will have more co2 from mlf, so under airlock it's ok.
It's a good idea to have a little room because sometimes the fine lees can come to the top during mlf and even foam over. Especially when using mbr strains like vp31

Oncemlf is done top up and get so2 into the wine ASAP.
I usually splash rack off the fine lees and into the barrel right after mlf tests complete to drive some of the co2 off , add so2 then top up and put the bung in tight.

 

[JohnT]

Agree with all of the above!

MLF is not nearly as violent as AF. I find that (for a carboy) headspace of as little as 1/4cup poses no real problem.

Keep in mind that you will not get the frothing as in AF. It is very gradual. Sometimes you barely even notice it going on.

 

[Carotz]

View attachment 6176

Is this too much headspace while it goes thru MLF???
Should I top up a little

Top it to the bottom of that foil,
Why is there no airlock?

 

[Wild Duk]

No airlock. I just racked it...

 

[rwallick11785]

No airlock. I just racked it...

Definitely need to get an airlock on it ASAP. Put either some cheap vodka or sulfite solution in your airlock to prevent the water from becoming a breeding ground for bacteria.

 

[JohnT]

Definitely need to get an airlock on it ASAP. Put either some cheap vodka or sulfite solution in your airlock to prevent the water from becoming a breeding ground for bacteria.

I agree with the above. I'd hate to see all of that wine spoil simply because you didn't use a $2 fermentation trap.