I have a new batch in the primary that I plan on doing my first malolactic fermentation on. But of course I have questions even after reading the other posts on MLF here!
This batch is a Blackberry Pinot Noir that I made by using Alexander's Pinot concentrate and added 20 pounds of blackberries. I made it a little more than 3 gallons as I have italian carboys and have learned that they are bigger than 3 gallons. The batch is a shade of 3.5 gallons, so I hope to have some top up bottles as well.
OK, so someone posted a great document from MoreWines called Malocatic Fermentation manual, and that is helpful. It talks about SO2 levels and how you have to keep it below a certain level to allow malolactic fermentation to occur. So it says not to add additional SO2 after fermentation is complete, until after MLF is complete. Is that what everyone does?
My question is this: I plan on racking from the primary as usual and letting fermentation complete to dry in the secondary. Should I wait until I rack again to start MLF or keep testing the SG until it's dry and then start the MLF before racking? I read that the malolactic bacteria use the lees as nutrients, so I'm not sure if it's better to just start it or wait until racking.
This batch is a Blackberry Pinot Noir that I made by using Alexander's Pinot concentrate and added 20 pounds of blackberries. I made it a little more than 3 gallons as I have italian carboys and have learned that they are bigger than 3 gallons. The batch is a shade of 3.5 gallons, so I hope to have some top up bottles as well.
OK, so someone posted a great document from MoreWines called Malocatic Fermentation manual, and that is helpful. It talks about SO2 levels and how you have to keep it below a certain level to allow malolactic fermentation to occur. So it says not to add additional SO2 after fermentation is complete, until after MLF is complete. Is that what everyone does?
My question is this: I plan on racking from the primary as usual and letting fermentation complete to dry in the secondary. Should I wait until I rack again to start MLF or keep testing the SG until it's dry and then start the MLF before racking? I read that the malolactic bacteria use the lees as nutrients, so I'm not sure if it's better to just start it or wait until racking.
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