Taking the plunge!

[Jblyth]

Finally taking the plunge into real wine making from fresh grapes (not kits). Frontenac grapes picked and crushed on Saturday. Sulfited Sat, pitched yeast Sunday, punching cap 2/3x per day. Now the real adventure begins!

For all of you experienced folks, do I need to do anything special with the MLF culture when I kick that off sometime later in the week after pressing off the grapes? It's a Wyeast liquid package and I have no experience with MLF. I presume that I don't rack at all for quite a while once its doing MLF.

Like I said; let the adventure begin.

 

[robie]

I would get a chromagraphy kit to monitor the MLF for completion.
Make sure the free SO2 and PH are within the limits for the ML Bacteria you are using. Temperature is also very important.

 

[winemaker_3352]

I would get a chromagraphy kit to monitor the MLF for completion.
Make sure the free SO2 and PH are within the limits for the ML Bacteria you are using. Temperature is also very important.

Agreed - high levels of SO2 are not good for MLF - wouldn't be a bad choice to get an SO2 tester as well...

 

[Jblyth]

Thanks for the insight. I lightly sulfited the must prior to pitching yeast w/3 campen tabs in about 50lbs of juice/grapes. I then waited 24 hrs to pitch yeast. Hoping that's not too much SO2?

I don't have an an SO2 measuring kit or chromatograph kit :-(. Future purchases on he list when $$$ become available.

Without either of these, how will I know if/when MLF is indeed proceeding? From what I understand, you want to wait until the primary is almost complete (SG ~ 1.000) to pitch the MLF culture. Will I see any activity similar to the bubbling of the yeasties?

Thx

 

[UBB]

How much grapes did it take to fill the bucket?

 

[Jblyth]

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure. My local HBS had a 'grape stomp' event (used a machine instead of feet) and they started with over 1,000 lbs of locally grown grapes from a nearby grower. I'm not sure how many buckets they ended up filling, but it sure made a mess in the parking lot ;-) I should have actually weighed my bucket, but it was filled more than most and since I got to choose, I took one of the heaviest. It is easily 50lbs or more.