MLF Starter Culture
 

Anyone started MLF starter culture using Wyeast MLF and more or less
the directions on this site:

http://www.wyeastlab.com/com_w_malolacticstarter.cfm


I have one in process. Added Wyeast MLF to apple juice waited to see
bubbles THEN added a little pinch of Cote 'd Blanc yeast. Seems to be
ok.

Any ideas how long is this good for? I'll be picking grapes for the
next 6 weeks. Cab will be the last grape. How can I keep the culture
viable for that long?

Thanks
Steve
Oregon

MLF Starter Culture
 

On Aug 30, 10:32 pm, spud > wrote:
> Anyone started MLF starter culture using Wyeast MLF and more or less
> the directions on this site:
>
> http://www.wyeastlab.com/com_w_malolacticstarter.cfm
>
> I have one in process. Added Wyeast MLF to apple juice waited to see
> bubbles THEN added a little pinch of Cote 'd Blanc yeast. Seems to be
> ok.
>
> Any ideas how long is this good for? I'll be picking grapes for the
> next 6 weeks. Cab will be the last grape. How can I keep the culture
> viable for that long?
>
> Thanks
> Steve
> Oregon

Haven't done this but just feeding it more apple juice and any
nutrients the starter recipe calls for should do it. You can always
email Wyeast and ask there, they'd have a definiteve answer as they're
making the culture.

Pp

MLF Starter Culture
 

LOL Thanks Pp for such an obvious and perfect solution! That'll do
it.

I was so excited with it working I must have lost my mind!
Nice...

Thanks!
Steve
Oregon

On Fri, 31 Aug 2007 09:25:14 -0700, pp > wrote:

>On Aug 30, 10:32 pm, spud > wrote:
>> Anyone started MLF starter culture using Wyeast MLF and more or less
>> the directions on this site:
>>
>> http://www.wyeastlab.com/com_w_malolacticstarter.cfm
>>
>> I have one in process. Added Wyeast MLF to apple juice waited to see
>> bubbles THEN added a little pinch of Cote 'd Blanc yeast. Seems to be
>> ok.
>>
>> Any ideas how long is this good for? I'll be picking grapes for the
>> next 6 weeks. Cab will be the last grape. How can I keep the culture
>> viable for that long?
>>
>> Thanks
>> Steve
>> Oregon
>
>Haven't done this but just feeding it more apple juice and any
>nutrients the starter recipe calls for should do it. You can always
>email Wyeast and ask there, they'd have a definiteve answer as they're
>making the culture.
>
>Pp

MLF Starter Culture
 

Innoculate your first malo tank with the culture. When this one is going
you can trasfer a 1-2 % innoclation of this tank to the next tank you
need to seed to get them going. Also once you have a tank through malo,
rack off the lees, without adding SO2 to the tank you are racking from,
and then spread the lees about. This works well also.


spud wrote:

> Anyone started MLF starter culture using Wyeast MLF and more or less
> the directions on this site:
>
> http://www.wyeastlab.com/com_w_malolacticstarter.cfm
>
>
> I have one in process. Added Wyeast MLF to apple juice waited to see
> bubbles THEN added a little pinch of Cote 'd Blanc yeast. Seems to be
> ok.
>
> Any ideas how long is this good for? I'll be picking grapes for the
> next 6 weeks. Cab will be the last grape. How can I keep the culture
> viable for that long?
>
> Thanks
> Steve
> Oregon
>
>
>
>

MLF Starter Culture
 

You can keep the ML culture alive by feeding it more apple juice;
however, the useful lifetime of the culture is often dictated by the
growth of VA (volatile acids, aka vinegar smells). A little bit of VA
adds complexity to your wine, but too much is not good thing.

In commercial wineries, a new ML culture is usually started about once a
week to keep the VA in check.

One strategy is to buy frozen ML yeast, and culture only a little at a
time, so that you can have fresh ML when you need it.

Gene

spud wrote:
> Anyone started MLF starter culture using Wyeast MLF and more or less
> the directions on this site:
>
> http://www.wyeastlab.com/com_w_malolacticstarter.cfm
>
>
> I have one in process. Added Wyeast MLF to apple juice waited to see
> bubbles THEN added a little pinch of Cote 'd Blanc yeast. Seems to be
> ok.
>
> Any ideas how long is this good for? I'll be picking grapes for the
> next 6 weeks. Cab will be the last grape. How can I keep the culture
> viable for that long?
>
> Thanks
> Steve
> Oregon
>
>
>
>

MLF Starter Culture
 

On Sep 3, 1:48 am, gene > wrote:
> You can keep the ML culture alive by feeding it more apple juice;
> however, the useful lifetime of the culture is often dictated by the
> growth of VA (volatile acids, aka vinegar smells). A little bit of VA
> adds complexity to your wine, but too much is not good thing.
>
> In commercial wineries, a new ML culture is usually started about once a
> week to keep the VA in check.
>
> One strategy is to buy frozen ML yeast, and culture only a little at a
> time, so that you can have fresh ML when you need it.
>
> Gene
>
>
>
> spud wrote:
> > Anyone started MLF starter culture using Wyeast MLF and more or less
> > the directions on this site:
>
> >http://www.wyeastlab.com/com_w_malolacticstarter.cfm
>
> > I have one in process. Added Wyeast MLF to apple juice waited to see
> > bubbles THEN added a little pinch of Cote 'd Blanc yeast. Seems to be
> > ok.
>
> > Any ideas how long is this good for? I'll be picking grapes for the
> > next 6 weeks. Cab will be the last grape. How can I keep the culture
> > viable for that long?
>
> > Thanks
> > Steve
> > Oregon- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Gene:

Is this different from the freeze-dried ready to use ML culture? That
one seems to lose effectiveness very quickly once the package is
opened.

Thx,

Pp

MLF Starter Culture
 

Just for future reference, if you use the right strains of yeast ( not
Bayanus ) and don't add any SO2 after sugar fermentation is complete
you shouldn't even need MLF culture. SO2 would then be added after MLF
was done. Bayanus strains of yeast can inhibit MLF due to their
tendency to eat all the nutrients needed for MLF. If using Bayanus
strains, add MLF nutrients also before adding the MLF culture.


Bob


spud wrote:
> Anyone started MLF starter culture using Wyeast MLF and more or less
> the directions on this site:
>
> http://www.wyeastlab.com/com_w_malolacticstarter.cfm
>
>
> I have one in process. Added Wyeast MLF to apple juice waited to see
> bubbles THEN added a little pinch of Cote 'd Blanc yeast. Seems to be
> ok.
>
> Any ideas how long is this good for? I'll be picking grapes for the
> next 6 weeks. Cab will be the last grape. How can I keep the culture
> viable for that long?
>
> Thanks
> Steve
> Oregon

MLF Starter Culture
 

pp wrote:
> On Sep 3, 1:48 am, gene > wrote:
>> You can keep the ML culture alive by feeding it more apple juice;
>> however, the useful lifetime of the culture is often dictated by the
>> growth of VA (volatile acids, aka vinegar smells). A little bit of VA
>> adds complexity to your wine, but too much is not good thing.
>>
>> In commercial wineries, a new ML culture is usually started about once a
>> week to keep the VA in check.
>>
>> One strategy is to buy frozen ML yeast, and culture only a little at a
>> time, so that you can have fresh ML when you need it.
>>
>> Gene
>>
>>
>>
>> spud wrote:
>>> Anyone started MLF starter culture using Wyeast MLF and more or less
>>> the directions on this site:
>>> http://www.wyeastlab.com/com_w_malolacticstarter.cfm
>>> I have one in process. Added Wyeast MLF to apple juice waited to see
>>> bubbles THEN added a little pinch of Cote 'd Blanc yeast. Seems to be
>>> ok.
>>> Any ideas how long is this good for? I'll be picking grapes for the
>>> next 6 weeks. Cab will be the last grape. How can I keep the culture
>>> viable for that long?
>>> Thanks
>>> Steve
>>> Oregon- Hide quoted text -
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> Gene:
>
> Is this different from the freeze-dried ready to use ML culture? That
> one seems to lose effectiveness very quickly once the package is
> opened.
>
> Thx,
>
> Pp
>

Yes, this is a culture you receive frozen and have to store in your
freezer until use.

Gene

MLF Starter Culture
 

On Sep 6, 9:43 am, gene > wrote:
> pp wrote:
> > On Sep 3, 1:48 am, gene > wrote:
> >> You can keep the ML culture alive by feeding it more apple juice;
> >> however, the useful lifetime of the culture is often dictated by the
> >> growth of VA (volatile acids, aka vinegar smells). A little bit of VA
> >> adds complexity to your wine, but too much is not good thing.
>
> >> In commercial wineries, a new ML culture is usually started about once a
> >> week to keep the VA in check.
>
> >> One strategy is to buy frozen ML yeast, and culture only a little at a
> >> time, so that you can have fresh ML when you need it.
>
> >> Gene
>
> >> spud wrote:
> >>> Anyone started MLF starter culture using Wyeast MLF and more or less
> >>> the directions on this site:
> >>>http://www.wyeastlab.com/com_w_malolacticstarter.cfm
> >>> I have one in process. Added Wyeast MLF to apple juice waited to see
> >>> bubbles THEN added a little pinch of Cote 'd Blanc yeast. Seems to be
> >>> ok.
> >>> Any ideas how long is this good for? I'll be picking grapes for the
> >>> next 6 weeks. Cab will be the last grape. How can I keep the culture
> >>> viable for that long?
> >>> Thanks
> >>> Steve
> >>> Oregon- Hide quoted text -
> >> - Show quoted text -
>
> > Gene:
>
> > Is this different from the freeze-dried ready to use ML culture? That
> > one seems to lose effectiveness very quickly once the package is
> > opened.
>
> > Thx,
>
> > Pp
>
> Yes, this is a culture you receive frozen and have to store in your
> freezer until use.
>
> Gene- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

That's also the case for the freeze-dried "white powder" culture that
I am using. But that one says on the package to use immediately after
opening. The whole package is for 250L of wine which is (much) more
than any single batch I make so I have to split it among several
batches. The problem is they are not ready for the culture at the same
time so I tried using just part of the package, resealing immediately
and putting back in the freezer but it does appear that the culture is
weaker after that.

So I was wondering if what you're using is a different culture that's
more stable in the freezer after opening? Mine is from Hansen. It
comes as white powder that's ready to use without making a starter,
just like active dry yeast.

Thx,

Pp