"Art Schubert" <na@> wrote in message
...
> I have followed as much of the discussion and read as much as I could
> concerning leaving or stirring the _fine_lees. Yet I am still
> confused.
>
> I am making a Pinot Noir from a juice. So it had no vegetal mater in
> it (no "gross" lees). I ran the ferment down to 5 brix (with RC212)
> and added MLB and Bactivaid ( recomendations not to short the MLB
> of nutrients). Now it is down to SG 0.996 and small bubbles are rising
> slowly (mixed with some quick ones). So it looks like all is well and
> ML is under way.
>
> Crud is now accumulating at the bottom, of course, though in 6 gallons
> it is only about 1/2" thick so far. So:
>
> Do I leave the wine on the fine lees to finish MLF? I understand that
> yeast lees are good for those bugs and that disturbing things
> (especially if adding some SO2 in a racking) might do them in.
>
> Or are those lees likely to give some off flavors to the wine so that
> I should rack off and let the _really_ fine lees fall out? No odors
> yet but I wonder what will happen if I leave the wine without racking
> for the 2 months or so that MLF might take to finish.

If you leave it on the lees successfully, the wine will have better mouth
feel. The key to avoiding problems is not letting the wine sit on vegetal
lees for any length of time without stirring.

It sounds like your lees are fairly pure yeast and not very thick, so you
may not need to stir at all. Still, it isn't a bad idea to do so every 2 or
3 days - at least for the first couple of weeks, while keeping a vigilant
nose for H2S (rotten egg) smell.

The carboy should be pretty nearly full at this point, and under airlock.
After you stir, spritz the top of the wine a little from a sulfite spray
bottle before putting the airlock back on. That way you put the sulfite
where it does you the most good.

BTW, an ML check would be a good idea. It might be farther along than you
think.

Tom S