I'm making my first batch of wine from grapes. I've done it once
before from a juice kit. I'm now 4 days into fermentating 75lbs of
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and everything is going smoothly (I think).
I think it will be another 2 or 3 days before the wine is dry and I
can think about pressing. I would like to do ML fermentation on this
batch. My question is, do I press the grapes before starting the
MLF? Or do I start MLF with the grape skins and everything still in
there?

start it in the must first, then press. That'll give the ML some food to
beef up upon!
(1) what's the SG and (2) has your must temperature peaked and started to
fall?
we've always used the temperature curve as a guide for innoculation. I know
it's not good science, but that's what our "compare" (goombah, to youse
auslanders) used as a frame of reference for years & now we do too! just
our HO...


"Luke" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I'm making my first batch of wine from grapes. I've done it once
> before from a juice kit. I'm now 4 days into fermentating 75lbs of
> Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and everything is going smoothly (I think).
> I think it will be another 2 or 3 days before the wine is dry and I
> can think about pressing. I would like to do ML fermentation on this
> batch. My question is, do I press the grapes before starting the
> MLF? Or do I start MLF with the grape skins and everything still in
> there?
>

bobdrob wrote:

> start it in the must first, then press. That'll
> give the ML some food to beef up upon!
> (1) what's the SG and (2) has your must
> temperature peaked and started to
> fall?
> we've always used the temperature curve as a
> guide for innoculation. I know it's not good
> science, but that's what our "compare" (goombah,
> to youse
> auslanders) used as a frame of reference for
> years & now we do too! just our HO...


I think that is pretty good advice.


>
>
> "Luke" > wrote in message
>
oups.com...
>> I'm making my first batch of wine from grapes.
>> I've done it once
>> before from a juice kit. I'm now 4 days into
>> fermentating 75lbs of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes
>> and everything is going smoothly (I think). I
>> think it will be another 2 or 3 days before the
>> wine is dry and I
>> can think about pressing. I would like to do
>> ML fermentation on this
>> batch. My question is, do I press the grapes
>> before starting the
>> MLF? Or do I start MLF with the grape skins
>> and everything still in there?
>>

Thanks for the advice guys. My SG is 996 and temp is 78 deg F. The
fermentation peaked at 88 deg F and is now falling. The ML bacteria I
have (from Lalvin) says to add the bacteria immediately after
alcoholic fermentation is complete. Based on all this, I think I'll
add the ML bugs today! Thanks again-