"JoAnn" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi All,
> I tested my red wines the other day and am not sure how to interpet
> the readings. Three of the wines definately made it to latic level.
> 1. One of those is mostly yellow up to latic, ending in a blob.
> 2,3. The other two did not change to yellow at all by malic but have
> blobs at latic.
> The two other wines have blob stops at malic. They do continue up
> to latic, but don't end in a blob like the other three.
> 4. One of the two has a pink streak all the way up to latic
> 5. while the other is yellow.
>
> 1. NY 73
> 2. Zinfandel/Leon Millot 60/40
> 3. Zinfandel/(malvoise/muscat/alacante) 90/10
> 4. Agria
> 5. Tempernillo
>
> Any intereptatations? Would appreciate any help.
> Thanks in advance,
> JoAnn Mantych

JoAnn,

I am not sure how to interpret your results. From your description, your
wine samples (spots) may be too large, or you may be using a ML solvent I am
not familiar with.

I any event, the following may be of help. All wines contain a significant
amount of succinic acid (the yeast make it). The lactic acid spot falls on
top of the succinic acid spot, so you can't tell the difference between
lactic and succinic acid.

So, the only way of judging MLF is by looking at how the size of the malic
acid spot decreases. A complete absence of the malic spot means MLF is
_probably_ finished.