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WineEast ting nature take its unpredictable course goes up as well. With the use of a large viable LAB culture of a proven strain, MLF can be completed quickly and dependably, minimizing exposure to microbial problems. MLF inoculation There is still widespread disagreement about the best time to inocu- late for MLF. Options include: 1) Simultaneous inoculation with yeast, 2) During the course of alcoholic fermentation, 3) Towards the end of alcoholic fermentation and 4) Post-alcoholic fermentation While any of these protocols will probably be successful, there are a few points to consider. If you've treated your must with SO2 , co- inoculation is probably not a good idea. It would be better to delay LAB additions until the AF has proceeded long enough to reduce the toxicity of the SO2 through binding and blow off. There is also the issue of high alcohol. While not typically a problem in the Northeast, wines with potentially high alcohol levels (above 13.5%) might be good candidates for co-fermentation with yeast. Co-fermentation can give LAB a head start while the alcohol is still low. Other aids for dealing with alcohol inhibition can in- clude selecting bacterial preparations with higher alcohol tolerance and using a higher inoculation rate. Since LAB perform best at temperatures around 68°F (20°C), inoculation after AF has warmed the must is a good way to help Mazza_WE_Sept08.qxp 7/25/08 12:39 PM P MLF get off to a good start. If fermentation is taking place in stainless steel tanks in a cool cellar, MLF can be nudged along with thermostatically controlled heat belts wrapped around the base. Barreled wine may need a heated room to maintain the proper temperature. Fans help eliminate cold zones where the barrels on top of the stack finish MLF before the bottom barrels even get started. If you are thinking about building a barrel room, consider in-floor heat and ceiling fans to help maintain a homog- enous temperature. For most purposes, inoculation with LAB can take place at the tail end of AF, while the wine is still warm, then maintaining a target temperature around 68°F. If you need to rack or move the wine while MLF is in progress, keep oxygen uptake to a minimum and take some light lees with the wine to serve as nutrient. In the case of skin-fermented red wines going to barrels soon after press- ing, we usually settle three to five days, rack, adjust temperature, inoculate with LAB, mix well and immediately barrel. This saves the monotony of inoculating individual barrels. Of course, you could complete MLF in stainless before barreling, but there is a lot of evidence that MLF produces softer, richer, fuller wines when carried out in wood.9 When MLF is to be carried out in barrels, be sure to rinse your barrels well before filling if SO2 was used to hold or sanitize the barrel. I have had faster and more reliable onset of MLF since switching to ozone for barrel sanitizing, thus avoiding impregnating the barrels with SO2 . Wines & Vines JUne 2012 63