7795 Bell Road, Windsor, CA, United States of America, 95492

www.enartis.com/en-us/

707-838-6312

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ENSURING A COMPLETE AND CLEAN ML FERMENTATION

Completing malolactic fermentation (MLF) is just as important as completing alcoholic fermentation. It plays an important role in the winemaking process and helps to shape a wine style and character as well as ageing potential. Understanding your options for different bacteria strains that fit your needs and using a nutrient for the bacteria are also critical. Different analytical methods for MLF monitoring also allow for easier control of the process to ensure completion.

 

1.   Which bacteria to use?

Depending on wine pH and alcohol, there are ample strains of MLF bacteria which will not only fit the wine’s needs, but also ensure completion. In years where pH or alcohol can be an issue, it is very important to find the right strain for your wine.

Enartis ML One:Active freeze-dried Oenococcus oeni bacteria that allows for a quick start and complete malolactic fermentation. The use of Enartis ML One in white and red wines reduces the risk of spontaneous fermentations and therefore helps produce wines with better sensory qualities. It also respects the sensory character of the wine. Alcohol tolerance is 14% with a pH minimum of 3.2.

Enartis ML Silver: Active freeze-dried Oenococcus oeni bacteria isolated from the Sonoma area of California. It was selected by our research department among hundreds of other strains from all over the world. Enartis ML Silver has an outstanding capacity to conduct fast malolactic fermentations in wines with high alcohol content or low pH. It works equally well in both red and white wines and helps to produce clean, fruity aromas with the ability to reduce vegetative characters present in some wines. Alcohol tolerance is above 15% with a pH minimum of 3.1.

Enartis ML MCW: Culture Oenococcus oeni isolated, tested and developed by Enartis Vinquiry that has been used commercially for over 25 years. Available for direct inoculation (active freeze-dried form) or for build-up culture (in the freeze dried or liquid form), it is the bacterial strain of choice for many winemakers in the production of red, white and sparkling wines. MCW provides a large population of malolactic bacteria for timely ML inoculations. Its superior tolerance to low temperatures, pH tolerance to below 3.0, and alcohol levels above 15% make it suitable for the most difficult ML fermentations.

 

2.  Which nutrient to use?

Once a strain has been selected, it is important to also make sure it has the proper nutrition it needs to complete the fermentation process. ML nutrient will not only aid in ensuring a complete fermentation, especially under difficult conditions, but also it will aid in speeding up the process.

Nutriferm ML: Nutrient specifically for malolactic bacteria. Increasing nutrients in wine stimulates the growth of bacteria at inoculation and improves cell division. Nutriferm ML provides polysaccharides, amino acids, co-factors and vitamins. The cellulose contained in the formulation acts as a support for bacteria cells and absorbs compounds that may inhibit cell growth. The combined effect of Nutriferm ML’s components ensures the domination of the inoculated strain over natural flora and dramatically reduces the length of malolactic fermentation. It’s particularly recommended to promote malolactic fermentation in difficult wines. The typical dosage of this product is 20-30 g/hL (1.7 – 2.4 lb / 1000 gal).

Nutriferm Osmobacti: New nutrient developed to help selected bacteria survive in wine under difficult conditions. When used at end of rehydration phase, it improves bacterial resistance to osmotic shock and increases the rate of surviving cells at inoculation. Nutriferm Osmobacti is rich in yeast polysaccharides, amino acids, cofactors and vitamins. It will result in a quicker start and a faster conclusion of malolactic fermentation. The typical dosage is 2 g/hL (.2 lb / 1000 gal).

 

3.   Delaying / inhibiting fermentation:

Lysozymeis an enzyme targeted at delaying malolactic fermentation and in some cases, completely inhibiting bacteria. Enartis Zym Lyso is a purified granular enzyme extracted from egg albumin which will not clump in water when ready for addition to wine. Dosage is 10-20 g/hL to delay and 30-50 g/hL to inhibit MLF.

 

4.  Monitoring the ML Fermentation:

Testing Kits
Vintessential Laboratory’s
enzymatic kits make testing for malic acid convenient and easy. This spectrophotometric assay can be employed to accurately determine levels of malic acid to monitor progress and ensure the conversion from malic to lactic acid is completed. The tests come in kits of 30 or 100 tests.

Enartis Vinquiry Analytical Services for Monitoring Malolactic Fermentation
As a full-service laboratory, we offer a complete range of analytical, microbiological and technical services for winemaking. The time period leading up to, during and right after malolactic fermentation is critical because it presents opportunities for a winemaker to truly shape the direction of the wine. Here are some of the analyses we offer relating to malolactic fermentation:

Post Fermentation Panel - Panel 8: After primary fermentation we test for Glucose + Fructose, Malic Acid and Volatile Acidity in order to establish a good baseline before proceeding with MLF.

Basic Chemistry Panel - Panel 1: The name says it all. It covers the basics of what you should know about your wine at this stage. The panel includes Alcohol, pH, Titratable Acidity, Free & Total SO2, Volatile Acidity, Malic Acid and Glucose + Fructose.

Malolactic Fermentation Assessment Panel - Panel 10: This set of analyses is crucial to monitor your bacteria and ensure a complete malolactic fermentation. It is particularly useful for troubleshooting sluggish or stuck MLF. The panel includes Alcohol, Volatile Acidity, Total SO2, Glucose + Fructose, pH, L-Malic Acid and a Microscopic scan.

We also offer each component of the panels as individual tests, allowing the winemaker to pick which analyses they deem important for their wine.

For more information please contact Enartis Vinquiry at (707) 838-6312, or go to our website at www.enartisvinquiry.com.

Contact

Contact List

Title Name Email Phone Extension
President José Santos jose.santos@enartis.com (707) 303-6559
Sales Manager Libby Spencer libby.spencer@enartis.com (503) 798-0941

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Enartis USA 7795 Bell Road, Windsor CA United States of America 95492

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