Malolactic fermentation?
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pumpkinman2012
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Malolactic fermentation can start on it's own by wild Malolactic Bacteria, however, using a proven strain is much better.
Here is an overview of Malolactic Fermentation that I posted on another site that I use to frequent:
Malolactic Fermentation
Malolactic Fermentation (MLF) put simply, is the conversion of L-malic acid into L-lactic
acid, MLF is very important to the wine making process; especially to the final product.
It wasn't too long ago that winemakers were content to let nature take its course and to merely wait for the MLF to occur spontaneously.
When a wine has gone through a spontaneous MLF it does not mean that these bacteria will give us an MLF that we can predict, nor will it give us one that has the positive characteristics that we expect from MLF such as taste, mouth feel smoothness, aromas and sensory profiles that we want; It only means that lactic acid bacteria are present in the wine, and that the bacteria, not the winemakers, have the ultimate control over the quality of the finished product.
To make matters worse, if a spontaneous, but undesirable, strain of Malolactic bacteria becomes implanted in the winery, then all subsequent wine made in that winery, commercial or home winery, may be in danger of exhibiting the negative characteristics associated with that particular strain of bacteria.
It is crucial that we add known, reliable strains of the bacteria, and not rely on the strains that have become implanted in our wineries.
Commercial strains of Malolactic Bacteria (MLB)currently on the market were selected from nature, not only for their ability to grow in wine, but also for positive characteristics such as desirable aroma, flavor, and increased mouth feel, just to name a few.
In addition, the MLB available to us today have been screened for tolerance to the wine components that can inhibit or prevent their growth such as PH, TA, SO2, Alcohol
and temperature tolerances.
Nutritional requirements of MLB strains were researched, as was the compatibility with various yeast strains used to produce the wine, with this data we can ensure reliable and complete MLF.
Thanks to current and continuing research, we even know which strains of MLB we can use to produce certain types of wine styles, furthermore, we have available to us, not only MLB hydration nutrients (Acti ML), but also MLB nutrients (Opti-Malo)making MLF stronger and much more successful than in years past.
There is so much data available to us online, and direct from the manufacturers that we would think that MLF would be an easy and straight forward process, instead MLF has generated a lot of stress and confusion among wine makers new to this process, even with virtually endless amounts of data and step by step instructions, a lot of bad information from those who oppose MLF, most times because they had a bad experience due to lack of researching, or selecting a lower quality MLB. Has been circulating on the wine making forums, I've actually read posts suggesting that MLF shouldn't be attempted by home winemakers!
As with most of the wine making process, you will need to test your wine, simple
PH, TA and SO2 tests will give you the tools to select the proper MLB strain for your wine, you may need to make small adjustments to your wine, but in most cases these adjustments were necessary regardless.
We need to take a step back, make sure that the wine is within the recommended tolerances,
and pitch the MLB.
Some of the most common questions are:
Q: Should I put all of my wines through MLF?
The answer is NO, red wines benefit from MLF, only a few select white wines will benefit from MLF, but remember, I'd rather start MLF instead of having a spontaneous MLF start.
Grapes produced in cool regions tend to be high in acidity, wines from these grapes will really benefit from MLF, making the wine more palatable, balanced and giving the wine greater roundness.
Q: Can I put my kit wine through MLF?
Kit Wines should never be put through MLF, they are already stabilized by the manufacturer, the wine would become unbalanced and potentially ruined.
Q: Can I put my Juice Buckets through MLF?
Yes ,you can put Juice Buckets through MLF.
Q: What about white wines?
Very few White wines are put through MLF; many whites need that nice crisp acidity to balance the sweetness.
The biggest issues that I've seen with putting wine through MLF for the first time are:
Wine makers new to MLF tend to purchase inferior MLB, unfortunately, most Home Brew shops that I've been to either do not carry MLB, or they carry an inferior MLB.
There are very reliable MLB on the market, I highly recommend Lalvin or Lallemand, they put out a superior product that has proven successful not only in a home wine making scenario, but also in countless commercial wineries.
While you can get a cheaper MLB, this is one of those times when the old saying "you only get what you pay for" is true.
Another big issue is the fact that wine makers new to MLF think that they will always ee a very aggressive MLF with the airlock bubbling feverishly and bubbles coming to the top of the carboy as if it were an aquarium, this is hardly the norm for MLF, most times the process is mild, and as with Alcoholic fermentation, airlock activity, or lack of, is not indicative of active or stalled fermentation.
The single most common issue is time and patience, wine makers new to MLF feel that they should see active fermentation and completion in a matter of a few weeks, although possible, MLF can take several months to complete.
What is the rush?
Most wines need to age several months up to a year or more, I've seen more daily MLF updates with the wine maker getting very frustrated that they don't see any activity, or they've waited 2 weeks and feel that MLF should be done this is hardly ever the case.. don't rush it, let it take its course, you'll be much happier in the long run.
Last but not least, the definitive way to know if MLF is complete is to purchase a Chromatography test kit.
Don't make the process more difficult than it is, take your time, do your "homework" and research, purchase a superior MLB, read the manufacturers specifications for the particular MLB that you are considering using, everything that you need to know will be listed, adjust the wine in order to facilitate the MLF process, and let the bacteria work for you.
Here is an overview of Malolactic Fermentation that I posted on another site that I use to frequent:
Malolactic Fermentation
Malolactic Fermentation (MLF) put simply, is the conversion of L-malic acid into L-lactic
acid, MLF is very important to the wine making process; especially to the final product.
It wasn't too long ago that winemakers were content to let nature take its course and to merely wait for the MLF to occur spontaneously.
When a wine has gone through a spontaneous MLF it does not mean that these bacteria will give us an MLF that we can predict, nor will it give us one that has the positive characteristics that we expect from MLF such as taste, mouth feel smoothness, aromas and sensory profiles that we want; It only means that lactic acid bacteria are present in the wine, and that the bacteria, not the winemakers, have the ultimate control over the quality of the finished product.
To make matters worse, if a spontaneous, but undesirable, strain of Malolactic bacteria becomes implanted in the winery, then all subsequent wine made in that winery, commercial or home winery, may be in danger of exhibiting the negative characteristics associated with that particular strain of bacteria.
It is crucial that we add known, reliable strains of the bacteria, and not rely on the strains that have become implanted in our wineries.
Commercial strains of Malolactic Bacteria (MLB)currently on the market were selected from nature, not only for their ability to grow in wine, but also for positive characteristics such as desirable aroma, flavor, and increased mouth feel, just to name a few.
In addition, the MLB available to us today have been screened for tolerance to the wine components that can inhibit or prevent their growth such as PH, TA, SO2, Alcohol
and temperature tolerances.
Nutritional requirements of MLB strains were researched, as was the compatibility with various yeast strains used to produce the wine, with this data we can ensure reliable and complete MLF.
Thanks to current and continuing research, we even know which strains of MLB we can use to produce certain types of wine styles, furthermore, we have available to us, not only MLB hydration nutrients (Acti ML), but also MLB nutrients (Opti-Malo)making MLF stronger and much more successful than in years past.
There is so much data available to us online, and direct from the manufacturers that we would think that MLF would be an easy and straight forward process, instead MLF has generated a lot of stress and confusion among wine makers new to this process, even with virtually endless amounts of data and step by step instructions, a lot of bad information from those who oppose MLF, most times because they had a bad experience due to lack of researching, or selecting a lower quality MLB. Has been circulating on the wine making forums, I've actually read posts suggesting that MLF shouldn't be attempted by home winemakers!
As with most of the wine making process, you will need to test your wine, simple
PH, TA and SO2 tests will give you the tools to select the proper MLB strain for your wine, you may need to make small adjustments to your wine, but in most cases these adjustments were necessary regardless.
We need to take a step back, make sure that the wine is within the recommended tolerances,
and pitch the MLB.
Some of the most common questions are:
Q: Should I put all of my wines through MLF?
The answer is NO, red wines benefit from MLF, only a few select white wines will benefit from MLF, but remember, I'd rather start MLF instead of having a spontaneous MLF start.
Grapes produced in cool regions tend to be high in acidity, wines from these grapes will really benefit from MLF, making the wine more palatable, balanced and giving the wine greater roundness.
Q: Can I put my kit wine through MLF?
Kit Wines should never be put through MLF, they are already stabilized by the manufacturer, the wine would become unbalanced and potentially ruined.
Q: Can I put my Juice Buckets through MLF?
Yes ,you can put Juice Buckets through MLF.
Q: What about white wines?
Very few White wines are put through MLF; many whites need that nice crisp acidity to balance the sweetness.
The biggest issues that I've seen with putting wine through MLF for the first time are:
Wine makers new to MLF tend to purchase inferior MLB, unfortunately, most Home Brew shops that I've been to either do not carry MLB, or they carry an inferior MLB.
There are very reliable MLB on the market, I highly recommend Lalvin or Lallemand, they put out a superior product that has proven successful not only in a home wine making scenario, but also in countless commercial wineries.
While you can get a cheaper MLB, this is one of those times when the old saying "you only get what you pay for" is true.
Another big issue is the fact that wine makers new to MLF think that they will always ee a very aggressive MLF with the airlock bubbling feverishly and bubbles coming to the top of the carboy as if it were an aquarium, this is hardly the norm for MLF, most times the process is mild, and as with Alcoholic fermentation, airlock activity, or lack of, is not indicative of active or stalled fermentation.
The single most common issue is time and patience, wine makers new to MLF feel that they should see active fermentation and completion in a matter of a few weeks, although possible, MLF can take several months to complete.
What is the rush?
Most wines need to age several months up to a year or more, I've seen more daily MLF updates with the wine maker getting very frustrated that they don't see any activity, or they've waited 2 weeks and feel that MLF should be done this is hardly ever the case.. don't rush it, let it take its course, you'll be much happier in the long run.
Last but not least, the definitive way to know if MLF is complete is to purchase a Chromatography test kit.
Don't make the process more difficult than it is, take your time, do your "homework" and research, purchase a superior MLB, read the manufacturers specifications for the particular MLB that you are considering using, everything that you need to know will be listed, adjust the wine in order to facilitate the MLF process, and let the bacteria work for you.
waarhorse777
Active Member
Thank you for the in depth look at MLF. Being a new wine maker myself, I thought secondary fermentation was only to get the must off of the lees while the wine mellowed out.
While your post is wonderfully detailed, I need to ask the next question: what is MLF good for? It sounds like the advanced class to wine makers, sort of a "journeyman" level process. What can I have MLF do for my wine? I apologize for my ignorance but I'd love to pick your brain on the subject as your knowledge seems quite in depth via the post above. I've never been one to do something "ok" when could do it at a higher level.
Also, as my wine was started in April and only been in Secondary since May 25: will MLF remove that rocket fuel taste my red wine is presenting after its first month a half?
While your post is wonderfully detailed, I need to ask the next question: what is MLF good for? It sounds like the advanced class to wine makers, sort of a "journeyman" level process. What can I have MLF do for my wine? I apologize for my ignorance but I'd love to pick your brain on the subject as your knowledge seems quite in depth via the post above. I've never been one to do something "ok" when could do it at a higher level.
Also, as my wine was started in April and only been in Secondary since May 25: will MLF remove that rocket fuel taste my red wine is presenting after its first month a half?
RachmaelBenApplebaum
Well-Known Member
Malo softens the wine considerably and takes the rough acidic edges and makes it smoother. Pretty much every red I've handled is Maloed at some point in its life. If you really wanna get in depth you would need to do malolactic chromatography in order to determine if the secondary malo fermetation is done, or you could just wait a really long time which is advisable. In reds it's pretty much always used, in whites it's used selectively to produce buttery Chardonnay or anything you want to have a soft, creamy, or buttery to butter-scotch profile. Sometimes with whites malo will be started and then arrested via cold-conditioning and sterile filtration, but I'm going to hazard a guess that you don't have the means to do that(read: huge PITA). Note that when I say all reds are malo-ed there are possibly exceptions though I've never seen them, as always, and NEVER EVER use malo on kit wines or wines that have been hit with potassium sorbate. Kit wines are balanced so that you produce a product as it's meant to be if you follow the instructions to the T (some tweaking of it is done, usually yeast changes, sugar/acid/juice/alcohol amendments) and anything with potassium sorbate will become a geraniol bomb, it's the bacteria reacting to the preservatives and geraniol is not only considered a huge wine fault, but it's superbly nasty. I'm a student in Enology and also work in a winery, if credentials are needed to verify the info.
pumpkinman2012
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The "Rocket Fuel" that you describe is simply a young wine, age will take care of that.
As stated above, just about every red wine is put through Malolactic Fermentation, to put the process in simple terms, it converts the harsh Malic acid into the softer lactic acid making a smoother, rounder wine. Certain strains also add mouthfeel and body.
A few reasons that you want to put all of your red wines through MLF would be: potential spontaneous MLF in bottles causing bottle bombs, spontaneous MLF caused by wild MLB can be very undesirable giving the wine negative characteristics, "if a spontaneous, but undesirable, strain of Malolactic bacteria becomes implanted in the winery, then all subsequent wine made in that winery, commercial or home winery, may be in danger of exhibiting the negative characteristics associated with that particular strain of bacteria.", not to mention all of the positive effects on your wine.
I'm not a student of Enology, I'm a student of experience.
As stated above, just about every red wine is put through Malolactic Fermentation, to put the process in simple terms, it converts the harsh Malic acid into the softer lactic acid making a smoother, rounder wine. Certain strains also add mouthfeel and body.
A few reasons that you want to put all of your red wines through MLF would be: potential spontaneous MLF in bottles causing bottle bombs, spontaneous MLF caused by wild MLB can be very undesirable giving the wine negative characteristics, "if a spontaneous, but undesirable, strain of Malolactic bacteria becomes implanted in the winery, then all subsequent wine made in that winery, commercial or home winery, may be in danger of exhibiting the negative characteristics associated with that particular strain of bacteria.", not to mention all of the positive effects on your wine.
I'm not a student of Enology, I'm a student of experience.
RachmaelBenApplebaum
Well-Known Member
Yeah, bottle bombs or (at the very least) pushed corks and huge messes. And Pumpkinman, experience is 9/10ths of the lot
waarhorse777
Active Member
Thank you all for the great information! When in the red wine making process would I start this? Right after I rack to secondary fermentation would I add the MLB and then let age for at least six months? Is there a ratio of how much per gallon? You had also mentioned to get a "good" strain of bacteria vs cheap or possibly the only one available. Any suggestions?
I'm learning to be "patient" and not fidget with the long term product but it seems that MLF adds a little more excitement to the project and I like that.
I'm learning to be "patient" and not fidget with the long term product but it seems that MLF adds a little more excitement to the project and I like that.
pumpkinman2012
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Patience is a key, it was a hard one for me to learn as well!
There are several ways that you can put your wine through MLF, the 2 most popular are Co-Fermenting and Direct Inoculation.
With co-fermentation, you would add the MLB while your wine is still going through the primary or alcoholic fermentation, depending on the strain, you might add it anywhere from 18 brix down to 5 brix.
With direct inoculation, you add the MLB when primary/alcoholic fermentation has completed.
I mentioned a good strain, maybe I should have said "reliable" strain, the various MLB strains have different tolerances, not too much different than the yeast that you use to ferment, the two most "forgiving" strains that I've used have been VP41 and MBR31, these can only be purchased in larger packs that treat 66 gallons for approx. $39.00, for those of us that make larger volumes of wine, this is perfect, or Bacchus while they are still making it, this packet treats 6 gallons of wine and costs approx. $15.00.
Other strains such as Christian Hansen laboratories are good, but I find them to be much slower to finish.
MLF can take any from 1-6 months, I've actually had a batch of wine take 6 months to finish, this was confirmed but multiple chromatography tests, but, I had the wine aging in my cellar where temps are much cooler, but to be honest, I don't rush things, I know that i'll be aging my wines about 2 years between carboys, then oak barrels, and even after bottling I like to wait a few months to consume them if I can manage to wait.
I'll be more than happy to help you through the process if you plan on putting your wine though MLF, the benefits outweigh any risks in my opinion.
There are several ways that you can put your wine through MLF, the 2 most popular are Co-Fermenting and Direct Inoculation.
With co-fermentation, you would add the MLB while your wine is still going through the primary or alcoholic fermentation, depending on the strain, you might add it anywhere from 18 brix down to 5 brix.
With direct inoculation, you add the MLB when primary/alcoholic fermentation has completed.
I mentioned a good strain, maybe I should have said "reliable" strain, the various MLB strains have different tolerances, not too much different than the yeast that you use to ferment, the two most "forgiving" strains that I've used have been VP41 and MBR31, these can only be purchased in larger packs that treat 66 gallons for approx. $39.00, for those of us that make larger volumes of wine, this is perfect, or Bacchus while they are still making it, this packet treats 6 gallons of wine and costs approx. $15.00.
Other strains such as Christian Hansen laboratories are good, but I find them to be much slower to finish.
MLF can take any from 1-6 months, I've actually had a batch of wine take 6 months to finish, this was confirmed but multiple chromatography tests, but, I had the wine aging in my cellar where temps are much cooler, but to be honest, I don't rush things, I know that i'll be aging my wines about 2 years between carboys, then oak barrels, and even after bottling I like to wait a few months to consume them if I can manage to wait.
I'll be more than happy to help you through the process if you plan on putting your wine though MLF, the benefits outweigh any risks in my opinion.
waarhorse777
Active Member
I thought quite a bit about it over the weekend and I think I'd like to learn the process. I'm not sure how go about it as a new wine maker which leaves me with a ton of questions. Just some are:
1. Do I let primary fermentation take the wine to 1.000 before I rack to secondary and use direct inoculation for MLF?
2. What do i feed MLB? Is there a nutrient like there is for yeast?
3. Does temp matter for MLF for primary?
4. So far I'm using store bought juices as I haven't bought a juicer yet. Will this still work?
5. You mentioned 1-6 months in secondary, is a chromatography test the only way to verify how the MLF is working?
I'm not in a position of having oak barrels and not sure If I'll reach that point yet so putting a timeline together in my mind feels like
1 month Primary (depending on fermentation tests)
6 month Secondary with MLF (depending on chromatography tests?)
1-5 months resting in bottles
Is this too ambitious?
Thank you again for all of your help with this.
pumpkinman2012
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Waarhorse777:
MLF is a great process to learn, its very easy.
1. Do I let primary fermentation take the wine to 1.000 before I rack to secondary and use direct inoculation for MLF?
A. - I never rack the wine until it is dry, .992 -.994, only kit wines will have you rack before they are fermented to dry, once you rack the wine, I always use Acti-ML to hydrate the MLB, Acti-ML is a hydration nutrient, it helps to strengthen the development of the bacteria, hydrate the MLB as directed on the packet, after I add the MLB, I add Opti-Malo Plus, Opti'Malo Plus is a natural nutrient developed specifically for Malolactic Fermentation, I stir it well and put the stopper and airlock on the carboy.
2. What do i feed MLB? Is there a nutrient like there is for yeast?
A - Opti-Malo is Opti'Malo Plus is a natural nutrient developed specifically for Malolactic Fermentation, plus the MLB will use the Lees as a nutrient as well.
3. Does temp matter for MLF for primary?
A- The cooler the temp, the slower the MLF will take, there are temp thresholds for the various MLB strains, but normally, we try to maintain 70° - 74° while MLF is active, this will help to speed things up.
4. So far I'm using store bought juices as I haven't bought a juicer yet. Will this still work?
A - When you state "store bought juices" are you referring to making fruit wines, or purchasing Juice buckets of crushed and pressed grape juice? Either way, if the fruit contains Malic acid, MLF will work.
5. You mentioned 1-6 months in secondary, is a chromatography test the only way to verify how the MLF is working?
A- I've had MLF take up to 6 months, that one was kept in my cellar at 60°, this slowed things down significantly, 2-3 months is normal. A Chromatography test is one of the most accurate tests for the home winemaker to verify if MLF is complete, there are other tests kits such as Accuvin and Vinmetrica, but I've never used the Accuvin, and the Vinmetrica solution requires the Vinmetrica SC-300, one of the best "complete" testing solutions in my opinion, but a bit costly.
This is absolutely not too ambitious, too many winemakers are afraid of MLF because they've heard horror stories from others that have failed due to not having done any research, not having followed some easy directions, or just flat out didn't want to wait for it to complete, I'm not in any rush with my wine, I know when I start a batch of wine that it'll be at least a yr and a half before i'll be drinking it, most times 2 yrs.
I hope that this helps,
Tom
I'm more than happy to help you through the process, one you do it a few times, you'll be a pro at it, and you will see a difference in your wine.
MLF is a great process to learn, its very easy.
1. Do I let primary fermentation take the wine to 1.000 before I rack to secondary and use direct inoculation for MLF?
A. - I never rack the wine until it is dry, .992 -.994, only kit wines will have you rack before they are fermented to dry, once you rack the wine, I always use Acti-ML to hydrate the MLB, Acti-ML is a hydration nutrient, it helps to strengthen the development of the bacteria, hydrate the MLB as directed on the packet, after I add the MLB, I add Opti-Malo Plus, Opti'Malo Plus is a natural nutrient developed specifically for Malolactic Fermentation, I stir it well and put the stopper and airlock on the carboy.
2. What do i feed MLB? Is there a nutrient like there is for yeast?
A - Opti-Malo is Opti'Malo Plus is a natural nutrient developed specifically for Malolactic Fermentation, plus the MLB will use the Lees as a nutrient as well.
3. Does temp matter for MLF for primary?
A- The cooler the temp, the slower the MLF will take, there are temp thresholds for the various MLB strains, but normally, we try to maintain 70° - 74° while MLF is active, this will help to speed things up.
4. So far I'm using store bought juices as I haven't bought a juicer yet. Will this still work?
A - When you state "store bought juices" are you referring to making fruit wines, or purchasing Juice buckets of crushed and pressed grape juice? Either way, if the fruit contains Malic acid, MLF will work.
5. You mentioned 1-6 months in secondary, is a chromatography test the only way to verify how the MLF is working?
A- I've had MLF take up to 6 months, that one was kept in my cellar at 60°, this slowed things down significantly, 2-3 months is normal. A Chromatography test is one of the most accurate tests for the home winemaker to verify if MLF is complete, there are other tests kits such as Accuvin and Vinmetrica, but I've never used the Accuvin, and the Vinmetrica solution requires the Vinmetrica SC-300, one of the best "complete" testing solutions in my opinion, but a bit costly.
This is absolutely not too ambitious, too many winemakers are afraid of MLF because they've heard horror stories from others that have failed due to not having done any research, not having followed some easy directions, or just flat out didn't want to wait for it to complete, I'm not in any rush with my wine, I know when I start a batch of wine that it'll be at least a yr and a half before i'll be drinking it, most times 2 yrs.
I hope that this helps,
Tom
I'm more than happy to help you through the process, one you do it a few times, you'll be a pro at it, and you will see a difference in your wine.
waarhorse777
Active Member
Thank you very much for all of your help here! This is wonderful information that really helps to clarify things. A couple more questions if I may:
You rack when dry (.992-.994). You use a yeast nutrient/energizer to get to this point easily? If so, any recommendation on brand/type?
Where do you get your Opti-Malo Plus? I'm not sure my local brew store has it. Are their other brands?
"Store bought juices" = I've started with 100% real juices like welches grape juice. If i use real fruit, I'll have to get a juicer. How can I confirm the presence of Malic Acid in these juices? I'm not seeing that listed in the ingredients.
Chromatography testing: As I'm making wine one gallon at a time currently, I don't want to go overboard with a super pricy kit, like a 300$ Vinmetrica SC300 (although super cool). My local brew store doesn't seem to carry a solution so is there an affordable one you can recommend from online that is reliable? Would this cover pH testing as well?
I can't thank you enough for your help with getting started. Thank you so much!
pumpkinman2012
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It's always a pleasure to help!
I use a yeast nutrient, Fermaid K, it is a complete nutrient, you can find Fermaid K and Opti-Malo plus at Morewine/Morebeer online, they carry smaller packets that are very affordable, we can go over yeast nutrients a bit more in depth if you are interested, the amount and the timing of the applications are very important.
Click on the following link to open up a list of various fruit and vegetables and which acid they contain, I'm sure that there are more complete lists, but this will give you an idea of how many different fruit contain malic acid naturally - Fruit that contain Malic Acid
You don't need a juicer to make fruit wine, I've made some killer fruit wine/mead with fresh or fresh frozen fruit, I usually put the fruit in a mesh bag(s) to contain the larger pulp and make it easier to rack.
To make wine, you can purchase 6 gallon pails of grape juice (these aren't kits), these can produce decent wine, when the time comes, I can help you select yeast and a few additives that will add a little body and mouthfeel.
I totally understand about keeping costs in check until you decide if you want to continue making wine, once I started to make enough wine to justify it, I purchased the Vinemetrica SC-300, the SC-300 can test for PH, TA, and SO2; you can also purchase a probe that tests for Malic, but I still use a Chromatography test kit to test if Malolactic Fermentation is complete.
You won't find a lot of the "better" additives or testing units at most Home Brew Shops.
As far as testing kits, you will need a separate PH meter, a Milwaukee PH 55 runs under $50.00, a PH meter is necessary, you can also purchase kits to test for SO2 and TA, the initial cost is the hardest part.
I use a yeast nutrient, Fermaid K, it is a complete nutrient, you can find Fermaid K and Opti-Malo plus at Morewine/Morebeer online, they carry smaller packets that are very affordable, we can go over yeast nutrients a bit more in depth if you are interested, the amount and the timing of the applications are very important.
Click on the following link to open up a list of various fruit and vegetables and which acid they contain, I'm sure that there are more complete lists, but this will give you an idea of how many different fruit contain malic acid naturally - Fruit that contain Malic Acid
You don't need a juicer to make fruit wine, I've made some killer fruit wine/mead with fresh or fresh frozen fruit, I usually put the fruit in a mesh bag(s) to contain the larger pulp and make it easier to rack.
To make wine, you can purchase 6 gallon pails of grape juice (these aren't kits), these can produce decent wine, when the time comes, I can help you select yeast and a few additives that will add a little body and mouthfeel.
I totally understand about keeping costs in check until you decide if you want to continue making wine, once I started to make enough wine to justify it, I purchased the Vinemetrica SC-300, the SC-300 can test for PH, TA, and SO2; you can also purchase a probe that tests for Malic, but I still use a Chromatography test kit to test if Malolactic Fermentation is complete.
You won't find a lot of the "better" additives or testing units at most Home Brew Shops.
As far as testing kits, you will need a separate PH meter, a Milwaukee PH 55 runs under $50.00, a PH meter is necessary, you can also purchase kits to test for SO2 and TA, the initial cost is the hardest part.
