MLF Done

After a couple of months of waiting for the MLB to do its work, I decided to run the MLF chromatography for the 2014 Rhode Island wines.  I had done a test back in November to see where I stood on the Merlot.  It was predictably showing that there was still some malic acid left and only a little bit had been transformed into lactic acid.  So, after another month of waiting, I did the next test.  I started with the Merlot as the BDX yeast doesn’t create as much SO2 as the BM45 I use on the Cabernet Franc.  Here were the results:
2014 cf mlf
 
As you can see, the Malic acid is all gone, converted to Lactic acid.  The test on the Cabernet Franc showed the same thing.  So, it was time to rack them and add some SO2.  I wanted to test the pH and TA, but my pH meter was on the fritz.  The probes last only 1 season (even with electrode storage solution), so I had to skip.  The pH always comes in around 3.4, so I wasn’t worried.  It tasted as it has always tasted.  I racked off of the heaviest of the lees.  I lost about 1 gallon on each varietal, going from 21 to 20 gallons on the Merlot and from 22 to 21 on the Cabernet Franc.  I then added 35 ppm of SO2 using a 10% SO2 solution.  Now it is time for everything to settle out.  In a couple of months, I’ll have my new Flextank and will rack 30 gallons into it.  I’m looking forward to adding a little oak and getting some microoxidation into the wines.