{"id":4345,"date":"2024-11-27T14:57:32","date_gmt":"2024-11-27T14:57:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/?p=4345"},"modified":"2024-11-27T14:57:37","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T14:57:37","slug":"how-do-i-know-if-my-malolactic-fermentation-is-complete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/2024\/11\/how-do-i-know-if-my-malolactic-fermentation-is-complete\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cHow do I know if my Malolactic Fermentation is complete?\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>One of the biggest questions we get from winemakers in the wintertime is:<br><strong>\u201cHow do I know if my Malolactic Fermentation is complete?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are several ways to check if MLF (aka Malo) has finished in your wines. Here\u2019s your guide to cracking the case:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Paper Chromatography Mystery<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\u2019s happening<\/strong>: You\u2019re playing chemist, spotting malic acid on the paper like a pro.<br><strong>How to do it<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Grab a chromatography kit (your detective tools).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drop a little wine onto special paper, alongside controls for malic, lactic, and tartaric acids.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Let the solvent (your magical reveal potion) do its thing for 24 hours.<br><strong>Look for clues<\/strong>: If the malic acid spot has vanished, your wine\u2019s MLF journey is complete!<br><strong>Why it\u2019s fun<\/strong>: It\u2019s like wine CSI! Who doesn\u2019t love some science with their sip?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/malo.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"346\" height=\"191\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/malo.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4346\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/malo.jpg 346w, http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/malo-300x166.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 346px) 100vw, 346px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The pH &amp; TA Detective Work<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\u2019s happening<\/strong>: Malolactic fermentation is altering the wine\u2019s balance.<br><strong>How to do it<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Monitor the pH and titratable acidity (TA).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A slight rise in pH and a drop in TA could mean malolactic microbes are working their magic.<br><strong>Why it\u2019s fun<\/strong>: You\u2019re charting your wine\u2019s story as it evolves\u2014geeky, but deeply satisfying.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Side Note<\/strong>: This is a great tool to pair with the chromatography test or to help decide when to send your wine out for MLF testing. It\u2019s always better to have a concrete answer that Malo has finished\u2014otherwise, you could end up with bottles popping their corks come June!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Enzymatic Testing: The Smart Tech Sleuth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\u2019s happening<\/strong>: You\u2019re going high-tech, directly measuring how much malic acid is left.<br><strong>How to do it<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Use a malic acid test kit and follow the instructions. The test will tell you quantitatively how much malic acid is still hanging around.<br><strong>Why it\u2019s fun<\/strong>: Precision tools make you feel like a winemaking scientist extraordinaire.<br><strong>Pro Tip<\/strong>: We highly recommend the Sentia Unit or Vinmetrica Units for these types of tests.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lab Work: The Professional Investigator<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\u2019s happening<\/strong>: You hand off the mystery to the experts.<br><strong>How to do it<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Send a wine sample to a professional lab to get the full malic acid report.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>MWG offers Malo Testing for just $10.00 per test!<br><strong>Why it\u2019s fun<\/strong>: It\u2019s like getting a report card for your wine\u2014but hopefully, it\u2019s all good news!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Taste Test: The Flavor Detective<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\u2019s happening<\/strong>: Your palate is the tool here!<br><strong>How to do it<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Taste your wine and pay attention to the acidity. If it\u2019s gone from tart to creamy, your malic acid may have transformed into silky lactic goodness.<br><strong>Why it\u2019s fun<\/strong>: You get to taste-test your wine <em>a lot<\/em>. It\u2019s the tastiest part of winemaking!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pro Tip: Cover Your Bases<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you\u2019re convinced MLF is done, it\u2019s a good idea to confirm with chromatography or a malic acid test. No one wants a surprise fermentation later!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Would you like help picking your detective method?<br>Call <strong>Musto Wine Grape<\/strong> at <strong>877-812-1137<\/strong> with any questions. And don\u2019t forget to check out videos at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.WinemakingInstructions.com\">www.WinemakingInstructions.com<\/a> for more in-depth winemaking tips!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>MORE Malo Articles to Explore:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/malolactic-fermentation\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/malolactic-fermentation\/\">A Guide to Malolactic Fermentation<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/2019\/09\/co-inoculation-sequential-inoculation\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/2019\/09\/co-inoculation-sequential-inoculation\/\">Timing Your Malolactic Fermentation<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/2017\/10\/the-winemakers-think-tank-vol-33-what-are-malo-lactic-bacteria-and-when-do-i-add-them\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/2017\/10\/the-winemakers-think-tank-vol-33-what-are-malo-lactic-bacteria-and-when-do-i-add-them\/\">What are Malo lactic bacteria and when do I add them?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the biggest questions we get from winemakers in the wintertime is:\u201cHow do I know if my Malolactic Fermentation is complete?\u201d There are several ways to check if MLF (aka Malo) has finished in your wines. Here\u2019s your guide to cracking the case: The Paper Chromatography Mystery What\u2019s happening: You\u2019re playing chemist, spotting malic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4346,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/malo.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9ZM5f-185","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4345"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4345"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4345\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4348,"href":"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4345\/revisions\/4348"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.juicegrape.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}