Not affiliated with Presqu'Ile Winery, a California winery
Instructions for Chris Hansen's Lab M-L Cultures
Instructions for Chris Hansen’s Lab M-L Cultures:
- Viniflora Oenos from Chris Hansen’s Lab is a new generation malo-lactic culture which doesn’t require preparation like other strains. It is added directly to your wine with no hassle in preparation. It is a pure culture of leuconostoc oeanos DSM 7008.
- We stock two sizes of this culture. First is a 2 gram packet designed to innoculate up to 250 liters (65 gallons) and the second is a 20 gram packet which is enough for 2500 liters (650 gallons).
- When you receive this culture be sure to put it in your refrigerator if you will be using it in the next couple of weeks; if it will be longer, put the culture in your freezer.
- The optimum time to innoculate your wine is shortly after fermentation has finished. Actively growing yeast produce substances which will inhibit the bacteria. However you don’t want to wait too long after fermentation is over because you don’t want much sulfur dioxide in the wine when you add the culture. The temperature of the wine should be between 63°F and 77°F.
- There is no problem with adding excess bacteria to a wine, but don’t try to stretch the culture beyond its rated gallonage.
- Before adding the culture stir the wine very well. Add the culture to te wine immediately upon opening the packet. Give it as little air contact as possible and don’t hydrate it in water first. Stir the wine off and on for at least 20 minutes after adding the culture
- The conditions which make it difficult to get a malo-lactic fermentation started are free SO2 levels above 30 ppm, alcohol above 14% and pH below 3.1 and temperatures below 62°F (19°C) Low temperatures will not harm the bacteria, but the other hindering conditions will. If you plan to add one of these cultures to a wine with one of the above problems, don’t hesitate to call for advice (814) 725-1314.
- It is best to store the culture in your freezer, but it is OK in the refrigerator if you will use it within a few weeks after receiving it.
