After bringing FSO2 up to 40 ppm in a couple of barrels, I remembered that they were only partially through MLF…so I probably stopped the process. As the FSO2 drifts down below 20 ppm is it possible to reinnoculate the barrel and allow MLF to continue or did I kill it for good?
Both free and total SO2 can be an issue for MLF…free under 10ppm, preferably 0. But total so2 generally has to be under 40ppm…so you’ll be way higher than that.
It’s possible to get oenococcus encapsulated in beads tho, and they can do MLF in much more hostile territory (not sure what the upper limit of free/total so2 for the encapsulated stuff is, check with whomever you buy it from, if you opt for this). Last I checked, www.morewinemaking.com, enartis and/or scott labs carries this.
Or, if it’s a white wine, leave it the way it is and be happy you have good acidity!
You’re probably too high in total so2, but if not VP41 will work up to 60ppm.
Since there are a lot of factors involved, the chart in the middle of the first page of this article is helpful.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3488/is_6_89/ai_n27906509/?tag=content;col1
But yeah, you are probably screwed. ![[oops.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/1/1f129ddad071ffe5db6c99817c3cab666035a70a.gif "oops"){kind=small}