Dried White Wine Lees for Malolactic Fermentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Malolactic fermentation (MLF) in red wines is often challenging due to the hostile wine environment, which can lead to delays and quality issues, and existing solutions like commercial lactic acid bacteria or nitrogen-rich products are costly or ineffective.
Innovation Solution
A nutrient mixture derived from dried white wine lees is used to promote the growth of lactic acid bacteria, reducing the duration of MLF, by adding dried white wine lees to the wine during specific stages of fermentation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If commercial lactic acid bacteria are used to promote MLF, then MLF completion is achieved reliably, but production cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses inexpensive dried white wine lees as a nutrient source instead of expensive commercial lactic acid bacteria. The lees are a by-product of winemaking that can be dried and stored, then added to red wine to promote spontaneous MLF by indigenous bacteria, eliminating the need for costly commercial inoculums while achieving reliable fermentation completion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent promotes spontaneous malolactic fermentation by indigenous lactic acid bacteria already present in the wine, rather than introducing commercial strains. By adding dried white wine lees as nutrients, the system enables self-service fermentation using the wine's own microbial population, reducing dependency on external commercial products and lowering costs.
2Productivity
If nitrogen-rich commercial products are used to enhance bacterial growth, then MLF difficulty is reduced, but effectiveness is insufficient and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dried white wine lees as a composite nutrient source that contains not only nitrogen but also vitamins, amino acids, and other growth-promoting compounds naturally present in yeast cells. This composite material provides comprehensive nutrition for lactic acid bacteria, achieving superior effectiveness compared to simple nitrogen-rich commercial products.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers value from white wine lees, which are a by-product discarded after white wine production. By drying these lees and adding them to red wine, the invention transforms waste material into an effective nutrient source that enhances bacterial growth and MLF effectiveness, turning a discarded substance into a valuable additive.
3Ease of manufacture
If MLF is left to occur spontaneously, then production cost is reduced, but fermentation time increases and quality may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by adding dried white wine lees to the red wine before malolactic fermentation begins. This预先 addition of nutrients prepares the environment to support rapid bacterial growth and fermentation, reducing delays while maintaining the benefits of spontaneous fermentation and low production cost.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of dried white wine lees effectively enhances bacterial growth and MLF completion, reducing fermentation time and eliminating the need for commercial bacterial inoculation, while being cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
Implementation Method 1
Malolactic fermentation (MLF) consists in the transformation of L-malic acid into L-lactic acid by lactic acid bacteria (LAB)
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a new method to promote malolactic fermentation (MLF) and/or growth of lactic acid bacteria in food products, in particular in red wines, using dried white wine lees.