PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - I. Nault AU - V. Gerbaux AU - J. P. Larpent AU - Y. Vayssier TI - Influence of Pre-culture Conditions on the Ability of <em>Leuconostoc oenos</em> to Conduct Malolactic Fermentation in Wine AID - 10.5344/ajev.1995.46.3.357 DP - 1995 Jan 01 TA - American Journal of Enology and Viticulture PG - 357--362 VI - 46 IP - 3 4099 - http://www.ajevonline.org/content/46/3/357.short 4100 - http://www.ajevonline.org/content/46/3/357.full SO - Am J Enol Vitic.1995 Jan 01; 46 AB - Most industrially freeze-dried malolactic starters must undergo a pre-culture or reactivation process. This step permit a good implantation into wine. Variables of pre-culture conditions studied were the duration of the reactivation process and initial reactivated cell population. Reactivation in half-strength wine followed by growth in a medium with 75% wine allowed a gradual readjustment of bacteria to counterbalance the effect of wine components. The inoculum of the pre-culture media has to be, at most, 107 cfu/mL so that malic acid degradation follows cellular proliferation. The utilization of malic acid in the pre-culture medium determines the time to collect bacteria for their inoculation into wine.