# soapy taste after filtering



## vinoman1 (Nov 7, 2013)

I just got done finishing a Winexpert Chocolate Raspberry Port kit , I took a sample before I racked off to bottle, it tasted great, good and clear, ready to go. I screwed up, got the racking cane to close to the settlement ( really dark hard to see end of racking cane). Had everything set up to bottle, so I decided just to filter it instead of putting it back into a carboy to let it settle out. BIG MISTAKE, after filtering the port it had a odd taste like soap. I have a Bron vino minijet system I ran sanstar through the filter pump and hose, presoak the filters in a dry white wine, and sanitized the racking bucket it was filtered to. Any ideas on what caused this soapy taste? I’m besides myself, paid $110 for this kit, tasted very good now taste like soap.Thanks


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## LoveTheWine (Nov 8, 2013)

I use the mini jet and have never had it impart a flavor to finished wine.
Never used starsan but usually run 8L or so of water through the pads first and then filter.
Sounds like either the presoak wine or starsan may have imparted this flavor.

Maybe after a bit of aging the taste will go away?


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## vinoman1 (Nov 8, 2013)

Thanks for your input Aaron, I always use sanstar for my other sanitizing needs and never had a problem so I'm ruling out that. I never ran straight water through the filters first, I'll give it a try next time. I'm hoping the taste will fade with ageing also, its close to being drinkable so it will not go to waste


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## LoveTheWine (Nov 8, 2013)

vinoman1 said:


> Thanks for your input Aaron, I always use sanstar for my other sanitizing needs and never had a problem so I'm ruling out that. I never ran straight water through the filters first, I'll give it a try next time. I'm hoping the taste will fade with ageing also, its close to being drinkable so it will not go to waste



I think the actual directions direct you to soak them in clean water for a bit before use but I just run the water right through the pads and have never had a problem that way.

BTW I only ever use the #2 pads


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## DoctorCAD (Mar 13, 2015)

The pads themself cannot change the taste, they are inert. Whatever you put into those pads can affect the taste if you don't get rid of it before filtering. I use only sulfited water and run it until only a fer spits of liquid come out before filtering, don't get any tastes that way.

I also vacuum through the filter instead of push the wine into it, but I doubt that that could be any reason for tastes.


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## GreginND (Mar 13, 2015)

My palate is extremely sensitive to the "paper" taste of buon vino filter pads. I can soak them in water, flush them with gallons of citric/meta solution, and I still taste the cellulose in my wine even when others cannot. In a blind tasting I rarely fail to pick out the wines that have been filtered with a buon vino filter.


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## grapeman (Mar 13, 2015)

The vinbrite filter is not the same as a Buon Vino filter.


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## Turock (Mar 15, 2015)

Well, there's really only a couple of faults that produce soapy taste--either high PH or unresolved slight H2S problems. Sometimes you can have H2S problems that are undetectable by aroma.


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## hwnsharklvr (Apr 2, 2015)

*soapy taste and smell after filtering with a buno mini jet*

same thing just happened to me and it is the filter,

I have a million dolor contract to present tomorrow and wanted to do a final filter of my wine before I presented it.

I filterd it out with the buon vino mini jet and after it tasted and smelled like soap.

. I tried it again with another wine and as soon as I took the filters out of the sealed package and soaked them I instantly could smell the soapy smell even before I filterd, so I ran a bunch of water threw the filter first then the wine, and still , soapy taste and smell . does anyone know how to get the taste out. ?
I will never take the chance and filter with a buon vino filter again.


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## grapeman (Apr 4, 2015)

The filter materials are totally different so I would not worry about it happening.


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## hogan4585 (Jul 4, 2015)

*soapy smell and taste*

I work part time for a winery and one of the first things I have learned is constant smelling and tasting. Seems all brands of paper filters have a paper taste until they are completely rinsed. So we run water through everything and continually taste until the water from the filters tastes no different than the tap water. Sometimes this takes a long time.

I have been using the mini jet at home for almost two years. Today I followed the instructions and did my tasting with the #1 pads. All went well. Filtered two carboys of wine. No problems. Everything taste tested good beginning to end.

Then rinsed everything out, soaked the #2 pads and put everything together. It smelled nasty and tasted nasty. So I ran more water through. I didn't put my wine in, just tasting the water. It didn't improve, so I pulled it apart and tossed those and put in a new set. Same results. This time I completely disassembled everything, rinsed, sanitized and put it back together and put my third and final set of #2 pads in. Same result. Smells bad and tastes bad. 

After that I took the pads out and let them drip dry. Then put them in a solution of citric acid and potassium metabisulphite solution. Let them sit for about a minute. Then started running water through them again and right back to the same odor and taste.

I called another winery that sells the supplies and they have never had a complaint like this before.


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## forest2112 (Apr 20, 2016)

*Dish soap taste*

I wish I would have know this...Ifeel like I ruined 5gal of Old Vine Zin I was making for a class....

I filtered with the 'rough' Buon Vino pads and everything was great. Then went to the polishing pad and everything went bad! Soapy taste and I couldn't figure it out until now....Buon Vino has/had tainted pads. Now that I see others having this same problem I cannot think of another reason than defective/contaminated pads from the company.

If you guys are still following this thread let me know if your wine got better with time or if you found a fix.


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## jsiddall (Oct 1, 2018)

Reviving an old thread here as I also had this problem recently filtering some whites. I too was using SuperJet #2 pads which I had purchased several years ago. I ran some sulfite solution then about 6 gallons of fresh water through the filter. When I sampled the water it tasted like it had gone through a Bounce fabric softener sheet! I flushed another 6 gallons of fresh water through the filters and the taste had dissipated but never disappeared. I decided to run the wine through anyway but it was definitely worse for it. Has anyone had recent experience with the #2 pads? Was there a bad batch of them or do they all make the wine taste like soap?


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## Morgan Ratsoy (Oct 5, 2018)

Agreed. It is definitely a similar smell to Bounce sheets. I just ruined a very nice pinot noir rose'. I bought my super jet 2nd hand with a set of #2 pads included. I thought that the previous owner might have stored the pads in close proximity to their laundry supplies. But, after reading this thread it's clear that these things are coming from the manufacturer tainted. I am considering buying some #3 pads, running A LOT of water through them, and passing the wine through again. But I'm not very optimistic, it is a shockingly strong smell. The plastic wrapping that the pads came in smelled fine. It is as if the offending chemical is activated by moisture.


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## porkchopmessiah (Oct 6, 2018)

I have a mini jet, the instructions are pretty specific about not flushing it with anything but water


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## jsiddall (Oct 10, 2018)

Update: I had another set that had nothing but water run through them and they also tasted like a dryer sheet. It appears it doesn't matter whether sulfite is run through them or not.


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## porkchopmessiah (Oct 12, 2018)

Did you try adding citric acid to the water you soaked them in? Manual said to do that to neutralize the pad...but possibly? Soap is base, so maybe try that? I've never noticed anything with mine but does concern me...


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## KumaLisa46 (Apr 21, 2020)

I realize this is an old(er thread, but I've just had the same experience with the Buon Vino #2 Mini Jet filters. I'm a home brewer and had 2 carboys of wine to filter.

The first batch of wine, I soaked the pads in citric acid, rinsed them with water, flushed the mini jet with several litres of water through the filters and bottled the wine. What I got was soap/dryer sheet infused Cab Sauvignon. The wine had been perfect prior to filtering. I thought perhaps this was bottle shock, so I went on to the next batch.

With the second batch, I did basically the same procedure with the exception of the citric acid; this time I soaked new pads in water only. Before loading the pads onto the mini jet, I tasted the pads (yeah, get that visual?!). It is definitely the pads that taste like a Bounce sheet.

I am awaiting a response from the filter manufacturer, Scott Labs (the filter actually has "Manufactured in Germany" stamped on it). These are original Buon Vino Mini Jet filters; I have never had an issue until the last few purchases of filters (all #2).


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## robert81650 (Apr 22, 2020)

Let us know about the response from the filter manufacturer.........................


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## Rice_Guy (Apr 22, 2020)

The supplier wants to know this has happened.
We have had a similar defect in instant rice. When the problem was tracked down, it was the distribution warehouse was keeping our food next to a slot that had Irish Spring soap. Drier sheets have an equally aggressive perfume.


KumaLisa46 said:


> I realize this is an old(er thread, but I've just had the same experience with the Buon Vino #2 Mini Jet filters. I'm a home brewer and had 2 carboys of wine to filter.
> 
> The first batch of wine, I soaked the pads in citric acid, rinsed them with water, flushed the mini jet with several litres of water through the filters and bottled the wine. What I got was soap/dryer sheet infused Cab Sauvignon. The wine had been perfect prior to filtering. I thought perhaps this was bottle shock, so I went on to the next batch.
> 
> ...


Try ordering pads from a different part of the country/supply chain.


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## montanarick (Apr 22, 2020)

Yikes!


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## robert81650 (Apr 22, 2020)

Thanks, Rice Guy.....................


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## KumaLisa46 (Jun 20, 2020)

robert81650 said:


> Let us know about the response from the filter manufacturer.........................


Still awaiting the test results from the manufacturer. COVID has likely put a damper on things. The Buon Vino company is very concerned and is also awaiting the results. Definitely the #2 pads as the coarse ones were fine.


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## jgmillr1 (Jun 26, 2020)

I bought a plate and frame filter from a winery that was closing. They gave me a few boxes of leftover filter pads that they cautioned were a 'little old'.

The date code indicated they were about 6 years from manufacturing but unopened. I opened the pack to check them out and when I wetted them before placing them in, I noted they had a musty aroma. I filtered 10 gallons of water with it to check and the water smelled musty too. Decided to dump the old filters and use the new ones I already had. Hated to toss over $500 of filter pads but better than getting musty wine from them.

So, yes, storage conditions play an important role in ensuring quality filters.


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## MB wino (Oct 24, 2020)

Any updates on whether the taste/smell fades with time?

Same experience today with #2 pads. Frustrating!


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## KumaLisa46 (Oct 24, 2020)

porkchopmessiah said:


> I have a mini jet, the instructions are pretty specific about not flushing it with anything but water


Yes, that's what I did


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## KumaLisa46 (Oct 24, 2020)

Rice_Guy said:


> The supplier wants to know this has happened.
> We have had a similar defect in instant rice. When the problem was tracked down, it was the distribution warehouse was keeping our food next to a slot that had Irish Spring soap. Drier sheets have an equally aggressive perfume.
> 
> Try ordering pads from a different part of the country/supply chain.


I have tried new pads with different manufacture stamp on it. They were perfect.


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## KumaLisa46 (Oct 24, 2020)

MB wino said:


> Any updates on whether the taste/smell fades with time?
> 
> Same experience today with #2 pads. Frustrating!j
> 
> ...


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## MB wino (Nov 4, 2020)

Sorry to hear it did not improve. Thanks for responding.

FYI - I decided not to bottle and added a few ounces of oak chips and biolees in the hope they might improve my Cab. After a week, I racked and noticed a big improvement. I then clarified the wine hoping for the best. The result was decent. I lost aroma (compared to my Cab that wasn’t filtered) but the soap smell and taste is greatly diminished.


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## hounddawg (Nov 5, 2020)

i am no where close to yawls level, and i do sweet country wines, but setting to the side and just reading, it seems to me the one common factor is paper filters, just my 2 cents, since i read on here for 2 years before joining, all of my wines are spun polypropylene filters, never once (knock on wood) have i ever had so much as a hint of trouble, maybe because I'm to dumb to know the difference, i don't sell wine, but i sell fruit, labels, corks, chemicals bottles,,, ECT, All of my "friends" are row crop farmers, business men, ECT and all multimillionaires,, when they bring me bottles they bout from other places all have price stickers of $94.50 and up per bottle,, yet this poor dumb hillbilly, gets lots of "friends",, and have yet from around 2012 thru now have never had a single complaint, there are tons of threads on here about soapy taste and all seem to go back to paper, just my 2 cents, from a poor old hillbilly.
but a whole house filter, and buying spun polyproline filters 1 micron for whites, 5 microns for reds, and a case of 25 micron for initial rack from ferment barrel to secondary, on e-bay buying by the case of 50 runs about $1 to $1,30 per filter, and can be washed frozen and reused a few times, 
this is just my opinion and no offence meant at all.
SKOAL
Dawg


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## MB wino (Nov 7, 2020)

Dawg,
Good idea - ordered a new filter set up this week. No more paper for me - thanks!


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## KumaLisa46 (Jan 16, 2021)

robert81650 said:


> Let us know about the response from the filter manufacturer.........................


Received immediate response from Buon Vino with equally rapid followup; they are very concerned. The filters are manufactured at an offsite company. The actual filter supplier was not as quick to respond and, of course, found no issues from their end when they did. So…the issue has NOT been resolved. I have had further issues even after following the recommendations from both companies. It's the No. 2 pads. Even running plain water through! No issues with the other pads (1 & 3). I did find a great batch of No. 2s so I ended up buying a number of them. Still, once in a while I'll grab one from the old supply and it's soapy. Like I filtered through a Bounce sheet. The flavour does not dissipate after bottling. At this point, I find that there is no need to pursue further as there will not be a resolve to the issue other than finding another means to filter. I'm careful now with the process and make sure I taste/smell the pads prior to filtering. If they are "soapy", I throw them out (sadly). Note: The supplier has been made aware of this forum but says "it's an old thread".


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## montanarick (Jan 16, 2021)

Well that's certainly a bummer


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## hounddawg (Jan 16, 2021)

MB wino said:


> Dawg,
> Good idea - ordered a new filter set up this week. No more paper for me - thanks!


how's that new filter setup working out for you?
Dawg


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## carpcellars (Feb 21, 2021)

Thanks for posting this. I had bought a bulk pack in 2017 everything since then came out fine. Filtered a Riesling in Dec 2021 came out with a soapy taste and still taste of soap months later. Ran water through filters from bulk batch and that tasted of soap. Tossing that batch of filters out. Used to keep those in the wine cellar until I ran out of room, then they had been in several storage area’s throughout the house. So, i have a new protocol to filtering, sample before running the rest through filter & store filter pads in a controlled environment.


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## MB wino (Feb 21, 2021)

hounddawg said:


> how's that new filter setup working out for you?
> Dawg


I added the filter set up to my existing all in one. Worked pretty slick and no more worries about soapy taste.


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## KumaLisa46 (Feb 21, 2021)

carpcellars said:


> Thanks for posting this. I had bought a bulk pack in 2017 everything since then came out fine. Filtered a Riesling in Dec 2021 came out with a soapy taste and still taste of soap months later. Ran water through filters from bulk batch and that tasted of soap. Tossing that batch of filters out. Used to keep those in the wine cellar until I ran out of room, then they had been in several storage area’s throughout the house. So, i have a new protocol to filtering, sample before running the rest through filter & store filter pads in a controlled environment.


Yes, that's what I'm doing now too, until I find a new filtering machine that is dependable. It's so unfortunate and clearly (no pun intended), by this thread, is a huge problem. The supplier of the filters said that there were no issues from his end and he did not want the pads I'd used for investigative purposes. Buon Vino was very concerned but I guess has to rely on his supplier. And so we are stuck with Bounce-like wine. All name brand number 2 filters. Best thing to do is taste your filters before you use them!


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## zosa (Jun 27, 2021)

I joined this forum for this specific post. I thought I was losing my mind. 

I have been using the Buon Vino Mini Jet for at least 15 years with great results for my hobby winery. In the past couple of years I have noticed (intermittently} a slight floral or soapy taste on some of my filtered white wines. As stated, I have been doing this for a while so I immediately reviewed my cleaning processes to be certain I did not introduce this off flavor.

Last month I filtered my rose' first cleaning and rinsing my equipment carefully. As a quick check I sampled my wine before filtering and it tasted fine so I started the filtering process. A sample halfway through the filtering had a strong floral soapy smell and taste. I suspect the number 2 filter pads as root cause. Not sure if the wine is salvageable. This is too bad as the unit worked excellent for over 15 years.

I sent an inquiry to More Wine to see what they had to say.


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## carpcellars (Jun 27, 2021)

Welcome aboard. Since my Jan 2020 post I have filtered 4 varieties of whites at different times. I made sure that there was no dryer sheets, fragrant trash can liner, laundry soap around when I’m soaking or storing the filter ( I also taste & smell the flush water that is ran through filter). They have came out fine. Some home wine makers operate in their garage which is also where the washer & dryers are. Therefore the laundry soap, dryer sheets and maybe the fragrant trash can liners are stored. Those filters do a great job at removing particulates from wine and the same physics can impart unwanted flavors. As with sterilization/cleaning before & after any winery operation check for pleasant and foul odors in the space. Remember to use all your senses. Cheers


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## KumaLisa46 (Jun 27, 2021)

carpcellars said:


> Welcome aboard. Since my Jan 2020 post I have filtered 4 varieties of whites at different times. I made sure that there was no dryer sheets, fragrant trash can liner, laundry soap around when I’m soaking or storing the filter ( I also taste & smell the flush water that is ran through filter). They have came out fine. Some home wine makers operate in their garage which is also where the washer & dryers are. Therefore the laundry soap, dryer sheets and maybe the fragrant trash can liners are stored. Those filters do a great job at removing particulates from wine and the same physics can impart unwanted flavors. As with sterilization/cleaning before & after any winery operation check for pleasant and foul odors in the space. Remember to use all your senses. Cheers


Thank you for the information. I'm sure everyone here is happy to hear that your experience has been positive. The rest of us have not been so lucky even with flushing the filters with water. Personally speaking, there has been NO contact between my filters and anything fragrant in my home. No laundry soap, dryer sheets or fragrant trash can liners. It is the filters themselves that are "soapy". In particular, the issue is with the No. 2 filters from Buon Vino. These filters are an issue right from the manufacturer even though they are wrapped in plastic. I am also not sure who does their laundry in their garage, but I do not. I have a wine room that is scent free, cleaned after each use and all equipment is sterilized. I have never had this happen in all my years of winemaking until recently. Hopefully others will reach out to Buon Vino as I have with this issue and then perhaps they will get to the bottom of the issue or lose customers.


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## zosa (Jun 27, 2021)

Same for me, everything is in a closet dedicated to wine making equipment. This little Buon Vino filter worked so well for 15+ years I had blind faith. Take the burn and learn. First, taste and smell the soaking water. Second, run water through the filter to taste and smell. Third, order filters periodically, date, label with suppliers name and bag. Thats all for now.

Thx JJF


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## Rice_Guy (Jun 27, 2021)

_welcome to WineMakingTalk_


zosa said:


> I joined this forum for this specific post. I thought I was losing my mind.
> I sent an inquiry to More Wine to see what they had to say.


the perfume in soaps are aggressive, I wouldn’t expect to recover the wine, at best dilute 50% in a fruit juice sangria.


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## franc1969 (Jun 28, 2021)

Is there any chance some of these filters might have recycled content? That has contaminants to the point my county is having trouble selling paper. Just one soap wrapper could make a bin stink horribly, the fragrances used in many items are ridiculously persistent. 
This thread is what turned me off when looking at filters, no paper or cellulose types. I ended up finding an AllInOne pump and polypropylene whole house filters.


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## Rice_Guy (Jun 29, 2021)

In the US market we can buy feedstock based on recycled content. Due to the risk of contaminants that create brown color or existence of shiny plastic fragments it is unlikely to have any recycled material. ,,,,, In the scheme of things virgin material is cheap and there is no shortage of virgin paper pulp.


franc1969 said:


> Is there any chance some of these filters might have recycled content? That has contaminants to the point my county is having trouble selling paper. Just one soap wrapper could make a bin stink horribly, the fragrances used in many items are ridiculously persistent.
> This thread is what turned me off when looking at filters, no paper or cellulose types. I ended up finding an AllInOne pump and polypropylene whole house filters.


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## Cap Puncher (Jun 29, 2021)

I may have had the slight soapy taste come through on a petite pearl that I sterile filtered with the #3 pads. I did 1 carboy with the #2s then #3s. I have a hint of soap in that wine. (I thought I did it). The unfiltered wine is fine. I’m switching to cartridge filters and will just use my bon vino mini as a pump only.


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## Hypno (Oct 5, 2021)

I wish I found this thread before. I just dumped a carboy of Amarone down that drain because the vinbon #2 filter destroyed what was a very good wine. After filtering it was like drinking the drain water from my laundry machine. Very disappointed. I will never filter my wine again.


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## Swedeman (Oct 5, 2021)

Luckily, I haven't had any problem (this far) with my No2 pads. Any chance that you who had problems have taken notes of the affected batches?


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## hounddawg (Oct 8, 2021)

most soapy flavors are due to paper filters,
spun polyproline filters is,, for me anyway the way to go,
Dawg


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## sluff (Apr 11, 2022)

I just purchased a Buon Vino Mini Jet wine filter pump - and, based on this thread, I’m afraid to use it. Has the soapy taste problem been resolved? Can anyone recommend a “sure fire” place to order good filters? Or a “sure fire” cleaning process to avoid the soapy taste problem? I assume people are using this system with good results… Any thoughts are greatly appreciated… Thanks!


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## KumaLisa46 (Apr 11, 2022)

Swedeman said:


> Luckily, I haven't had any problem (this far) with my No2 pads. Any chance that you who had problems have taken notes of the affected batches? View attachment 79479


Hej! Yes, I did and provided the manufacturer of the pads with the info. The person said he tested from his end and didn't find anything wrong with them (based on the batch numbers provided) so he left it at that. He also indicated this was a really old thread and that there were no more problems. Really frustrating, but I've tried other pads (Buon Vino #2) from different batches/stores and they've been fine so far. I do, however, do a smell and taste test prior to filtering. It was suggested by another follower to use non-paper pads, which I still may look in to.


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## KumaLisa46 (Apr 11, 2022)

sluff said:


> I just purchased a Buon Vino Mini Jet wine filter pump - and, based on this thread, I’m afraid to use it. Has the soapy taste problem been resolved? Can anyone recommend a “sure fire” place to order good filters? Or a “sure fire” cleaning process to avoid the soapy taste problem? I assume people are using this system with good results… Any thoughts are greatly appreciated… Thanks!


It's a really great unit. It's the Buon Vino brand pads (#2's) that seem to consistently be the problem. It's not cleaning process that is the issue; it's the pads themselves. Fresh out of the bag. You can't smell anything through the wrap but definitely you'll know the smell when you soak the pads in water. If you do come across this odour (smells like a heavily perfumed dryer sheet or fabric softener), don't use them as it will affect the wine. Take them back to the store where you bought them for a refund and try another batch. If they don't have a different batch number, go to a different store. Hope that helps!


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## Rice_Guy (Apr 11, 2022)

Good answer @KumaLisa46 . 
I have not purchased pads which have this issue. Perfume is aggressive so smell the aroma, ,, and if you are still concerned ask the wife to check. (gals in the lab always could do better than me on aromas)


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## She’sgonnakillme (Apr 11, 2022)

vinoman1 said:


> I just got done finishing a Winexpert Chocolate Raspberry Port kit , I took a sample before I racked off to bottle, it tasted great, good and clear, ready to go. I screwed up, got the racking cane to close to the settlement ( really dark hard to see end of racking cane). Had everything set up to bottle, so I decided just to filter it instead of putting it back into a carboy to let it settle out. BIG MISTAKE, after filtering the port it had a odd taste like soap. I have a Bron vino minijet system I ran sanstar through the filter pump and hose, presoak the filters in a dry white wine, and sanitized the racking bucket it was filtered to. Any ideas on what caused this soapy taste? I’m besides myself, paid $110 for this kit, tasted very good now taste like soap.Thanks


Sounds like the good ole fashioned "kit wine taste" to me


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## sour_grapes (Apr 12, 2022)

She’sgonnakillme said:


> Sounds like the good ole fashioned "kit wine taste" to me



Not to me! I don't associate "KT" with "soap" at all. To me, KT is an odd, chemical/metallic tang.


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## vinny (Apr 22, 2022)

KumaLisa46 said:


> It's the Buon Vino brand pads (#2's) that seem to consistently be the problem



Just confirming... ONLY #2's?


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## sluff (Apr 22, 2022)

KumaLisa46 said:


> It's a really great unit. It's the Buon Vino brand pads (#2's) that seem to consistently be the problem. It's not cleaning process that is the issue; it's the pads themselves. Fresh out of the bag. You can't smell anything through the wrap but definitely you'll know the smell when you soak the pads in water. If you do come across this odour (smells like a heavily perfumed dryer sheet or fabric softener), don't use them as it will affect the wine. Take them back to the store where you bought them for a refund and try another batch. If they don't have a different batch number, go to a different store. Hope that helps!



Are you aware of any other vendors for good consistent filter pads?


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