Other Filter reds? Or no?

[ehammonds]

I bought a filter to polish and brighten my whites. Is filtering also recommended or beneficial for reds?

 

[jsiddall]

I picked up a filter a few months back also and have been filtering all my reds with #1 pads. Hoping this will prevent any sediment (excluding crystals) in the bottle. Still too early to tell if it is successful.

Filtering reds with finer media has been reported to strip color and/or flavor. Sterile filtering is definitely a no-go on reds.

 

[JohnT]

I have a bon-vino superjet filter. There are 3 levels of filters that are available, Course, polish (1.8 microns), and sterile (.5 microns).

I like to filter my whites to the "Sterile" level, and I filter my reds to "polish" level.

I have found that this really does not cost me in either flavor or color.

 

[wineh]

If you are trying to get to the bottle according to the instructions, and age for a significant time, filtering will likely prevent that sediment line down the lower side of the bottle that I used to get. I extend the process to 10 weeks and rack two extra times, and I haven't filtered in a number of years. My wines come out clear and with no sediment. My Eclipse with grapeskins kits often get wine diamonds after a while, but filtering doesn't help with that anyway. the "experts" claim you would never strip anything by filtering, but I think it's messy, wastes wine and contributes to bottle shock.

 

[Thig]

I have the whole house filter setup but I have never been really impressed. I don't enter competition so I am not interested in "polishing" the wine. I have found that if you don't try to bottle too soon most wine will clear on its own. I have also read that a wine should be clear before you filter it, what kind of sense does that make.

 

[joeswine]

filter or not to

I have done all that a wine maker can with the variety of equipment at hand and that's saying a lot, but what I find is the best working path is to rack and have good control of your process, and patients. Sometimes filtering is a necessary way to polish a wine ,but just plain racking and time will get the job done just fine. Just my way.

 

[ehammonds]

Thanks all. Very helpful