Filtering

[Nicola]

Any advise on filtering? Wondering wether to get one for the fine sediment, am aware of cold crashing

 

[Rocky]

Nicola, over many years of wine making, I have found that the best 'filter' is time. I leave my whites in bulk aging for at least 6 months and my reds for at least 1 year. Never had to worry about filtering them after that time. Gravity always works (at least here on Earth).

 

[kuziwk]

Nicola, over many years of wine making, I have found that the best 'filter' is time. I leave my whites in bulk aging for at least 6 months and my reds for at least 1 year. Never had to worry about filtering them after that time. Gravity always works (at least here on Earth).

6 months is enough to clear and bottle a white? I can see 1 year clearing a red though.

Regarding filtering, I've read that filtering at the levels most can do at home will not affect the wine. Unless you are sterile filtering (0.5 micron or less) that it won't affect anything other than the clarity of the wine. I've heard it can speed up aging though. In my experience most commerical wines are sterile filtered to eliminate the chance for microbial infection and re-fermentation...something that would seriously harm their operation and cash flow. The filtering at the level we do at home won't filter that fine, at best it polishes a wine and removes some larger yeast cells. I'm contemplating skipping filtration on reds that have been sitting for about 10 months without clearing agents. I'm ok with sediment from pigmentation but I can't stand yeast/lees in the bottle. Is 10 months enough to guarantee this?

On the other hand the filtration can also remove trace amounts of CO2, something I have an issue eradicating completely using a wine whip and just standard aging. I have not yet brought myself to spend the money on the all in one wine pump

 

[Rocky]

6 months is enough to clear and bottle a white? I can see 1 year clearing a red though. It seems to be enough for my white wines. Full disclosure, I rack from primary to the secondary fermentation vessel. When fermentation is complete I rack into a clean carboy and then the clock starts. Midway (3 months) I add 1/4 teaspoon of k-meta, then age 3 more months, rack from that carboy into a clean carboy (with 1/4 teaspoon of k-meta) and bottle from there. Works for me.

Regarding filtering, I've read that filtering at the levels most can do at home will not affect the wine. Unless you are sterile filtering (0.5 micron or less) that it won't affect anything other than the clarity of the wine. I've heard it can speed up aging though. In my experience most commerical wines are sterile filtered to eliminate the chance for microbial infection and re-fermentation...something that would seriously harm their operation and cash flow. The filtering at the level we do at home won't filter that fine, at best it polishes a wine and removes some larger yeast cells. I'm contemplating skipping filtration on reds that have been sitting for about 10 months without clearing agents. I'm ok with sediment from pigmentation but I can't stand yeast/lees in the bottle. Is 10 months enough to guarantee this?

On the other hand the filtration can also remove trace amounts of CO2, something I have an issue eradicating completely using a wine whip and just standard aging. I have not yet brought myself to spend the money on the all in one wine pump

I have a filter set up which I rarely use. I have both 1 and 5 micron filters but don't use them because I have found that bulk aging for an appropriate time clears the wine just fine. I bought an aspirator pump on eBay that I use for racking and de-gassing. My pump is similar to this one except I changed out the overflow vessel with a Buchner flask:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/John-Bunn-...904789&hash=item445388a949:g:Jj4AAOSwQGteOMgA

 

[kuziwk]

I have a filter set up which I rarely use. I have both 1 and 5 micron filters but don't use them because I have found that bulk aging for an appropriate time clears the wine just fine. I bought an aspirator pump on eBay that I use for racking and de-gassing. My pump is similar to this one except I changed out the overflow vessel with a Buchner flask:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/John-Bunn-...904789&hash=item445388a949:g:Jj4AAOSwQGteOMgA

Is 10-12 months long enough to clear a red on its own to where filtering won't be needed?

 

[Rocky]

Is 10-12 months long enough to clear a red on its own to where filtering won't be needed?

All I can say is that it works for me. Understand that during that 12 month bulk aging period, I rack and add sulfite 3 times. That removes some measure of the sediment from the wine along the way.

 

[Dom Lausic]

I recently filtered a Chardonnay we made in the fall. Ran it through the filter (not sterile, but can't remember the micron. It was a course filter). But i was shocked as to how much colour it stripped out of the wine! So i am very reluctant to run any of my reds through a filter. My personal preference it to let gravity, ideally, here on earth! just do it's thing. My cellar is full, so i'm not in a rush. Like they say, winemaking is the perfect hobby for the procrastinator!

 

[Dom Lausic]

And as @Rocky mentioned earlier, 12 months had always given me a clear wine. With the expectation that the wine is racked about every 3-4 months.

 

[kuziwk]

All I can say is that it works for me. Understand that during that 12 month bulk aging period, I rack and add sulfite 3 times. That removes some measure of the sediment from the wine along the way.

Well that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing, im going to be forced to bottle my super Tuscan at 10 months though, hope that’s fine without filtering as I never used clearing agents. I need to free up a carboy as I have it all planned/scheduled up to August.

 

[user 36973]

I always filter my wines because I don't want them to tie up my tank for 10 months. I'll fine filter (1um) the reds after they've come out of the barrels to prevent any yeasty sediment from forming in the bottle. The whites and sweet wines are filtered down to 0.45um sterile membrane because I don't want refermentation.

So, you would filter for specific reasons (time savings and preservation, in my case). Time usually sufficient to allow the wine to settle clear. Just keep sulfites up and oxygen headspace down.

I've never noticed any color loss in the wine. The filter removes the cloudy yeast that are colored the same as the wine, but that shouldn't be confused with stripping out the anthocyanins.

 

[kuziwk]

I always filter my wines because I don't want them to tie up my tank for 10 months. I'll fine filter (1um) the reds after they've come out of the barrels to prevent any yeasty sediment from forming in the bottle. The whites and sweet wines are filtered down to 0.45um sterile membrane because I don't want refermentation.

So, you would filter for specific reasons (time savings and preservation, in my case). Time usually sufficient to allow the wine to settle clear. Just keep sulfites up and oxygen headspace down.

I've never noticed any color loss in the wine. The filter removes the cloudy yeast that are colored the same as the wine, but that shouldn't be confused with stripping out the anthocyanins.

I would not filter at 1 micron, typically it would be the medium pads which are around 2.5 micron for a red. I'm not sure if that is even fine enough to get some of the fine yeast out so it might even be a waste of time filtering with those pads if the wine was bulk aged long enough. I just picked up another two carboys at a thrift shop, so that brings my total to 12. I'm ok with bulk aging my reds for 10 months if that's what it takes.

 

[kuziwk]

Any advise on filtering? Wondering wether to get one for the fine sediment, am aware of cold crashing

To add to this, I've heard of cold crashing however I wouldn't do it because it drops the acid from the wine in the form of crystals. Unless you intend to store your red wines in the fridge in the bottle (which I wouldn't reccomended) I wouldn't be doing this method. There are always two sides of the fence, some of the best wine in the world is filtered and some is not so it really is up the winemaker. I personally don't think that filtering with a #2 pad on the buon vino is going to strip anything out of the wine other than just some yeast. I've been bulk aging for almost a year and I think all the larger particles that would be caught in the filter would have fallen out already. Unfortuantely the medium pads at 2 microns won't even remove Brett yeasts, so I'm not sure after a decent bulk age period you would be getting much out of filtering other than some assurance maybe. No guarentee though that you won't throw sediment down the road just from filtering, I beleive time is what is really required.

That being said I'm still leaning towards filtering just as extra insurance I guess, and because I don't beleive it will negatively impact the wine in any way aswell as I have to rack before I bottle anyways.

 

[jbo_c]

I always filter with #2 pads in my buon vino, even if my wine has been sitting for months.

A well known wine guru has likened the relationship between anthocyanins and typical home filtration media as a string of spaghetti navigating a city street. You just aren’t going to filter out anything that impacts anything other than clarity. So filter away if you like.

or take your time and let gravity do the work for you if that floats your boat.

Pure personal preference. If you’re in a hurry, filter with a clear conscience.

Jbo

 

[kuziwk]

I always filter with #2 pads in my buon vino, even if my wine has been sitting for months.

A well known wine guru has likened the relationship between anthocyanins and typical home filtration media as a string of spaghetti navigating a city street. You just aren’t going to filter out anything that impacts anything other than clarity. So filter away if you like.

or take your time and let gravity do the work for you if that floats your boat.

Pure personal preference. If you’re in a hurry, filter with a clear conscience.

Jbo

I've read very similiar things. The #2 pads are actually 1.8 micron, so not that fine really but I love how well they polish my whites. The pads are much cheaper on Amazon if you buy in bulk. What about aging though, does it speed it up? I don't see how unless it's exposed to copious amounts of oxygen.

Theoretically though fining agents at the beginning likely cause the most drastic change to the wine, they could strip potential aging compounds, filtering before bottling is a bit different though.

 

[user 36973]

I would not filter at 1 micron, typically it would be the medium pads which are around 2.5 micron for a red

No, I am using K100 commercial filter pads that are nominally 1um filters like I said.

I have been doing it this way commercially for the last 7 years and have not had sediment in my dry reds nor have I ever had a customer complaint about it.

 

[kuziwk]

No, I am using K100 commercial filter pads that are nominally 1um filters like I said.

I have been doing it this way commercially for the last 7 years and have not had sediment in my dry reds nor have I ever had a customer complaint about it.

Ah ok that makes sense, at 1um you feel nothing is missing? I guess at the end of the day most commerical wines are filtered through at least a 1um filter. I can see why, most people that don't know the process don't want sediment.

We all try to make commercial quality wine with our kits and juice buckets, so if commerical wine is so good and it's filtered pretty tight why would our batches be any different.

 

[user 36973]

Ah ok that makes sense, at 1um you feel nothing is missing?

The only thing I feel is missing with filtering is the yeast. The big polyphenol molecules are still way smaller than the filter pathways. I'm frankly more concerned with unintentional molecular filtering with overuse of fining agents.

 

[kuziwk]

The only thing I feel is missing with filtering is the yeast. The big polyphenol molecules are still way smaller than the filter pathways. I'm frankly more concerned with unintentional molecular filtering with overuse of fining agents.

That makes sense, I found when it comes to kits for example the clearing agents can easily be cut in half and still get the same effect.