REVIEW: *Whole House Wine Filtering*

[Dend78]

got it this is what I was thinking, filter everything you have to filter with one filter then move on, dont try to save them after use. I was hoping thats what you meant from your earlier post, so it really takes the cost of one filter and spreads it between several batches rather than one batch.

thanks for the info guys

 

[Pumpkinman]

I just racked and filtered 4 wines with one filter using the All In One Wine Pump last night, in this order:

Chardonnay
Pinot Grigio
German Gewurztraminer
Tropical Daze

I rinsed the filter and let it drain in between batches.

 

[millwright01]

Thanks for all this info. Just got my all in one today and am so impressed that I am going to order my parts and start filtering this way as well. (Mini-Jet for sale!)

 

[ShtWine]

Whole House Wine Filtering Questions

Excellent information dangerdave thanks for the info.

I've gone the route of nearly completing the set up one of these Whole House Filtering systems with a vacuum pump but have some questions for those of you (that I am almost certain) have already tried.

1. Good to the last drop...What about the idea of putting my filter housings on a piece of wood with a hinge? Then when the vacuum is complete, One might just tilt the whole filter housing upside down to get every last drop? I like the idea of putting the pipe in the housing but I like the idea of not rigging the housing at all, better. I think GreginND mentioned this.

2. Faster or Just Lazy? both. Somewhere in my research I remember someone mentioning that they were buying two housings one to hold a five micron filter, one to hold a one micron filter, then flushing AND back flushing with sanitizer then leaving the second flushing of sanitizer in the housing itself until the next use.. I remember someone saying drying it out, another saying freezing it after a sanitized wash. I like the idea of having two (for each micron size 1 & 5) and not opening it up after every batch, a practice that wears on the oring and is just more handling and opportunity to introduce funky stuff from my smelly basement. Do you think flushing and back flushing (maybe multiple cycles) then leaving a cleanable pleated filter like the WPC5-975 and the WPC1-975 (filtersfast) in sanitizer until the next use would work?

3. How much does this suck? I noticed that Wade mentioned in another post about the opportunity for filter clogging thus slowing down the vacuum or pumping to the point of being problematic. I want to set up both housings, one with a 5 micron filter and one with a 1 micron (mentioned above) to reduce the opportunity for these kinds of problems from happening-Again lazy instead of doing it in two steps- running it through in one step. I'm pretty sure a pump would be able to push it through both but I hope a vacuum system would be able to do it? Anybody tried this yet?

4. Cheap.. just cheap. chintzy. and maybe a little worried about the idea of reusing a filter all together. filtersfast has a $2 one micron filter (SPB-1-10) Why would I even buy the single use five dollar ones? Maybe i missed something about the materials?

 

[dangerdave]

I am going with the flush, rinse, leave sanitizer in the filter housing until next time method. We'll see how that works. I'm keeping one filter for whites and one for reds.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Shitwine
I will try and answer some of your questions , the best that I can

1: Yes you can do that , but being under vacuum as soon as you turn it upside down you might pull in air causing air explosions in the carboy. Is it easier to put a piece of pipe down the middle of a housing or build a whole contraption out of wood being on a hinge ?

2:Not sure where you read this ?
I know of people who went thru a 5 micron filter and then into a 1 micron filter. (I personally do not recommened doing this ) I dont believe that it is good to keep meta in the filter housing for extended period of time.

3: I would do it in 2 filtering steps - it only takes approx 4 - 6 minutes to filter -

4: I do not reuse filters - I will try and do several carboys at 1 time of filtering - the filters are too cheap (in my eyes) not to replace them. There are too many other problems that can arise if I try and reuse the 4 dollar filter.
__________________
Thanks Steve
http://www.allinonewinepump.com/

 

[GreginND]

Shitwine
I will try and answer some of your questions , the best that I can

1: Yes you can do that , but being under vacuum as soon as you turn it upside down you might pull in air causing air explosions in the carboy. Is it easier to put a piece of pipe down the middle of a housing or build a whole contraption out of wood being on a hinge ?
http://www.allinonewinepump.com/

Steve, I'm not sure a tube would prevent air from being sucked in at the end any better than turning the filter upside down. You stop it when the wine gets near the end in either case.

I simply do not mount my filter. I stand it up next to my all in one and pick it up and hold it upside down when I get near the end.

But I do not have experience with using a tube. I'm a little confused about that. Do you just drill a hole in the top? How do you seal the tube? Then you have to seal the filter outlet with something? Seems like a lot of modification too.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Greg
Here is a great pictorial of the setup

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f3/review-allinonewinepump-15976/index33.html

I hope this answered most all your questions

 

[GreginND]

Ah - I was assuming the tube was coming out of the top. I see that you simply tap it with a screw tap and the tube is inside only. Thus, the wine comes out of the normal outlet?

 

[REDBOATNY]

I am going with the flush, rinse, leave sanitizer in the filter housing until next time method. We'll see how that works. I'm keeping one filter for whites and one for reds.

+1 Been doing it that way for 3 seasons. No problems yet. I have done about 100 gallons(?).

 

[vacuumpumpman]

+1 Been doing it that way for 3 seasons. No problems yet. I have done about 100 gallons(?).

Do you then close off the ends to prevent air entering - I am assuming - correct ? How many times do you reuse this type of filter ( the 4 dollar type -correct ?)
I know that my absolute filters (cost is around 100 dollars each ) I will santize and put them in the microwave to get them hot and santize them and it totally dries them out everytime.

 

[REDBOATNY]

Do you then close off the ends to prevent air entering - I am assuming - correct ? How many times do you reuse this type of filter ( the 4 dollar type -correct ?)
I know that my absolute filters (cost is around 100 dollars each ) I will santize and put them in the microwave to get them hot and santize them and it totally dries them out everytime.

I have a length of tubing that goes over both barbed fittings. I back flush the housing and filter, dump out the water and fill with sanitizer. I have left it this way for 8 or 9 months and the sanitizer will still make my eyes water when opened. Yes I am using the $4 filter, and have spares, but they are made for thousands of gallons.

 

[ShtWine]

Actually Steve,

Your post took me to page 36 (or something like that) of a monster post that I only scratched the surface of in the past. One of the things I was missing in #4 of my previous post was the issue of filter efficiency, I did not look up the efficiency of the $2 filter but it is likely lower... I took another look at the three filters I purchased and noticed the two dollar filter just crushes against the housing instead of having a plastic "seat." These two issues probably explain the cost difference. The third I did not consider (or just plan forgot, hic) was the idea of the filter material breaking off into the wine. Thanks for the info. Reference: Cleanable Watts Pleated Filter 1& 5 Micron: WPC1-975 WPC5-975, the Cheapie: SPb-1-10.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Actually Steve,

Your post took me to page 36 (or something like that) of a monster post that I only scratched the surface of in the past. One of the things I was missing in #4 of my previous post was the issue of filter efficiency, I did not look up the efficiency of the $2 filter but it is likely lower... I took another look at the three filters I purchased and noticed the two dollar filter just crushes against the housing instead of having a plastic "seat." These two issues probably explain the cost difference. The third I did not consider (or just plan forgot, hic) was the idea of the filter material breaking off into the wine. Thanks for the info. Reference: Cleanable Watts Pleated Filter 1& 5 Micron: WPC1-975 WPC5-975, the Cheapie: SPb-1-10.

The link you mentioned was a pictorial of the setup that someone did with the filter housing in better detail than I explained in the past. The actual thread is Review of the Allinone

 

[derunner]

Just a note if you are looking for filter housings. The Pentek 158117 part number is the one with the air pressure release button on the top of the housing. You want the Pentek 158116 which is the same thing but without that valve.

Unfortunately, I bought off of the original list in another thread and have the one with the air pressure release button. I filtered 6 batches yesterday and had a fair amount of bubbles. Hopefully I have not ruined the wine.

I guess i can get the other housing, but I wonder if anyone has removed this button and replaced the existing screw with a larger size that would fill the hole thus cutting off the air? Would a stainless screw cause any issue?

 

[GreginND]

Yes, people have used epoxy to fill the hole. Or used a stainless steel bolt with rubber washers on both sides. I haven't done anything yet.

 

[Chiumanfu]

I would fill the hole with epoxy. When it dries, it is inert.

Also, check that the barb fittings are air tight. These tend to leak if they are not wrapped with Telfon tape.

Last thing to check is the oring in the housing near the threads. Make sure it is not pinched or damaged.

 

[Boyd]

Off the subject a bit but I use a mini jet mostly with a number 2 filter.

When done I rinse the filters, put into a baggy and freeze.

When I am ready to go at it again I dump them in boiling water to thaw and sanitize. Seem freezing opens the pores when the water expands.

Get over 20 gallons on a set of filters.

 

[dangerdave]

According to Steve, this is the correct parts list for this filter system. I hope I got it right this time. I used an old parts list from an old thread in my description above.

Item Description:
Pentek 158326 1/4" NPT Slim Line 10" Clear Housing - $7.99 - 19J2
Pentek 1244047 3G SL Bracket Kit for Slim Line Housings - $6.74 - 15R2
Pentek PD-1-934 Polydepth Filter Cartridge - $4.50 - 15S4
Pentek SW-1a Filter Wrench, WW38 - $2.70 - 02A3
Sub Total: $26.43
Shipping: $5.95
Total: $32.38

I think you can get another housing that will work (158116). Both of these do not have the troublesome release valve on top.

Is this right Steve?

 

[Teamsterjohn]

I put this together to sanitize my whole house filters. I prefer not to run sulfite threw the filter. I put this in my corkado, fill it with sulfite and let it stay there overnight.