soapy taste after filtering

[zosa]

I have been using the number 1 course filters exclusively. Smell and taste the soaking water first. No problems the past couple of batches.

JJF

 

[Rice_Guy]

Well the soapy note got me on an apple wine using a #3 pad,

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)

This is interesting. The aromatics are a nice apple > front notes are are OK sweet > at 15 seconds not a good acid note > at 20 seconds in the mouth and I am picking up soapy. This isn't a perfume like note, sort of artificial long glom onto the taste buds. Interesting.

Has anyone found a fix? Bentonite? PVPP?

 

[Hazelemere]

Well the soapy note got me on an apple wine using a #3 pad,

This is interesting. The aromatics are a nice apple > front notes are are OK sweet > at 15 seconds not a good acid note > at 20 seconds in the mouth and I am picking up soapy. This isn't a perfume like note, sort of artificial long glom onto the taste buds. Interesting.

Has anyone found a fix? Bentonite? PVPP?

Run any acid in water through your filter before you filter your wine. The acid pulls off chemicals in the pads that give you the soapy taste. You can't fix it IMHO.

 

[BarrelMonkey]

I've never used this kind of filter so I'm probably not the best source of advice but... how did you condition/prepare the filter? Based on my experience with other kinds of filter I would rinse thoroughly in water (ie pump water through), then leave to sit in tartaric/KMBS then rinse in water again before using.

 

[Rice_Guy]

I prepped the pads and all tubing by pumping citric acid metabisulphite sanitizer first. I was suspicious smelling the sanitizer but followed my plan ;(

 

[jpglentz]

I have used filter pads for years and suddenly, I had a similar soapy taste in 2-3 of my white wines from the 2023 harvest. I did have 2 batches that had trouble clearing so I used the #3 pads so this thread is very interesting. I was scratching my head as to what could have caused this. Since then I've run more water and/or some metabisulfite through prior to filtering along with wasting about 1/3 bottle of wine before I place the filtered wine into a clean carboy. Although I didn't need a #3 filter for any of my 2024 whites, I didn't have any soapy taste this year. However, I'm going to continue to subscribe to pushing sulphites and/or acids through the filter pads prior to wine filtering.

 

[Rice_Guy]

I have used filter pads for years and suddenly, I had a similar soapy taste in 2-3 of my white wines from the 2023 harvest. I did have 2 batches that had trouble clearing so I used the #3 pads so this thread is very interesting. I was scratching my head as to what could have caused this. Since then I've run more water and/or some metabisulfite through prior to filtering along with wasting about 1/3 bottle of wine before I place the filtered wine into a clean carboy. Although I didn't need a #3 filter for any of my 2024 whites, I didn't have any soapy taste this year. However, I'm going to continue to subscribe to pushing sulphites and/or acids through the filter pads prior to wine filtering.

Thanks will see you tomorrow at the Pambachi seminar. I wonder if something like gum arabic would modify soapy taste? I have debated bring with and without as taste samples.
FYI A lot of us two hour away folks are going as @wood1954 or @ChuckD or @Weaver-Schmitz are signed up. We could use WMT tee shirts to ID ourselves.

 

[Hazelemere]

I've never used this kind of filter so I'm probably not the best source of advice but... how did you condition/prepare the filter? Based on my experience with other kinds of filter I would rinse thoroughly in water (ie pump water through), then leave to sit in tartaric/KMBS then rinse in water again before using.

sulphite can react with cellulose and or lignin in the pads to make potassium sulphonates which are soap like. I never add sulphite before a filter. Only after a filter. I always clean the filters with tartaric, malic or citric acid in water e.g. 1 tbsp per carboy of water. Rinsing acid out of the filters is fine. before filtering the wine.

 

[BarrelMonkey]

sulphite can react with cellulose and or lignin in the pads to make potassium sulphonates which are soap like.

I don't think this is a problem, though as noted I've never used the sort of filters that @Rice_Guy mentions. On a large scale I've used lenticular filters which are cellulose based, and the recommendation is to wet thoroughly with water then either steam them or wash with acid/SO2. Scott labs even recommends storing filters in acidified SO2 between uses, though if you leave them too long in the filter housing the stainless steel can get pitted...