Sterile filter vs sorbate

[skeenatron]

Ha ya buying one is crazy. 35 cents a gallon is not though. Of course filtering by any means is expensive and not for most home winemakers. Then again, if you are small enough, there are little nugget filtration options.

 

[Johny99]

Ha ya buying one is crazy. 35 cents a gallon is not though. Of course filtering by any means is expensive and not for most home winemakers. Then again, if you are small enough, there are little nugget filtration options.

"Little nugget filtration options"?

Please, tell more

 

[skeenatron]

Oh well I just meant something like this

https://morewinemaking.com/products/buon-vino-super-jet-filter.html?gclid=CjwKEAjwq5LHBRCN0YLf9-GyywYSJAAhOw6mCuTqQz8korY7R-5NR5WJ7N923L8Bs6Hg_SgyfG7knBoCvprw_wcB

I don't know anything about how well they work and if you can get .45 or .5 micron pads for them, but for doing small home winemaking volumes, the plate and frame technology is tried and true.

 

[skeenatron]

Honestly if you aren't using old oak barrels that have never seen ozone, and are really good about sanitation and all that, I'd say skip trying to filter small volumes of red wine. It's not worth the trouble. Whites with sugar and malic acid in it still however, I'd think sterile filtration of some sort is kind of a must right? No one wants cloudy whites or bottles exploding.

 

[Johnd]

I don't know anything about how well they work and if you can get .45 or .5 micron pads for them, but for doing small home winemaking volumes, the plate and frame technology is tried and true.

For both the Buon Vino Mini Jet and Super Jet, you can get Coarse Pads - 5 Micron, Polishing Pads - 1.8 Micron, and "Super Sterile" - .5 Micron.

I have a Super Jet, it works very well, although I don't do much filtering, mostly just on whites and low end kits that I want to move fast. Haven't ever used the .5 micron pads, mostly just the polishing pads. Once you get proficient in use, there is very little waste on small batches of wine.

 

[Stressbaby]

@Julie,
Speaking here without my notes, but two of three judges noted "geranium." This was a blackberry wine which did not (deliberately) go through MLF. I used sorbate and back sweetened and interestingly, according to my notes, I added both the same day.

I have the Buon Vino Mini Jet with 0.5 micron filters which is what I planned to use.

Thanks for these and any future replies.

 

[user 32114]

I know very little, I make country wines from recipes from as far back as 1825, I use as many old ingredients as possible, but I vacuum rack bottle filter, and there is a reason you use 1 micron for whites an 5 microns for reds, again I don't have these peoples grey matter, but my wine in my tiny pond is sought after, and I use potassium sorbet not a .45 micron sterol filter, just my 2-cents worth, Bernard, Arne, JohhD and many more can tell you the technical aspect of this, me I just deal with polished decent taste that even thought you cant taste the alcohol it still kicks like a mule,,,
just a poor dumb hillbilly
DAWG::
Dawg

 

[GreginND]

Honestly if you aren't using old oak barrels that have never seen ozone, and are really good about sanitation and all that, I'd say skip trying to filter small volumes of red wine. It's not worth the trouble. Whites with sugar and malic acid in it still however, I'd think sterile filtration of some sort is kind of a must right? No one wants cloudy whites or bottles exploding.

It is all about risk management. I do not trust my ability to do a sterile filtration, even with my cartridge. I know that it is not possible for me in my winery at the moment to ensure 100% that all my lines, bottles, etc are thoroughly sterilized. Sanitary, yes, but certainly not sterile. Thus, I don't bother with the expense and effort to try. I filter my whites and sweet reds to 0.8 microns and my red wines to 1.5 microns.

Our cold climate wines are usually high in acid which helps for stability. And I bump up my SO2 beyond what is recommended for vinifera (0.5/0.8 molecular) and use sorbate at levels that most would never taste it.

My wines are most likely sold and consumed within a year or two. So, I think I have mitigated as much risk as possible. Of course, there is still a small risk of problems. But as a home winemaker following these practices for 20 years, I've only had one wine ever ferment in the bottle and I've never had a ML go. I have some wines still that are 15 years old with no problems.

 

[Stressbaby]

I'm not really considering doing this for the appearance of the wine. The wine is already plenty clear enough.

I'm only considering doing this to avoid having to use the sorbate.