White Wine Filter?

[mattw]

My first batch of white, second batch total.

How necessary is filtering for white (Chardonnay)? I am not totally prepared to go out and spend $200 if it is not absolutely necessary. Thoughts?

 

[vcasey]

I don't filter very many of my wines, red or white. However if you are looking for a very good and inexpensive filter this Vinbrite gravity filter works very nicelyhttp://www.finevinewines.com/p-432-5292.aspx

 

[Wade E]

Thats what I have but I must say it takes about 45 minutes to filter 6 gallons using it. I will soon be using a whole house filter set up with my vacuum pumps that I sell but just havent gotten around to it yet.

 

[rrussell]

I had a white that was super clear so I did not filter it when I bottled it. It later developed quite a bit of sediment so I filter all white wines now no matter how clear. I use the vinbrite filter and it is slow but does the job.

 

[PeterZ]

I filter all my wines using a Vinebrite filter. As rrussell says, it's slow, but it gets the job done.

 

[ArdenS]

Probably the key term in your question is "necessary". IMO it's not necessary to filter any wine. I use it only for polishing a wine that is already clear & not dropping sediment. I too use a Vinbrite gravity filter. Inexpensive, slow, but it gets the job done.

Arden

 

[andy123]

In unfiltered whites that I have stored for a while I will notice a whisper of sediment if I look for it.

 

[Wiz]

I also use a Vinebrite and filter all my fruit wines. So it takes 45 minutes. So what. I'm retired and what a great hobbyto take up my time - and I get to drink it too.

 

[Wade E]

Yep, I usually keep busy with something else while Im doing that no problem! Gives you time to sanitize your bottles and let them drip dry.

 

[joeswine]

I FIND ITS BEST TO FILTER AFTER ALL THE OTHER PREP WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED,BUT SOMETIMES THE WINE IS THE CLEAR AND I DON'T ,HOWEVER IF SEDIMENT DOES DEVELOP I RESORT TO MY MR. COFFEE FILTERS AND RUN A BOTTLE THROUGH IT AND DONE,WORKS FOR ME..........................FITERRING WHITES CAN ALSO BE A HARDSHIP ON FLAVOR IF YOUR DOING FRESH JUICE.....................

 

[herbenus]

I'm not filtering. My thinking is a little sediment doesn't bother me (I even see some in commercial wines from time to time) and I'm not entering any contests. How perfect does it need to be? But I really see issues with wines from fruit that I don't rack long enough. I have a bunch of pear wine bottled that turns a little hazy when chilled. And thebanana is downright disgusting at the bottom of the bottle, although still tasty.


I'll be buying a filter soon, or trying my hand at building one with a house filter. But in my case I'm not so much looking to polish as remove some "invisible" sediments. Which I understand isnot the best use of a filter.

 

[Wade E]

If using a whole house filter do you have a pump to use with it. I sell these vacuum pumps if you need one.

 

[andy123]

I made a rig with a CO2 tank a corny keg and a GE undercounter filter.Worked great and fast too. I also did a reversal with 2 carboys and a vacuum compressor I salvaged from an old minifridge.It worked real nice but failed after a couple uses.Tell us more of your vacuum pumps please Wade.

 

[herbenus]

I have no pump. I have just starte looking at the pictures of set ups on this forum. If I don't go house filter, I'm wondering if I couldn't set up 2 or 3vinbrites inseries with differnt meshes and maybe even a screen in the first filter.

 

[jnmar]

If using a whole house filter do you have a pump to use with it. I sell these vacuum pumps if you need one.

How much for the pump Wade? I'm not familiar with whole house filters, how much are they, do you sell them also? What about fittings, hoses, and miscellaneous stuff for racking and degassing as well?

 

[joeswine]

herbenus,what ever fits your needs is the right way,we as wine makers all follow the samepath but in different directions,I have also seen sediment in wines that were entitled natural filtration used,some sediment may appear,really,its the taste which is most important,don't you think,I have been doing this obsession for 10years now and in that time frame you acquire all the toys,no what I mean,,,,,,,,enjoy the experience .....

 

[rvanzandt03]

Same here. I let my last chardonnay batch clear very well, and even after I filtered it, and all the bottles were crystal clear, after a week, there was sediment . I'm new at this and can't seem to figure out how to get ALL the sediment out. Of course, i am using only the stuff in the kits and adding no other fining agents.

 

[Wade E]

PMed the both of you but if you didnt get it pm me.