How To: Gravity Filters

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MedPretzel

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Well, I broke down (so much for patience, George!) and filtered my pretty clear Niagara Wine (the one I cold stabilized). It had been sulfited and sorbated before I cold stabilized, and was pretty darn clear afterwards. There was a dusting of stuff at the bottom of the carboy which didn't move at all when I shifted the carboy gently from side to side. I got ticked off with it and decided to filter tonight.





I thought it might be interesting for all those who either don't have a filtering system at all and those who are maybe considering a gravity filter for starters.


A little background on the wine: I had this niagara wine which did not want to clear (fast enough) for me. I had cold-shouldered it (cold-stabilization) about 1-1.5 weeks prior. I racked it when I brought it in, and this is what it looked like before I started tonight:


2005-12-07_194007_11.jpg



Pretty clear on initial glance, but there were fine particles floating around the complete wine.





So, I went ahead and filtered with the gravity filter from Vinbrite. There are certain steps I take whenever I filter my wines, and this one was actually documented as best as I could: please remember I am a one-woman (Plus Mr. Green Mouse, but he's really no help) show when it comes to wines and photographing them. Sorry if some are out of focus:


Step 1: Make sure your filter is well-sanitized with a no-rinse sanitizing solution. (Not shown)
Get 2 campdens crushed and ready.
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Step 2: Add a little water (Not too much, but enough so that the filter pad can be soaked with it) and swish it around.


2005-12-07_194356_2.jpg






Step 3: Get the filter ready:


The filters I use:
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3a: The "naked" filter:
2005-12-07_194413_3.jpg



3b: Filter with pad in place
2005-12-07_194506_5.jpg



Step 3c: Put the grill on(sorry, I don't remember the real description of it). Note: Make sure the tabs fit into the little grooves that are in the maroon filter case - otherwise you will not filter the wine and it will overflow over the sides and your filtering process was for the birds.
2005-12-07_194622_6.jpg



3d: Put the screw-thingy on (make sure it's tight). Note: there is a contraption that you get with the Vin-Brite filter to make it good and tight, but I don't use it. I think I'm strong enough to do it without the contraption.
2005-12-07_194904_7.jpg



Step 4: Pour the prepared campden-tablet/water solution over the filter pad. Make sure (not shown here) that you have your fingers over the holes on the other side so that it doesn't just go through the pad. (Side Note: I find that this way, I don't have a floppy filter pad to work with and fit everything into place)
2005-12-07_195227_8.jpg



Step 5: Put the bottom part of the filter on:
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Step 6: Place the filter on the "receiving" carboy. Do not hook up the long tube yet!
2005-12-07_195339_10.jpg



You will see that the short "air-tube" (as i like to think of it) is already attached.


Step 7: Start siphon, and use the tube-clamp to stop it before it pours all over you:
2005-12-07_195439_11.jpg



Then, attach the tube into the only hole left on the filter.


Step 8: Get some wine in the air-tube. This can sometimes be hard in wines that are not sufficiently degassed. Therefore I like to put my finger on the opening while the valve is open. I tap-tap-tap the opening and let the wine flow up until I have it full to the top. Sometimes it works well, sometimes not so well. Side Note: If you notice during filtering that there is an air-bubble trapped inside the tube, it helps to flick it with your fingers (for lack of a better description).
8a: The "finger-on-opening manouever"
2005-12-07_195854_13.jpg



8b: The "Tap-tap-tap" Manouever:
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Step 9: Here is something important I learned with gravity filters: Since it works with gravity, the higher the "donating" carboy is from the "receiving" carboy, the better. At least a table-height is good. It makes the filter work so much better.
2005-12-07_200054_15.jpg



Note: This picture was taken about 10 minutes into the whole process.


Step 10: It's hard to tell from the picture above, but if you have even a dusting of sediment at the bottom (or elsewhere) of your carboy, keep the racking tube above it. In other words, don't shove it down the carboy as far as it can go. You will just clog up the filter prematurely, and you'll be frustrated.
This picture is after about 35 minutes of filtering:
2005-12-07_200315_16.jpg



Notice the inital "loss" of fluid at the top. It used to upset me that so much wasn't filtered/lost in filtering, but then I found a helpful tip. (Step 11)


Step 11: Tilt the filter gently from side to side:
11a:
2005-12-07_200500_17.jpg



11b:
2005-12-07_200518_18.jpg



I've pressed the top of the filter a little as well. I gained at least a 1/2 an inch in the neck of the carboy that way.


Step 12: Top up with anything you think is good: Either commercial or other. Just please, please, please make sure it's C-L-E-A-R!!!
2005-12-07_200714_19.jpg



Step 13: Partly the worst step, but most definitely the most gratifying! Cleaning up the filter, and seeing what you caught!: Take the filter apart and wash everything well. Then look at the filter pad:
2005-12-07_200903_20.jpg






The picture unfortunately doesn't do the real thing justice, but there was a considerable amount of sediment/particles caught in the filter. Remember, this was a pretty clear wine to begin with.


A lot of people wonder how long it takes to filter a 5 gallon carboy with a gravity filter. Of course, it depends on the initial clarity of the wine itself, but this process took about 45 minutes: From crushing the campden to throwing out the filter pad. I've had wines that took longer, but this is pretty normal for a wine of this clarity. I am always amazed at what is still caught by the pad of such seemingly clear wine.


I hope this was helpful for anyone interested. If you have any questions or comments, I will do my best to try to answer them.
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Mr Green Mouse and I would like to thank you for reading!
 
Martina,

Excellent tutorial.
I'm stil not sure about the tap tap tap bit but I suspect that comes with
actually doing it.

There is quite a difference between the before and after.
 
Mr. Green Mouse seems to have been a quick learner and good help.
Never in the way, and he seems to keep your cat at bay.
smiley36.gif


This was an excellent walk-through of the process. I'm curious about one
thing. You cautioned against getting the racking tube to the bottom too
early. Right at the end of the transfer, do you go right to the bottom and
siphon off everything, including the sediment, or leave some behind?

Thanks again
Bill
 
Pretty clear on initial glance, but there were fine particles floating
around the complete wine.

Do you mean visible particles seen with naked eye in good light, or even
finer haze only visible in the dark with the flashlight test?
 
bilbo-in-maine said:
I'm curious about one
thing. You cautioned against getting the racking tube to the bottom too
early. Right at the end of the transfer, do you go right to the bottom and
siphon off everything, including the sediment, or leave some behind?

Thanks again
Bill





Yes, I personally do it that way, except that I don't siphon off the sediment. I leave the most I can behind (otherwise it just clogs the filter pad a lot more than if I didn't.) You will see that the carboy is also on a tilt, which it has been since I brought it in from the cold. I turned the carboy around on the tilt 180 degrees, and so the lowest point of sediment was where I was racking from.


Do you mean visible particles seen with naked eye in good light, or even
finer haze only visible in the dark with the flashlight test?


It was both. I saw larger particles with the naked eye at the bottom and throughout the carboy. I suspect that they awere the tartaric acid crystals that got transferred from the last racking. I don't do the flashlight test, but there was a fine haze when looking into the light through the carboy.Edited by: MedPretzel
 
Great tutorial Martina the only difference in your method is that you don't rack the wine one last time before filtering by doing so it just eliminates the possibilty of disturbing any sediment wether it being a dusting or not.


I also feel I should point out that if your wine has alot of pectin present it can be adviseable to fit an extra tap on the outlet syphon tube so if the presence of pectin amongst other microscopic debris clogs up the filter pad it becomes relatively easy to change the pad without creating alot of mess or worse still a loss of some wine.
 
I think I have my featurearticle for January for those that do not use the forum. Thank you Martina!
 
Hahaha! You're very welcome George! Feel free to change, remove, and add what others have posted to my tutorial.


Winemaster, I usually do rack before filtering. With this wine, however, it was just that there wasn't really much to rack off of. The particles were everywhere, and they didn't move when I gently rocked the carboy from side to side. Like I mentioned, I have a feeling that they were tartaric crystals that were suspended in the wine itself (I think, but I can't be sure). There was some dusting at the bottom, but it was so minimal that I decided to go ahead and filter without racking.


also feel I should point out that if your wine has alot of pectin present it can be adviseable to fit an extra tap on the outlet syphon tube so if the presence of pectin amongst other microscopic debris clogs up the filter pad it becomes relatively easy to change the pad without creating alot of mess or worse still a loss of some wine.


This is what I don't quite understand.... What do you mean by an extra tap? Do you mean on the long tube with the clamp? Do you have a picture of what you mean? This is interesting for me, since I'm always looking for something to improve the filtering process!
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Excellent job Martina!!!
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I have the same type of filter but mine doesn't have two inlets on the top only one in the center.....I must have an older model! I don't filter too much but I did always have trouble with leakage where the tubingconnects to the filter. I solved this by using some epoxy to permanently attach a length of tubing to the inlet so it can't leak!


When I want to filter I rack the wine into my V-Vessel fermenter and setup the filter and empty carboy underneath it.
 
Martina, This is great!
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I've been thinking that while all our wines don't need to be filtered there are a few that I would like to filter. I didn't want to spend the big bucks on the expensive filters, but this would certainly be something I'd do. Pictorals are so much better than just reading how to do something. You can see that it really isn't that hard! And the time info is wonderful. I've often wondered about this. How did you know?
 
Glenimus here,


Wow! I am so impressed. I am new at this and working on my first batch (Red Zinfindel) just following the directions like a good soldier. Martina, I see you name often, andnowI worship you!
 
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My name is not to be worshiped, Glenimus maximus. This tutorial is only the way I do things, not necessarily gospel truth. I'm sometimes known as a total unorthodox winemaker, and quite a few people disagree with my methods - and that is wonderful. I am a mix of "old-country" winemaking and "totally technological" winemaking.What I post here is what I do with every wine -- mostly.


Read other follow-ups carefully and let that sink in. After reading my post a couple of times, I failed to mention some minor things.


For example, my "tap-tap-tap manouever" failed to say that once the wine overflowed the top of the air-tube, close that clamp!


The wine should generally be racked before filtering. Maybe it was a bad example to post as an example. I had never experienced tartaric acid crystals before, so I thought this was the right thing to do in this case. If it's protein sediment, however, usually, let it fall.


PWP, This filter is totally underrated in my opinion. It's for the people who have the patience, and don't want to justify spending ca. 150 bucks on a "super-duper-absolutely-practically-professional" wine filter. I will stress, however, that you need to have a very clear wine to begin with to have that type of filtering time. I have had 1-gallon batches that were totally murky that have needed longer than this.





2005-12-08_161754_lilac.jpg



Took a whole 50 minutes for 1 gallon. (This was the very first batch I filtered, so I woudl certainly not recommend this now.)
 
As an update, Bill B sent me an absolute great post about using an...





uh..





<<duck...>>





Weed-killer pump....


to use as a pump system.





It works great, but I was a little afraid to post it on a forum. Bill B may not post much, but he's a genious. Believe you me! I will post his invention soon.


I owe a lot to him.
 
Looking forward to it! We are unconventional people and are always looking for a new way to do things.


I'd never think to filter until I was getting close to bottling. Definitely something to do to add the sparkle to the wine. I was showing this whole thing to our 18 yr old son and he thought it was great and had good questions for me.
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(He doesn't like wine now but I'm sure he'll convert some day.) A lot of our wines just don't need the extra, but some of them I'd sure like to filter.
 
Martina,


If I continue this addiction, I am sure that I will do some unconventional things too, but for now I am blown away by the clarity of your explanation -- as well as your wine.


Perhaps I went a little far in saying that I worship you (after all I in the running forsainthood), but for now lets just say that you are my hero. If this wine thing works, I will have my first miracle in the bag -- or is that in the bottle?


St. Glenimus
 
Martina...you took a clear wine and turned it into brilliant...I am so impressed...well done. Think we all need a filter one one type or another....Thanks!!!Edited by: Northern Winos
 
St. Glenimus maximus, You crack me up!
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Thanks for the compliment. I appreciate it!





PWP, thanks for the compliment! I like to filter about 2-3 weeks before bottling. There's really no reason why I do this except to make triple sure that the wine is degassed, clear, and not too much bottle-shock. I like filtering and leaving it in the carboy for a while because I think it looks the prettiest in the carboy as well. Such a massive amount of wine in the carboy is always so rich in color. I like to savor that a little.
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Northern Winos, I really think that some wines should be brilliant. It's so worth it, especially light-colored ones. It makes drinking them so fun. I am always so surprised to see what is left on the filter afterwards. Thanks for the compliment.





All in all, I would tell anyone who is into winemaking to try some "crazy" things. If you sanitize everything well to begin with, there's almost nothing you can do wrong. Wine is very forgiving.
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(uh, well.... Most of the time!) I do, however, one day want to get a mini-jet. And I most likely will. Right now, however, this one does the trick just fine.





For your wish-lists:


http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=5292This is the Vinbrite filter that comes with 6 filter pads. $39.99


Extra pads: http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=5294Pack of 6 filters, $11.99


http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=5270This is the minijet: $149.99


Extra pads for this one: http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=5274 (there are others, but here's an example). 3 to a package, $2.99


Just a note about the use of the filter pads in the Vinbrite system: You can use the pads for more than one wine (if doing gallon batches). I have let about 3 cups of water/sanitizer (crushed campden)filter through (and go in the air-tube) in between wines, and gone on from there. This works fine, and I have never noticed a taste of the previous wine in the following ones. However, I have noticed a color change, when going from dark wines to light wines. Therefore, if you choose to filter more than one wine using the same filter-pad, go from lightest to darkest.


I beleive with the mini-jet, you need more than one pad per filtering process (is it 2? Someone help me here?). You can also use the filters for more than one wine, and you should go from light to dark wines when filtering.


The $11.99 looks overwhelming at first for the filter pads, but you get at least 6 batches in one package. If you double up, you're roughly getting them filtered for a buck a batch. Not bad, I think.


I also got the filter paper from George a while ago, because I was going to out-smart the filter, but I didn't.
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http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=531048 papers for 8.99. Well, I will tell you, I don't need them. These papers are for catching the "fuzzies" that might come off of the filter pad. But since you have the grill and the screwy-thingie, I've never noticed it. These cannot be used as a "coarse filter" (what i wanted to use them for). If you're into competitions, then this might be of interest. Otherwise, I don't think it's really needed.
 

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