One last filtering question.

If I go with the whole house filter unit from Lowe's Wine department, how does one get the wine through the filter? Push it with a pump or suck it with a vacuum pump? They also have selection of filters, wound string down to 5 microns or a hard filter also 5 microns. Is 5 microns small enough? Total cost will be about $50 bucks, filters cost about $8 bucks a pop. It looks like you could reuse the hard ones a couple of times. bk

the first question is ....what is your end game in filtering? why are you filtering...is as important as anything and since you mentioned only five microns then your purpose needs to be discussed

for reds? whites? any sweet wines?

honestly for most wines there is zero need to filter

for reds if you really feel you must..use the 5 micron...for a white, hmmmm depends on how polished you want it....most use a 1 micron to polish'em up if they need it...to sterile filter to get the yeast...now you are talking .45 micron..i use a .5 and feel reasonably safe w that...but i still stabilize against yeast reproduction

hope that helps some

Most of us use a vacumm pump for filtering. Us a 5 micron for rough filtering. Never use a carbon filter such as those for removing clorine odor or it will strip you wine of flavors. Aging and racking usaully takes care of clarifing wines.

Look at the other filtering thread and you will find a lot of aswers to this thread.
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11234 You will need to use either one of the pumps you mentioned. I prefer vacuuming it out instead of pushing it.

You're paying too much for your filters. Try this;
http://www.micronfiltercartridges.com/filters.html

pretty good prices Rich

Think you just sealed my credit cards fate. And mine once she gets the bill.

AlFulchino said:

pretty good prices Rich

Click to expand...

They are polypropylene string. When I first got them I ran 3 gal of water thru and did not see any fibers in the filtered water. I use the 5 micron and then the 1 micron. So now I just drop it in and start. Even though I watch it go through, I don't even look for anything in the wine anymore. Use it one time and toss.

Thats certainly cheap enough to toss after a single use. Good find!

Richard, that is a good price, just so I understand, you filter twice, first with a 5 micron then with a #1, why not just start out with a #1? How did you mount your filter?

In the thread that Wade referenced they spoke about pictures, I can't locate any pictures of the house filters hooked up and working. bk

Here is a pic of Grapeman's set up with a vacuum pump and a whole house filter installed, he also has a bottle filler installed in this set up also!

Just placed my order. The guns are now hidden in locked storage. She is gonna freak. The card got some exercise today.

...But it's going to look mighty fine in that new wine room.

So finally bottled my MM Renaissance Valpolicella tonight using the whole house filter!

Set up was easy, trying to remember what parts I used and where I put them not so much!

Total time from start to finish was approx 8 minutes. I ended up with a left over glass in the filter housing. Not much waste really, had another glass in the carboy that had some ultra fine sediment in it.

Clean up was easy, more tubing to rinse thats for sure. The filter cleaned up incredibly well by just setting it on the floor of the sink and then filling the inside with warm water and making the water push through the filter from inside to outside. Flipped it over and did the same thing for the bottom and let it dry for a few minutes on a paper towel and then put it in a zip lock freezer bag and into the freezer. It was almost as white as when it came out of the wrapper. Will run some more water and K-Meta through it before attempting to reuse it. If not they are pretty cheap since I signed up for the auto renewal feature. I hope to reuse it a couple of times if possible.

Wine looked good in the glass. Time will tell if any sediment got through. This was the 1 micron pore size.

Pretty happy so far!

Jeeesshhh Mike, where did you say you work?

If blood tasted as good as the Valpolicella did last night at bottling.........

homer said:

Richard, that is a good price, just so I understand, you filter twice, first with a 5 micron then with a #1, why not just start out with a #1? How did you mount your filter?

In the thread that Wade referenced they spoke about pictures, I can't locate any pictures of the house filters hooked up and working. bk

Click to expand...

Take a look at Grapemans setup. It is almost exactly like mine. I run the sediment through the filter so with a 1 micron first, it would probably block the filter.

Grapeman's setup is in Wade's post in this thread.

Yep, I snuck it in there Richard while you were sleeping!! Hehehe

Lurker,

You're paying too much for your filters. Try this;
http://www.micronfiltercartridges.com/filters.html

Click to expand...

Do you use the 2-1/2" diameter or the 4-1/2"?

Fred