Buon Vino Filter Soapy Taste In Wine.

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

vinny

Mildly Amused
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2022
Messages
2,640
Reaction score
7,021
Location
Central Alberta
I just filtered a Dragon's Blood and Shiraz. Both using the same filters. First a #2 med filter followed by a #3 sterile for the Dragon's blood which is still in secondary under supervision.

I sipped on the excess Shiraz on bottling day with a big 'ole smile on my face. It was very pleasant, and I made it.

I tried a bottle a week later and it was notably more astringent and biting.. Bottle/filter shock I assume, and given some time I expect it will mellow and be even better than my first tasting.

Today I was thinking of bottling half of my Merlot and Diablo Rojo batches. After taste tests and topping up air locks yesterday, I think they are ready to split for my bottle vs. bulk ageing experiments. They are both really coming around. BUT! I walked into my room and looked at the Dragon's Blood. Noting it was soapy after filtering. REALLY SOAPY! I had some air leakage and double filtered and after filtering it tasted lousy. Floral and soapy. At the time I assumed it was because I had just heavily abused a light, quick drinker, but on consideration today I realised that I have read about soapy flavours coming from the Buon Vino filter pads.

There wasn't a hint of soap in the Shiraz. I soaked the filters, dipped in k-meta, ran k-meta through the installed filters ( it's a used filter housing, first time I had used it so I scrubbed it and flushed it thoroughly) then flushed with gallons of water. I filtered the DB, then the shiraz. I rinsed the filters, soaked in K-meta, charged the system with k-meta with filters installed, and again flushed with gallons of water between the two wines.

I tasted the DB yesterday and the soapiness is not at all what it was. 30-50%, maybe.

SOOO, my question. Is it more likely that the DB is shocked all to hell and the flavour is not from the filters and will continue to fade, or that I saved the Shiraz and sacrificed the DB to filter contamination?

Secondly, what am I gaining by filtering a deep red? No settlement in the bottle. Perhaps a slightly 'cleaner' taste? I couldn't even see through the Shiraz holding it to a light to appreciate any 'clarity'.

I am having fun, and I am willing to take all steps to make my batches as good as possible, but I was recently asked what my risk levels are. They are not high enough to risk something that is currently very pleasant and going to get better, just to avoid settlement and add clarity I can not see.

These are currently young, 3 months since kit bottling date, which is why I want to bottle half and bulk age the rest further. I wanted to compare filtering to time in secondary as one variable, but this is done with the Shiraz I just bottled. I can compare suspended settlement in this batch to longer aged, although cleared with finings. I am marking bottles for 3 months, 6,9, and 1 year. If I can restrain on the rest they will last longer and when I bottle the bulk aged half I have them to compare at various stages.

Am I just wasting my time filtering reds?

And finally... Has anyone got a filter prep method that has eliminated soapiness from the filter pads entirely?
 
Kudos on your success!
Sorry about the "soapy". I think we all want each other to make the best wine possible.

I've read about filtering and will continue to. Seems potentially negative. Not on my wish list.

I sampled a wine 3 days after bottling and it tasted like it did on bottling day. I'll continue to let bottles age a month or 2 (and longer!) but I'm wondering if bottle shock is over hyped...or maybe I just lucked out. Or maybe it's my proletariat palate.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top