There are three easy ways to get a nice, clear wine free of sediment. No method is "better" than another, it really depends on personal preferences.
The third is Filtration.
There are a number of filtration systems on the market. The most common is the Mini-Jet because of its ease of use, compactness for storage, and effectiveness.
The Filtration system is used on the day of bottling. The wine is sucked up with a pump attached to three filter pads, which pick up sediment and leftover yeast floating in the wine.
The pads MUST be well soaked prior to use, or you’ll have a stream of wine shooting out the top of the pads. 🙂
The system needs to be sterilized before and after use, but this can be easily accomplished by running a sulphite solution through the pump.
It also needs to be primed with water before pumping wine, so you will lose some wine in the priming as it foams quite a bit as it interacts with the water and the filters.
All told, you will lose about one to two bottles while filtering. The whole process does end in a wonderfully clear wine though.
Cost: $149.95 for the system, $2.49 for a set of one use pads. We rent the system for $5/day for those wishing to try it out.
Risks: If used improperly, you could lose some wine you wouldn’t otherwise.
If not sanitized throughly, could transfer bacteria to the wine.
Benefit: Minimum extra time required.
Clear wine!
Stay Tuned for our next Blog on August 11th – Holiday Wines