Build your own wine filter
don schiller
By Don Schiller
There are several types of wine filters available, ranging from gravity feed
to wine pressurized through multiple filter plates systems. There are two
common types of wine filter systems generally used by Purple Foot Wine Club
members, the first, a double filter and plate system with air or carbon
dioxide (CO2) pressurizing the carboy and forcing the wine through the filter.
The second system is a motorized pump system that pumps the wine through a
filter cartridge in a housing. Both systems have advantages and
disadvantages. For the CO2 system, cost is $100.00 and is slow enough to
allow filtering and bottle filling in one step, but was more work to set up
before filtering the wine. The motorized system was faster, but costly at
about $300.00-400.00.
For some time, I had been working on a filter system similar to the pump and
filter cartridge system but less costly. Now that I have completed mine, I am
passing the information along to you. If you are mechanically skilled, it is
quite easy to build. The cost is about $100.00 (excluding cartridges) and
does the job about the same as the motorized filter system. If you chose to
make it, let me know your results.
Here is what you need:
Self priming pump and motor. A small pump and motor is available from Fleet
Farm, Northern Hydraulic and maybe Grainger for about $60.00 (I bought a SIMER
#M40 that will pump about 360 gallons per minute, on sale for $54.00). Self
priming does two things, it will draw the wine into the pump without needing
to manually siphon it, and will create a better pump output pressure. The
pump instructions tells you to oil the pump before using. DO NOT oil this
pump. If you can find a pump system that is rated food grade and can deliver
about 25-40 psi, that is what you need.
Filter housing. I bought an Omni housing at Menards for about $10.00. You
also need the wrench for about $3.00. There are several other brands on the
market, some housings are clear, some not, it should not make a difference.
Be sure to get one with 3/4" pipe connections that will take the standard 10"
filter cartridge.
Pressure gauge. A pressure gauge rated for 60 psi or less will help you to
know when your filter cartridge is plugging up. Presque Isle has a 60 psi
gauge or buy one locally. Buy whatever type connectors is needed to connect
the gauge to the tubing. The gauge is not a necessity, but is nice.
Connectors/Tubing. You need two plastic garden hose connectors, (your pump
connectors, if you get a different type pump, get the proper connectors), two
plastic connectors with a 3/4" thread on one end, the other end is barbed push
on, (your filter housing connectors), a "T" barbed push on connector (for a
pressure gauge), and food grade vinyl tubing, 5/8" inch diameter. You may
need 10-15 feet depending on your setup. When you buy these items, make sure
your pump, filter housing, connectors and tubing will work together.
Filter cartridge. For filtering, you need a 1 micron or finer cartridge. I
ordered my cartridges from Presque Isle, 1-800-488-7492. The 10" cartridges
are available in 1, 0.45, and 0.2 micron sizes. I use the 1 micron size for
most filtering, but could use the 0.45 micron for finer filtering.
Miscellaneous Parts. You will need 5 hose clamps that will fit over the
tubing when installed over the barbed connectors and a little Teflon tape to
install the filter connectors.
Hooking it all together. I first started by making a frame on which I could
mount the filter and pump. I used a piece of plywood 1' X 2' X 1/2" and built
supports to make a stand. I made a bracket to hold the filter onto the
plywood and secured the bracket and filter to the plywood. A couple large
hooks should be able to do the job. Secure the motor/pump to the plywood on
the opposite side of the filter. Using Teflon tape, install the filter
connectors into the filter input and output openings.
Measure the distance between the pump output and the filter input. This will
be about 1-2 feet long allowing for a bend radius. Cut this tubing to length,
and cut two more short pieces of tubing about 2" long. Install one garden
hose clamp to one end of the long tubing. Heat the other end of the tubing
and the two short pieces in boiling water for a few minutes. CAUTION, THIS
TUBING IS HOT AND CAN BURN IF HANDLED IMPROPERLY. This will soften the
tubing enough to push it over the barbed ends of the "T" connector. Connect
the tubing from the "T" to the filter input connector you have already
installed. The gauge is connected onto the tubing on the tee end. (SEE
DRAWING) ***email me for address to get this hardcopy complete with drawing***
Determine the length of tubing needed from your supply carboy into the pump.
Cut the tubing to length (or in half), and install the garden hose clamp on
one end. Screw that end onto the pump input side. This is your input hose.
Heat one end of the other tubing in boiling water. Push the tubing onto the
barbed end of the filter output connector. This is your output hose and will
output filtered wine into a clean carboy.
Secure all connections to the pump, filter cartridge and all connectors.
Fill a pail with about 4-5 gallons water. Add about 1 teaspoon metabisulfite
to the water. Put the input and output hoses into the pail of water. With no
filter cartridge installed in the housing, plug in the power cord to the pump
motor. The pump will draw water up the tubing, into the pump. The water will
be pumped into the filter housing, the output hose, and back into the pail.
Run this 5-10 minutes, flushing out the system and checking for leaks. Seal
any leaks that you find. Dump the water, and refill with clean water. Run
pump again for a few minutes to flush system. Remove power and drain water
from tubing and filter housing. (Optional-rather then plugging the motor power
cord in and out, you could add a switched outlet to the wooden frame. Plug
the cord into the outlet and use the switch to turn the motor on and off.
This works very well for turning the motor off as the supply carboy is
emptied.)
To prepare to filter wine, install a cartridge into the filter housing. Fill
the supply carboy with water. Put the output tubing into the empty carboy and
the input tubing into the supply carboy. Run pump until supply carboy is
empty. Do this each time before and after filtering wine-it cleans the system.
Now rack the wine to be filtered into your supply carboy, sweeten, add
chemicals, etc. as needed. Be sure to add metabisulfite (because the
filtering does have a tendency to bubble at the beginning and end of the
carboy, you may want to increase the metabisulfite to 75ppm to help reduce
oxidation). Prepare a carboy to receive the filtered wine. Plug in the cord
for the pump motor. The wine will be filtered and pumped into the carboy.
Remove power as the supply carboy is emptied.
The filter cartridges can be used to filter 50 gallons or more wine depending
on the filter and the wine being filtered. Since you may not be ready to
filter that much wine at one time, you might want to make a container to store
the cartridge. Using 3 inch PVC pipe, cut to about 12 inches long. Cement a
cap on one end, and make a removable coupling on the other end. The cartridge
can be stored in the pipe in a solution of 1/4 tsp. metabisulfite in water.
Get supplies from your hardware store.
Happy filtering
Keith B.
Don,
Regarding your filter, are you concerned by not having a food grade
pump? Seems like some pumps could be hard on the wine (treating too
roughly that is). I have heard of pumps that are gentle, but I can't
recall the name given to this class of pumps.
I use a system called the Buon Vino Mini-Jet filter ($195) which uses the
plate type system. The only real gripe I have is that it is not self
priming.
I have been told that a good way to prepare the paper filters is filter a
gallon or so of water that has had the pH adjusted and some sulfite added.
I need to get the specifics from someone in my club.
Keith B.
Da...@rose-hulman.edu
>From: dasch...@mmm.com (don schiller)
>Subject: Build your own wine filter
>Date: Mon, 20 Jun 1994 11:19:17
>WINE FILTER SYSTEMS
>By Don Schiller
>Here is what you need:
> Self priming pump and motor. A small pump and motor is available from Fleet
>Farm, Northern Hydraulic and maybe Grainger for about $60.00 (I bought a SIMER
>#M40 that will pump about ***** 360 gallons per minute, !!! ?
Don, are you sure you ment to say 360 GPM ? That would be one hell of
a pump!
> Filter housing. I bought an Omni housing at Menards for about $10.00.
Would you expand on this filter housing please.
I presume its available in the PLUMBING Dept.
This is the kind of info I read r.c.w for.
THANKS for all of us. Dave G.
don schiller
>From: anon...@nyx10.cs.du.edu (Keith B.)
>Subject: Re: Build your own wine filter
>Date: 21 Jun 1994 06:37:58 -0600
>Don,
> Regarding your filter, are you concerned by not having a food grade
>pump? Seems like some pumps could be hard on the wine (treating too
>roughly that is). I have heard of pumps that are gentle, but I can't
>recall the name given to this class of pumps.
A food grade pump was a concern with me also. In pumping/filtering my wine I
have found that running 5 gal. water through the system flushes out any off
taste that may form as the system sits unused. This system will filter 5 gal
wine in about 5-7 minutes. There is very little contact time to pick up off
flavors. As long as you do not use the pump for anything else, and flush is
before and after filtering, I don't think it should be a problem not being
food grade. If I could find a food grade at a reasonable price, I would buy
it.
Many pump are centrifical systems. The pump in the Presque Isle is
"self-priming, positive displacement, rotary vane type". I don't know the
name of the type of pump I am thinking of, but it has rollers that pinch
tubing, slowly and gently pumping fluid. It is used here at 3M by the chemist
types.
>I use a system called the Buon Vino Mini-Jet filter ($195) which uses the
>plate type system. The only real gripe I have is that it is not self
>priming.
>I have been told that a good way to prepare the paper filters is filter a
>gallon or so of water that has had the pH adjusted and some sulfite added.
> I need to get the specifics from someone in my club.
>Keith B.
As I mentioned, and can't stress enought, I run about 5 gal through the
system. This can be without sulfite, generally do mine with a light sulfite.
The water is pumped out faster then I can fill the carboy. The system-pump
impeller, tubing, filter housing, and if you have stored the filter cartridge,
are all rinsed and ready to filter wine.
After you filter the wine, clean up the system by flushing it again.
Don
don schiller
>From: Da...@rose-hulman.edu (David....@Rose-Hulman.edu)
>Subject: Re: Build your own wine filter
>Date: Tue, 21 Jun 1994 13:36:42 GMT
>Summary: a couple of questions??
>Keywords: Excellent info
>In article <daschiller....@mmm.com> dasch...@mmm.com (don schiller)
>writes:
>>From: dasch...@mmm.com (don schiller)
>>Subject: Build your own wine filter
>>Date: Mon, 20 Jun 1994 11:19:17
>>WINE FILTER SYSTEMS
>>By Don Schiller
>>Here is what you need:
>> Self priming pump and motor. A small pump and motor is available from Fleet
>>Farm, Northern Hydraulic and maybe Grainger for about $60.00 (I bought a SIMER
>>#M40 that will pump about ***** 360 gallons per minute, !!! ?
> Don, are you sure you ment to say 360 GPM ? That would be one hell of
>a pump!
Rated at 360GM oops Hour. This is free flow, when hooked into the filter
system, it will pump a 5 gal caboy in about 5-7 minutes. The thing I was
looking for was the output pressure. With that much flow, and the type of
impeller, it delivers enough pressure to pump though the filter.
>> Filter housing. I bought an Omni housing at Menards for about $10.00.
>
> Would you expand on this filter housing please.
>I presume its available in the PLUMBING Dept.
This is a standard house water filter, avail. in plumbing. This is a very
common type of filter. Don't go for the undersink filter, it has smaller
couplers and will restrict pressure.
> This is the kind of info I read r.c.w for.
>THANKS for all of us. Dave G.
Thanks for catching my goofs and keeping me straight.
Don
Jim Wygralak
don schiller <dasch...@mmm.com> wrote:
>I don't know the
>name of the type of pump I am thinking of, but it has rollers that pinch
>tubing, slowly and gently pumping fluid. It is used here at 3M by the chemist
>types.
Peristaltic.
They are also used in the medical field for pumping things like blood.
From a sanitation standpoint they are ideal, because the fluid being pumped
never comes in contact with anything other than the tubing it is flowing
through.
I dont know what kind of flow rate you can expect from one, however.
--
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Chuck Skoning
This filter looks handy but it has activated charcoal in it and will
ruing any wine filterd through it. I tried filtering a concord grape wine and
it came out as clear as water and tasted like crap.
chuck
Allan Jost
B.) wrote:
The filter systems I have seen lately in the shops involve using an
aquarium-type air pump to pressurize the carboy. It is in effect a
pressure-assisted racking system which drives the wine through the filter.
The wine never comes in contact with the pump, but I suspect that the
system is not very fast because the pressure is low. (I've never actually
used one of these things...) The price that I recall is of the order of
$80 Canadian.
don schiller
>From: jo...@tuns.ca (Allan Jost)
>Subject: Re: Build your own wine filter
>The filter systems I have seen lately in the shops involve using an
>aquarium-type air pump to pressurize the carboy. It is in effect a
>pressure-assisted racking system which drives the wine through the filter.
>The wine never comes in contact with the pump, but I suspect that the
>system is not very fast because the pressure is low. (I've never actually
>used one of these things...) The price that I recall is of the order of
>$80 Canadian.
As much as us wine makers do to avoid air contact with wine, I would not
buy an air pump to pump air into my wine. That is also the reason I
changed my wine filter systems.
Up until making the motorized type filter I posted, I used a modified Vinimat
filter system. It used the same pads and filter plates, but I pressurized the
carboy with CO2. I spent much less time racking the wine into the small hand
sprayer container they use, and no worry about O2 pressurized into the wine.
The system was nearly automatic. I just filled up the carboy with 5
gal. water, connected the CO2, hoses and filter plates and flushed the system.
When that was done, I filled the carboy with wine and filtered the wine right
into the wine bottles. I used about 10 psi, nice slow steady rate. The only
problems I think I experienced with this is system is some leaking at the
filter, and if your wine is not real clean before filtering, you may plug the
filter.
My current system does not involve air contact, it is much quicker, I don't
have a problem with leaking, I can filter 'less then clean' wine without
plugging up the filter. I start my pump out slowly and end slowly (by use of
turning power on and off), so I don't suck the supply carboy dry and suck the
air into the filter and into the wine. Even If I just plugged in the motor and
let it go full bore, the air would not be absorbed as it is with an air
pressurized system.
I know of cartridges rated at 600 gal. That is a lot of wine filtered with a
$30.00 cartridge.
For my money (and I am always watching my money-I am far from over paid), I
think the system I built does a good job. Yes, if I have more money I may
have changed something here or there, but the design is good, price is good,
end result is real good.
Don
Brian Lundeen
Under the pretext of serious scientific investigation (I think having a
wee bit too much of the grape is probably closer to the mark), my friend
and I poured some wine through a Brita filter. In blind tastings, we rated
the resulting wine a 1 on the YAMTS (You Admit to Making This S***) scale
where 0 is tap water and 10 is the worst homemade wine you've ever forced
yourself to drink because the person who made it is a dear friend or
someone you want to sleep with. :-)
bel
Dave Kehlet
> Regarding your filter, are you concerned by not having a food grade
> pump?
I use a marine drinking water diaphragm pump. Of course, it runs on
12V so I have a power supply (a car battery charger with enough
rated amperage). I ran plenty of water thru it when new and before
each use. I've tasted the pumped water and never have I found anything
rubbery or plastic. I do make sure to avoid running it dry.
When you're moving tens of gallons, especially from a barrel on the
floor to a carboy on a shelf, it sure beats siphoning (uphill siphons
are hard :-). Besides, getting a siphon to start on a 1/2" ID racking
tube and hose really sucks.
One extra nice feature about this pump, purchased from a local West
Marine Products, is that since it's meant for a drinking supply it has
pressure regulation built in. In the pumps intended use, it will
pressurize your boat's drinking lines to 40 PSI and shut off. Normally
I never use this feature since there's little or no backpressure when
just moving wine. I have successfully used this pump to drive wine
through a home drinking water filter. The filter has a canister about
5" diameter and 12" long, with a cylindrical element. As a test I
plugged up the filter discharge (and stood back) to see if the whole
contraption would blow up. Instead, the pump ran for a few seconds and
cut out. Releasing the plug caused the pump to start up again.
Entirely satisfactory.
> I have heard of pumps that are gentle, but I can't
> recall the name given to this class of pumps.
Flexible impeller? Peristaltic?
Dave
Eric Kasten
Ok, since this seems to be a big topic, would some aspiring writer
put together a section for the winedoc on wine filtering and/or
possibly the construction of a home made wine filter. Incidently,
I have access to scanning hardware, so if there is some drawing or
other that you'd like to include, maybe we can mail the drawing
and I'll scan it, so that it can be included in the winedoc.
Any takers?
...tig
--
Eric Kasten
Michigan State University
tig...@tigger.cl.msu.edu
My opinions, without a doubt, are all mine.