Factors That Determine the Filterability of Wine

Winemaking involves numerous steps to achieve the ideal outcome. If any step is not performed, the entire batch is at risk of failure. One important process that has a significant influence on your wine is filtration. It not only can shorten the ageing time, but it will improve the wine’s appearance and colour along with lightening its body. Also, it makes your wine more stable and lowers the risk of re-fermentation happening in the bottle. Below, we share the factors that determine the filterability of wine.

You Must Perform Clarification Before the Final Filtration

It is important that you fully clarify your wine before the final filtration to ensure optimal results. Choose the clarification method that best suits your specific situation.

Tanks Should Not Be Mixed After Clarification

Never mix tanks or even top them off after clarification. If you need to do so, re-clarify your wine to filter it correctly.

Store Clarified Wine for Only a Short Time

Perform filtration within seven days of the clarification. Wine stored any longer could be more difficult to filter. Also, the temperature in the tank should be consistent since fluctuations lower the filterability of the wine.

Temperature of the Wine Can Increase the Filterability of It

The temperature of the wine is tricky since lower temperatures inhibit microbial growth, but higher temperatures increase the filterability of the wine along with reducing its viscosity. Therefore, you must stablise the wine for both cold and heat to maintain its ideal filterability.

Tanks Should Be as Full as Possible

Always fill your tanks as much as possible to reduce headspace. This preserves the filterability of the wine by protecting it from oxygen exposure.

Filterability Varies Within the Tank

You also will find that where the wine sits in the tank will influence its filterability. The wine at the bottom of the tank has less filterability than the wine at the top of the tank. However, at the end of filtration both of these will meet, and this can cause some difficulties, especially if you have not prepared your wine correctly for the final filtration.

Testing for Filterability

You should test your wine’s filterability with a small membrane disk. This allows you to screen your batches and create a plan for improvement of your processes if necessary. When you come across a batch that has low filterability, re-clarify it and test again.

For any filtration supplies or additional facts about the factors that determine the filterability of your wine, consult with Grapeworks Consumables. We are a one-stop shop for all your winemaking supplies and equipment.