Filtering

Before the filtering process can even begin, it is important to clean all equipment and machines. This includes all hoses, filters, and tanks. I spend some time cleaning 2 different filters. One is a cylindrical Kieselgur filter with layers of mesh screens, and the other is a rectangular Celluflux filter with metal slots that special paper-type “becopad” sheets are placed on.

This week we are filtering 3 wines: Auxerrois, Weissburgunder, and Grauburgunder. On the day of filtering, we use the Kieselgur filter. The filtering process happens 4 times using 4 different grades of cellulose powder. Each time a finer power is added to the slurry of wine and forced through the metal screens that then filter out the unwanted particles. Between the second and third filter the difference in the colour and clarity of the wine is clear!

The wines are pumped from one tank, through the filtering machine, to another tank. This goes back and forth 4 times during this day of filtering. The wines then go back into the cellar. When it is time to bottle the wines, they will be filtered once more as they go from cellar to tank, then again as they are bottled.