Filtering out sediment

[PTS_35]

Made a watermelon wine and after two months added sparkalloid and racked off. But the bottled have a decent amount of sediment in them. How do you get a good clean wine come bottlin time. I've done my best to syphon above sediment line and leave some liquid. Did a blackberry that came out pretty clean. A riesling too. But this watermelon held on to the sediment. Is there any options?

 

[Yooper]

Made a watermelon wine and after two months added sparkalloid and racked off. But the bottled have a decent amount of sediment in them. How do you get a good clean wine come bottlin time. I've done my best to syphon above sediment line and leave some liquid. Did a blackberry that came out pretty clean. A riesling too. But this watermelon held on to the sediment. Is there any options?

Yes, it sounds like you're bottling way too soon. The idea is to keep the wine in a carboy until there are NO lees at all after at least 60 days and have the wine so clear you can read a newspaper through it before bottling.

So, my blackberry wine might look like this. Make it up, and ferment about 5-7 days. Rack off of the gross lees (chunks and sediment) to a new carboy. Rack whenever there are lees 1/4" thick or more, or in 60 days if there is less than 1/4" inch. Repeat, usually once more but sometimes it may take one more racking. Once it's totally clear, and there are 0 lees after the next 60 days (not even a light dusting), the wine can be stabilized and sweetened if desired. If there are still no new lees, the wine can be bottled. That's usually at about 6-10 months, but sometimes time gets away. I just bottled the 2013 apple wines and ciders a couple of months ago. That was NOT my intention, though. I often bottle within a year of making the wine, or at least try to, especially with white wines that don't need extending aging.

 

[PTS_35]

Hmm. Maybe that's worth a try. I did it way early and the riesling in three months too. Let blackberry sit for four months. Maybe I should consider 6 months. Thanks. I find it very hard to wait though

 

[DoctorCAD]

You can't filter sediment. The filter will clog up.

Its hard, but let it sit.

 

[PTS_35]

So from this point I'll keep the wine in bulk until I do not see any more sediment before I bottle. But what about the ones I've bottled. Is there a sediment catch out there for carafes?? I'll have to look something up. Do they work I the question. I mean I drank my watermelon and I didn't feel ad if the wine was gritty or anything. But I'd like to pour it into a carafe through something to see if it helps.

 

[Yooper]

So from this point I'll keep the wine in bulk until I do not see any more sediment before I bottle. But what about the ones I've bottled. Is there a sediment catch out there for carafes?? I'll have to look something up. Do they work I the question. I mean I drank my watermelon and I didn't feel ad if the wine was gritty or anything. But I'd like to pour it into a carafe through something to see if it helps.

You can try leaving the wine upright in a cold spot, and in one motion, pour the wine into a decanter without disturbing the bottom. You can't really filter it out, even with a coffee filter because the sediment will clog extremely rapidly.

 

[PTS_35]

Hmm. I've seen some fine filters but was wondering that. Wine bottles tend to glug. I'll be tasting the watermelon at Easter. It'll be 4 months in bottle then. I like to taste them every 4 months to see if it's transitioned any. Heck, I liked it at 2. Really interested in what this becomes

 

[jgmillr1]

Unfortunately time is your only friend if you are waiting for suspended yeast and such to sediment out.

If you want to filter, you will need a pump and a pad or cartridge filtering system. You may be able to rent a unit from your local homebrew store. A 1-micron filter is a good polish filter size to remove most of the yeast and not leave sediment. If you plan to back-sweeten, you should stabilize the wine and sterile filter it (0.45-micron). This is what I do to all my wine. The filters can only handle so much dirt-load, so a relatively clean wine going into it is best.

Buon Vino has an entry level pad filtering system with pump for around $450.
http://www.napafermentation.com/fil...o-Super-Jet-6-pad/p/23455422/category=5538726

You also may be able to assemble a cartridge filter using a house water filtering setup an appropriate filter size. Obviously you'll need a pump hooked up to this. Research this to be sure you can buy filters that meet your needs though. It isn't clear on the website what filter grades they sell.
https://www.menards.com/main/plumbi...4450663963-c-8685.htm?tid=1461268157197168149

 

[PTS_35]

450$...nah. Ok so I tried my watermelon which had a lot going on. First off I bottled way to soon and even the one at 2 months was carbed so I knew they all would be. The one I picked was actually pushing cork out so I put it in fridge. Popped cork and boy, it's like champagne it was so carbed up. Sour too. I took that as because it's still fermenting in bottle. It was sweeter at 2 months. As for sediment. I poured it through cheesecloth and sieve and it was clean in appearance and taste. Hoping this will eventually turn out ok.

 

[Jfette1968]

I bottled a Chardonnay too soon so PTS_35 did you filter it into the glass?

 

[homebrewer_99]

The colder the better. This will aid in compacting the sediment.

As for the glug, glug...just tip the bottle slowly while pouring to avoid it.