Fining & Filtration Flashcards
1
Q
Filtration
A
Centrifuge, Diatomaceous earth, pad filter, membrane filter, crossflow filter
Centrifuge:
- used by Ch Ste Michelle and other big brands. After initial - purchase is cost-saving because you don’t have to buy any pads. Process is easy, and loss is low.
- They also use it to stop the ferment on a sweet wine. Separates out the yeast. More efficient than cooling and better than adding back RS.
Diatomaceous Earth:
- Many are moving away from this. Is considered a health risk
- Lenka MW says wineries in Lodi have huge piles of diatomaceous earth
Pad filters:
- can clog, and can fail
Membrane filters:
- absolute filtration
- can clog
Crossflow filters:
- Randy Dunn used one for two decades, claimed it leaked all the time and he lost a barrel of wine a year.
- benefit is it doesn’t clog
10 micron: bug catcher
- 65 micron: yeast
- 45 micron: bacteria AKA sterile
2
Q
Fining
A
Milk:
- Ch Ste Michelle fines their Chardonnay by adding full fat milk
- 1 gallon of milk for 1,000 gallons of wine!
- Justin Knock at Rosemount in Australia would buy skim milk, cheaper than casein
Copper:
PVPP:
Bentonite:
3
Q
Order and timing
A
Order of fining/filtration at Ch Ste Michelle:
1. Milk (as this can add protein, must be first)
2 & 3. Copper & PVPP (this order doesn’t matter)
4. Bentonite- stabilizes proteins, must be last
5. Let settle 2 weeks
6. Rack off lees
7. Pad filter
