sediment filters worth it?

[Mark_Y]

SIDE WAY DECANT! let’s go to Charlie Fu for some comments…

[Kristoffer_B_r_y_d_e_r]

Whenever I’m in doubt I use one of these. Aesthetically they’re less than pleasing but they get the job done:
https://www.amazon.com/Wine-Pourer-Built-Filter-Set/dp/B00VKQLPR0

[S_Rash]

I find the best way to remove sediment is the old school way - decanter and a flashlight

[CFu]

I’ve never seen a funnel filter “spray” wine. I’m trying to imagine how that is even possible.

In any case, it seems odd that someone would care take a wine into it’s delicate sunset years. Preserving it for a careful opening and pouring and then dump it through paper or cloth. It’s not like sediment is poison. It seems like risk in order to avoid having to pick something less than an olive pit from your mouth.

my funnel has a 6 holes at the bottom that “spray” the wine.

[CFu]

I found this GuildSomm video of interest. Notice she never turns the bottle upright. GuildSomm - Decanting Wine Service - Decanting Wine Service - YouTube

this is the way to go if you don’t have it standing up. Assuming the wine is in your home cellar it’s probably been on its side for a far amount of time. pull it out slowly and on its side. put it in the wine basket and slowly decant off for sediment.

I hate sediment. Hate hate hate. I want clean wine. But i also don’t filter for sediment. It’s a night and day difference when you decant sediment off properly.

[Victor_Hong]

Sediment never bothers me. I just slurp up the wine, sediment and all.

[Frank_Drew]

I don’t like sediment and used to carefully decant with a candle. It gives acceptable results but it’s needlessly fussy, IMO, and gives ok but not great results. I now use a possibly redundant double filter on every red wine I open and will never go back. Filter #1 is a Krups brand Melita-shaped reusable coffee filter with a gold-colored super-fine screen, and I place that inside Filter #2, a Binks Strain-It paint/varnish strainer with an equally fine mesh screen. Either one alone would probably be fine but I double up because what the hey. I put them inside a small stainless funnel for straining into a decanter. And I don’t bother pouring particularly carefully.

This is in no way similar to sterile filtering — the strained wine is clear as a bell but nothing I want is removed from the wine, and no unwanted flavors or aromas are added. The filters rinse clean without soap and last (so far) forever.

[Marshall_Manning]

this is the way to go if you don’t have it standing up. Assuming the wine is in your home cellar it’s probably been on its side for a far amount of time. pull it out slowly and on its side. put it in the wine basket and slowly decant off for sediment.

I hate sediment. Hate hate hate. I want clean wine. But i also don’t filter for sediment. It’s a night and day difference when you decant sediment off properly.

I totally agree, and this is what I was trying to say above. You can do a pretty good decant with this method, although you’ll lose a little more wine this way than if you stand it up for a week. Using a mesh filter doesn’t get rid of all of the fine sediment and you can taste the difference in the texture of the wine. The only time I use a mesh filter is with proper decanting when the cork has crumbled into the wine.

[Rob_M1]

I’ve never had any issue with the cradle method. I don’t find I lose much wine - when I dump the wine out of the bottle after decanting it’s almost pure sediment. I drink mostly Barolo/Barbaresco in terms of older bottles, so these wines tend to have very fine and bitter sediment and decanting off of it is a must.

I’m shocked more people don’t seem to use the cradle method. One $40 cradle and you never need to stand up a bottle again.

[Kirk.Grant]

When I plan to open an older bottle I generally stand it up for a few days to let the sediment settle at the bottom. Occasionally want to open something spontaneously though so I am wondering if any of the wine sediment filters out there are worth it or if they take away more of the wine than we would like.

any thoughts or suggestions appreciated.

No…just no. I’m super sensitive to sediment and don’t think a screen works unless you’re just trying to get out the big chunks…

[CFu]

I don’t like sediment and used to carefully decant with a candle. It gives acceptable results but it’s needlessly fussy, IMO, and gives ok but not great results. I now use a possibly redundant double filter on every red wine I open and will never go back. Filter #1 is a Krups brand Melita-shaped reusable coffee filter with a gold-colored super-fine screen, and I place that inside Filter #2, a Binks Strain-It paint/varnish strainer with an equally fine mesh screen. Either one alone would probably be fine but I double up because what the hey. I put them inside a small stainless funnel for straining into a decanter. And I don’t bother pouring particularly carefully.

This is in no way similar to sterile filtering — the strained wine is clear as a bell but nothing I want is removed from the wine, and no unwanted flavors or aromas are added. The filters rinse clean without soap and last (so far) forever.

it should give you great results if done properly.

[HoosJustinG]

I’m a hybrid guy too … decant the wine traditionally over light, then filter the dregs and sample.

[Joseph_Grassa]

Thank you for the tips. Such an obvious answer keeping it on that same side as you pour. I am going to try that next time and hopefully I can get good at it enough to lose little to no wine. I may try the Krups filter too. Thank you everyone!

[David_Glasser]

I’m a hybrid guy too … decant the wine traditionally over light, then filter the dregs and sample.

Same here. Or just discard the dregs if lazy and the wine isn’t too precious.

In my experience the only sediment that gives me trouble is in old Barolo. It seems too fine for any filter. My answer for those is to plan far enough ahead to stand the bottle up for 6 weeks, then decant slowly to avoid any glugging and stop with ~3 oz left in the bottle, before I even see sediment coming into the neck.

[brodie_thomson]

I’ve never seen a funnel filter “spray” wine. I’m trying to imagine how that is even possible.

The wine shot out sideways out of 4 spouts, hitting the sides of the decanter. A lot of pressure from not that much volume. Not so different in appearance than how commercial bottling line fillers spray wine into bottles. Of course, those are sparged bottles, filled under a vacuum.

I have that tool. the filter part is awesome… i don’t use the funnel part. i take a regular funnel (without those 3 little holes that spray the wines)… and filter into the regular funnel.

or if the decanter has a big enough opening, i just use the filter part right into the decanter.

I use this and find it very effective, I drilled a small hole in the bottom of the funnel to increase the throughput and have been happy with the results.

Like others, I reckon that standing the wine up for an extended period before decanting and straining (if necessary) is the best option

Brodie

[David_Glasser]

Here’s an inexpensive filter that can be placed in the mouth of a decanter. Very fine, imparts no taste, works well. Just don’t think about its intended use.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Calculi-Strainer-Kidney-Stone-Collector/618543390

[Cris_Whetstone]

Here’s an inexpensive filter that can be placed in the mouth of a decanter. Very fine, imparts no taste, works well. Just don’t think about its intended use.

Robot or human?

The way some people talk about sediment you’d think they were being asked to swallow body refuse.

[Stuart_BeauneHead_Niemtzow]

Sediment, IMO, can ruin an older red wine tasting experience. If the wine is young and the lees are left in, it’s not a problem. It the wine is older (say 7-10 on and has tannins, they will preciptate out). The problem is that they will float around in the bottle/glass and the way it hits the palate.It can impact the taste and certainly the texture.

There is no downside to getting rid of it, IMO. Only upside: you can drink more of the bottle of wine.

My own “system” is to use the non-bleach white coffee filters to rid the wine of whatever it rids the wine of.
Compared to a winemakers’ filtration, this is almost no filtration. What you see removed is what you want to take out. It won’t sterilize the wine or…I have found, affect the taste in any way (the earlier, brown filters, with no bleach and the earlier real bleached filters might have.)

The alternative is to use your eyes and hands and…expect sediment in your wine.

To me , it’s “wine refuse” and I refuse to forego what I consider an innocuous procedure to make an aged red wine show its best.

[Terry_H_a_r_r_i_s]

Decanting method: I always rotate my bottle during the initial pouring into the decanter, such that the spine (with all the sediment) is facing up, and then I simply accelerate the pour into the decanter. I do this because it reduces the amount of time wine is flowing over the sediment. And, accelerating the pouring once the spine is facing up also reduces the amount of time the sediment in turn is exposed to air.

Anyone else use this method? As opposed to the really slow pour with the bottle having the spine facing down?

[EricJ]

I have a filter similar to this:

Wine Enthusiast Aerating Funnel with Removable Screen and Stand

Don’t use the filter itself that often (occasionaly will double decant some older ports to bring along for a party), but overall I find it useful and the funnel is handy.