"Joe Sallustio" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Hi Tom,
> The Mini-jet filters are really small, they are only meant for 5
> gallons of wine. The pump has no volume capabilities and develops very
> little pressure. That said it works if you are willing to play around
> with it. I usually get 10 gallons through a filter before it leaks too
> much and only filter clean wine.
>
> As to the membrane filter, you already talked me into using a barrel
> and making more wine from grapes, I guess this had to be next...
>
>
> Seriously, I may look into that but my concern is used bottles. I'm
> wondering if I wash them well and treat them with B-T-F at their
> recommended levels if that would be good enough. That has always been
> my concern. I am pretty sure I can get the wine right, it's what I'm
> putting it into that concerns me. I give most of the sweet wine away
> so I'm just not going to use new bottles, I'm just not _that_ nice a
> guy...
>
> I will always be making at least 15 gallons of something sweet so the
> membrane filter may be worth doing. I have also been reading about
> some of the pasteurization techniques people are using commercially.
> It seems there are several way people are doing that and some of those
> are in reach of a home winemaker.
>
> Joe

Hi Joe,
I bring home about four cases of dirty bottles from the winery tasting room
each week. I remove the labels by placing the bottles in half of a poly
drum filled with plain water. Then I wash the bottles in the kitchen sink
filled with hot water and about two cups of Costco dish washing powder. I
air dry the bottles and then place them points down in clean cardboard
cases. At bottling time, I remove the cleaned bottles from their cases and
place them on the bottle filler without any further treatment. I bottle
about 200 cases of wine each year and I have never had a problem traceable
to using rewashed glass. (Bugs that can survive on clean glass, can't
survive in wine).
Regards,
Lum
Del Mar, California, USA