I'm looking at buying a mini jet filtering system for my wines. I
make a number of different small quantity fruit wines - normally
anywhere from 1 gal to 5 gal batches. I don't anticipate filtering
all the wines as most clear very well on their own. But I give away
probably half of my wines as gifts, and I'm just as fussy about their
appearance as I am their quality. This is one piece of equip that
I've pondered purchasing for some time. My questions are these:

1. The unit offered for sale comes with two #2 filters, are those
standard?
2. Can a filter be re-used, or are they good for one application
only?
3. Can a large batch sometimes require more than 1 filter?
4. Will filtering generally replace the act of fining a wine?
5. Is the filtering system easy to clean and relatively maintenance
free?

Thanks in advance for any assistance offered...

Kim/Michigan

"Kim" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm looking at buying a mini jet filtering system for my wines. I
> make a number of different small quantity fruit wines - normally
> anywhere from 1 gal to 5 gal batches. I don't anticipate filtering
> all the wines as most clear very well on their own. But I give away
> probably half of my wines as gifts, and I'm just as fussy about their
> appearance as I am their quality. This is one piece of equip that
> I've pondered purchasing for some time. My questions are these:
>
> 1. The unit offered for sale comes with two #2 filters, are those
> standard?

I don't know. I'll let someone else answer that.

> 2. Can a filter be re-used, or are they good for one application
> only?

If you were to filter two wines consecutively, you might be able to get away
with reuse. BTW, at the very beginning with new pads you should run
citric/sulfite through the filter first, then run water through to rinse
that out, then the wine. If you can arrange to "push" the water through
with inert gas (nitrogen or argon) that'll help prevent dilution of your
wine.

> 3. Can a large batch sometimes require more than 1 filter?

Unfortunately, yes. That's why you should always get the wine as clear as
possible by natural methods first. The best candidate for filtration is a
wine that doesn't look like it needs to be filtered.

> 4. Will filtering generally replace the act of fining a wine?

Apples and oranges. You should fine and settle the wine prior to
filtration. A light bentonite fining is the minimum.

> 5. Is the filtering system easy to clean and relatively maintenance
> free?

Most that I've seen are. Keep a good supply of extra pads on hand.

Tom S

"Kim" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm looking at buying a mini jet filtering system for my wines. I
> make a number of different small quantity fruit wines - normally
> anywhere from 1 gal to 5 gal batches. I don't anticipate filtering
> all the wines as most clear very well on their own. But I give away
> probably half of my wines as gifts, and I'm just as fussy about their
> appearance as I am their quality. This is one piece of equip that
> I've pondered purchasing for some time. My questions are these:
>
> 1. The unit offered for sale comes with two #2 filters, are those
> standard?

I don't know. I'll let someone else answer that.

> 2. Can a filter be re-used, or are they good for one application
> only?

If you were to filter two wines consecutively, you might be able to get away
with reuse. BTW, at the very beginning with new pads you should run
citric/sulfite through the filter first, then run water through to rinse
that out, then the wine. If you can arrange to "push" the water through
with inert gas (nitrogen or argon) that'll help prevent dilution of your
wine.

> 3. Can a large batch sometimes require more than 1 filter?

Unfortunately, yes. That's why you should always get the wine as clear as
possible by natural methods first. The best candidate for filtration is a
wine that doesn't look like it needs to be filtered.

> 4. Will filtering generally replace the act of fining a wine?

Apples and oranges. You should fine and settle the wine prior to
filtration. A light bentonite fining is the minimum.

> 5. Is the filtering system easy to clean and relatively maintenance
> free?

Most that I've seen are. Keep a good supply of extra pads on hand.

Tom S

(Kim) wrote:

>I'm looking at buying a mini jet filtering system for my wines. I
>make a number of different small quantity fruit wines - normally
>anywhere from 1 gal to 5 gal batches. I don't anticipate filtering
>all the wines as most clear very well on their own. But I give away
>probably half of my wines as gifts, and I'm just as fussy about their
>appearance as I am their quality. This is one piece of equip that
>I've pondered purchasing for some time. My questions are these:
>
>1. The unit offered for sale comes with two #2 filters, are those
>standard?

Two #2 filter pads or two sets of #2 filter pads? The reason I ask is
that the MiniJet is designed to use 3 pads. The #1 pads are Coarse; #2
are Polish; #3 are Sterile. The most common pads to use are the #2.
For the rest of your questions, see Tom's reply.
To reply, remove the obvious.

Ross.

(Kim) wrote:

>I'm looking at buying a mini jet filtering system for my wines. I
>make a number of different small quantity fruit wines - normally
>anywhere from 1 gal to 5 gal batches. I don't anticipate filtering
>all the wines as most clear very well on their own. But I give away
>probably half of my wines as gifts, and I'm just as fussy about their
>appearance as I am their quality. This is one piece of equip that
>I've pondered purchasing for some time. My questions are these:
>
>1. The unit offered for sale comes with two #2 filters, are those
>standard?

Two #2 filter pads or two sets of #2 filter pads? The reason I ask is
that the MiniJet is designed to use 3 pads. The #1 pads are Coarse; #2
are Polish; #3 are Sterile. The most common pads to use are the #2.
For the rest of your questions, see Tom's reply.
To reply, remove the obvious.

Ross.

In addition to Tom's post:

(Kim) wrote in message . com>...
> I'm looking at buying a mini jet filtering system for my wines. I
> make a number of different small quantity fruit wines - normally
> anywhere from 1 gal to 5 gal batches. I don't anticipate filtering
> all the wines as most clear very well on their own. But I give away
> probably half of my wines as gifts, and I'm just as fussy about their
> appearance as I am their quality. This is one piece of equip that
> I've pondered purchasing for some time. My questions are these:
>
> 1. The unit offered for sale comes with two #2 filters, are those
> standard?

There are 3 types - #1, #2, #3 - the bigger the number the finer the
filtration. People typically use #1 for reds and #2 for whites.

> 2. Can a filter be re-used, or are they good for one application
> only?

For minijet, you'll typically use a filter for 1 batch (6 gals) only.

> 3. Can a large batch sometimes require more than 1 filter?

Yes, or if your wine is not clear enough.

> 4. Will filtering generally replace the act of fining a wine?
> 5. Is the filtering system easy to clean and relatively maintenance
> free?

Yes, it's not much work.

Pp

>
> Thanks in advance for any assistance offered...
>
> Kim/Michigan

In addition to Tom's post:

(Kim) wrote in message . com>...
> I'm looking at buying a mini jet filtering system for my wines. I
> make a number of different small quantity fruit wines - normally
> anywhere from 1 gal to 5 gal batches. I don't anticipate filtering
> all the wines as most clear very well on their own. But I give away
> probably half of my wines as gifts, and I'm just as fussy about their
> appearance as I am their quality. This is one piece of equip that
> I've pondered purchasing for some time. My questions are these:
>
> 1. The unit offered for sale comes with two #2 filters, are those
> standard?

There are 3 types - #1, #2, #3 - the bigger the number the finer the
filtration. People typically use #1 for reds and #2 for whites.

> 2. Can a filter be re-used, or are they good for one application
> only?

For minijet, you'll typically use a filter for 1 batch (6 gals) only.

> 3. Can a large batch sometimes require more than 1 filter?

Yes, or if your wine is not clear enough.

> 4. Will filtering generally replace the act of fining a wine?
> 5. Is the filtering system easy to clean and relatively maintenance
> free?

Yes, it's not much work.

Pp

>
> Thanks in advance for any assistance offered...
>
> Kim/Michigan

I'll add a few observations as well.

"Kim" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm looking at buying a mini jet filtering system for my wines. I
> make a number of different small quantity fruit wines - normally
> anywhere from 1 gal to 5 gal batches. I don't anticipate filtering
> all the wines as most clear very well on their own. But I give away
> probably half of my wines as gifts, and I'm just as fussy about their
> appearance as I am their quality. This is one piece of equip that
> I've pondered purchasing for some time. My questions are these:
>
> 1. The unit offered for sale comes with two #2 filters, are those
> standard?
This has been answered elsewhere.

> 2. Can a filter be re-used, or are they good for one application
> only?
The filters are disposable. Use them for one filtration. The manufacturer
suggests that you can filter up to 10 gallons with one set of filters.
Yesterday I filtered 54L of previously fined chardonnay. It was quite clear
already and the filtering (with #2 pads) went fine.

> 3. Can a large batch sometimes require more than 1 filter?
As from above, you should be able to filter up to at least 10 gallons.
However, this will partly depend on the clarity of the wine to be filtered,
as well as the pore size of the pad.

> 4. Will filtering generally replace the act of fining a wine?
See Tom's answer.

> 5. Is the filtering system easy to clean and relatively maintenance
> free?
They are trivial to clean and maintain. I have had mine for a number of
years and although I don't use it that often I have never had any problems
cleaning it or maintaining it in good running order. Just remember to clean
right after use, run some water through the pump as suggested by the
manufacturer and you should be fine. I highly recommend them as a small
filtering solution.

> Thanks in advance for any assistance offered...
>
> Kim/Michigan

Your welcome,
Tim/Vancouver

I'll add a few observations as well.

"Kim" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm looking at buying a mini jet filtering system for my wines. I
> make a number of different small quantity fruit wines - normally
> anywhere from 1 gal to 5 gal batches. I don't anticipate filtering
> all the wines as most clear very well on their own. But I give away
> probably half of my wines as gifts, and I'm just as fussy about their
> appearance as I am their quality. This is one piece of equip that
> I've pondered purchasing for some time. My questions are these:
>
> 1. The unit offered for sale comes with two #2 filters, are those
> standard?
This has been answered elsewhere.

> 2. Can a filter be re-used, or are they good for one application
> only?
The filters are disposable. Use them for one filtration. The manufacturer
suggests that you can filter up to 10 gallons with one set of filters.
Yesterday I filtered 54L of previously fined chardonnay. It was quite clear
already and the filtering (with #2 pads) went fine.

> 3. Can a large batch sometimes require more than 1 filter?
As from above, you should be able to filter up to at least 10 gallons.
However, this will partly depend on the clarity of the wine to be filtered,
as well as the pore size of the pad.

> 4. Will filtering generally replace the act of fining a wine?
See Tom's answer.

> 5. Is the filtering system easy to clean and relatively maintenance
> free?
They are trivial to clean and maintain. I have had mine for a number of
years and although I don't use it that often I have never had any problems
cleaning it or maintaining it in good running order. Just remember to clean
right after use, run some water through the pump as suggested by the
manufacturer and you should be fine. I highly recommend them as a small
filtering solution.

> Thanks in advance for any assistance offered...
>
> Kim/Michigan

Your welcome,
Tim/Vancouver

"Tim O'Connor" > wrote in message
news:hfMXc.20625$A8.8300@edtnps89...
> I'll add a few observations as well.
>
>
And even more. This info is from Buon Vino via email:

"The ratings on the pads are as follows

# 1 pads - 5 micron # 2 pads 1.8 microns # 3 .5 microns

Please note that these are nominal ratings not absolute."

For 3 years, I was a fan of the Buon Vino mini-filter. It's realiable, and
easy. But as I got into winemaking more, the fact that the tightest minijet
filter pad still won't filter out yeast became a problem. For not much more
money, you can get a cartridge style filter system from Presque Isle, and it's
far more versatile.

It just depends on how far you want to go with winemaking, and how much money
you want to spend.

Lee

"LG1111" > wrote in message
...
> For 3 years, I was a fan of the Buon Vino mini-filter. It's realiable,
and
> easy. But as I got into winemaking more, the fact that the tightest
minijet
> filter pad still won't filter out yeast became a problem. For not much
more
> money, you can get a cartridge style filter system from Presque Isle, and
it's
> far more versatile.

At your level you should do what commercial wineries do, except on a smaller
scale.

Pad filtration first, followed by a membrane cartridge filter is the way to
go. The idea is to absorb most of the particle load in cheap, pad filters,
thereby extending the useful life span of the expensive membrane filters.

Tom S

My advice is not to buy too many filters at first. I bought a lot of
#2 filters that I never use. I find that I usually let my wine clear
for about 8 months to a year, then use the filter to polish the wine.
At that point, a #2 filter doesn't do anything. I easily filter 6
gallons with a #3. If you want to filter earlier, in order to bottle
sooner, then the #2 or #1 may be what you need.

(Kim) wrote in message . com>...
> I'm looking at buying a mini jet filtering system for my wines. I
> make a number of different small quantity fruit wines - normally
> anywhere from 1 gal to 5 gal batches. I don't anticipate filtering
> all the wines as most clear very well on their own. But I give away
> probably half of my wines as gifts, and I'm just as fussy about their
> appearance as I am their quality. This is one piece of equip that
> I've pondered purchasing for some time. My questions are these:
>
> 1. The unit offered for sale comes with two #2 filters, are those
> standard?
> 2. Can a filter be re-used, or are they good for one application
> only?
> 3. Can a large batch sometimes require more than 1 filter?
> 4. Will filtering generally replace the act of fining a wine?
> 5. Is the filtering system easy to clean and relatively maintenance
> free?
>
> Thanks in advance for any assistance offered...
>
> Kim/Michigan

My wife bought our Buon Vino filter system when we got into making our
wines. She said she didn't want 'crap' floating in it. I made a few
mistakes with it. One of the things I did was not tighten the hand knobs
down enough and got sprayed when I turned it on. Then I filtered a young
wine trying to speed up the fining. It ended up loading up the filter and
spraying red wine all over the laundry room! I was lucky enough that the
laundry was done and it didn't get on anyones clothes.
I did have a expert winemaker evaluate some of my wine and he recommended
using the .5 micron filter to polish the wine after it had been fined with
bentonite and racked and sat for 8 to 12 months and a few days before
putting it into bottles. So now my wines are a step up from what they use
to be. Nothing floating and crystal clear. It improved the visual effect.
Tastes the same.

Hello Kim,
I have and use a mini jet filter with #2 pads. Depending on the clarity of
the wine, you can get 10 gal. filtered with 1 set of 3 pads. Just remember
that filtering will strip out some color and flavor from a wine so I
wouldn't recommend using a # 3 (sterile) pad or filtering twice with a # 2.
The best way is to let the wine age and rack several times. Also, you should
prep the pads according to the instructions (citric acid and sulfite) then
run clean water though the filter. Taste the water to make sure that the
"cardboard" taste has been removed from the pads. Also, depending upon your
technique, you will either lose or water down a small batch of wine due to
having run water through the pads.
There are pros and cons to everything in life!

Regards,
Al

"Kim" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm looking at buying a mini jet filtering system for my wines. I
> make a number of different small quantity fruit wines - normally
> anywhere from 1 gal to 5 gal batches. I don't anticipate filtering
> all the wines as most clear very well on their own. But I give away
> probably half of my wines as gifts, and I'm just as fussy about their
> appearance as I am their quality. This is one piece of equip that
> I've pondered purchasing for some time. My questions are these:
>
> 1. The unit offered for sale comes with two #2 filters, are those
> standard?
> 2. Can a filter be re-used, or are they good for one application
> only?
> 3. Can a large batch sometimes require more than 1 filter?
> 4. Will filtering generally replace the act of fining a wine?
> 5. Is the filtering system easy to clean and relatively maintenance
> free?
>
> Thanks in advance for any assistance offered...
>
> Kim/Michigan

Hello Kim,
I have and use a mini jet filter with #2 pads. Depending on the clarity of
the wine, you can get 10 gal. filtered with 1 set of 3 pads. Just remember
that filtering will strip out some color and flavor from a wine so I
wouldn't recommend using a # 3 (sterile) pad or filtering twice with a # 2.
The best way is to let the wine age and rack several times. Also, you should
prep the pads according to the instructions (citric acid and sulfite) then
run clean water though the filter. Taste the water to make sure that the
"cardboard" taste has been removed from the pads. Also, depending upon your
technique, you will either lose or water down a small batch of wine due to
having run water through the pads.
There are pros and cons to everything in life!

Regards,
Al

"Kim" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm looking at buying a mini jet filtering system for my wines. I
> make a number of different small quantity fruit wines - normally
> anywhere from 1 gal to 5 gal batches. I don't anticipate filtering
> all the wines as most clear very well on their own. But I give away
> probably half of my wines as gifts, and I'm just as fussy about their
> appearance as I am their quality. This is one piece of equip that
> I've pondered purchasing for some time. My questions are these:
>
> 1. The unit offered for sale comes with two #2 filters, are those
> standard?
> 2. Can a filter be re-used, or are they good for one application
> only?
> 3. Can a large batch sometimes require more than 1 filter?
> 4. Will filtering generally replace the act of fining a wine?
> 5. Is the filtering system easy to clean and relatively maintenance
> free?
>
> Thanks in advance for any assistance offered...
>
> Kim/Michigan