filtering a wine

9 Best Wine Filters For Polished Homemade Wine In 2023: Reviews & Buying Guide

filtering a wine

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Wine filtering is the cherry on the top in wine making. Although not every manufacturer does this additional step, it makes the wine so much better. For starters, it makes the drink look clearer and brighter, and there can also be changes in its color.

Moreover, filtering provides microbial stability and lessens the time needed for aging. If you want to invest in this process, check out the best wine filters below and see if your decision is worth it.

Our Top Picks 

Buon Vino Mini Jet Wine Filter
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 Most Efficient - Buon Vino Mini Jet Wine Filter 

• Compact design
• Efficient to use
• Self-priming pump

Best Set - Vinbrite Mark Iii Wine Filter 

• Comes with 6 filter pads
• Easy to assemble
• Doesn’t require electricity

Best Budget Option - Magicwolf Siphon Tube Wine Filter Pipe 

• Easy to use
• Made from durable and safe material
• Inexpensive

1. Buon Vino 2282139 Complete Super Jet Wine Filter System - Best Splurge

Buon Vino 2282139 Complete Super Jet Wine Filter System
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 Pros Cons
  • Filters about 71.3 gallons per hour
  • Easy to operate 
  • Hassle-free set up
  • Includes three different grades of filter pads
  • It may produce some leaks

 

 

What Customers Have To Say

One Amazon customer uses this wine filter system with a 0.5-micron filter, which is extremely close to sterile filtering, making the drink shine. He puts a cookie sheet under it as it leaks slightly, but an insignificant amount of wine is lost. It is well worth it if you want to take your wine’s quality to the next level.

Another customer loves this wine filter because it has changed the flavor of her wine from cheap to fabulous. It also allows making wine go so much smoother.

Why We Think It’s Great

One of the many great choices for a wine filter is the Buon Vino 2282139 Complete Super Jet System. It is equipped with valuable features, carefully designed to achieve ease of use, and functions well. It’s no wonder why this product attracted a lot of winemakers.

Another thing that makes this great is its self-priming pump feature. What it does is make sure the wine doesn’t come in contact with any air. This is practical as air exposure can damage the wine.

The product weighs about 30 pounds, stands 25 inches tall, and is 20 inches wide. Its size and capacity are capable of filtering 270 liters or 71.3 gallons in just an hour. There are also plastic filtering plates in this unit, and these will guide the wine through the filter pads. 

Even better, this product already comes with three packs of filter pads (coarse, polish, and sterile), with three of each kind.

Who Should Buy It

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of buying the filter pads separately, this is the best wine filter for you.

2. Draft Brewer Beerbrite Wine Filtration System - Best DIY

Draft Brewer Beerbrite Filtration System
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 Pros Cons
  • Clears wine fast
  • Includes filter cartridges and tubing connections
  • Lightweight
  • Versatile
  • Customizable
  • Needs additional components

 

 

What Customers Have To Say

A shopper said this wine filter does an excellent job of filtering any solids left from primary/secondary fermentation. It doesn't clear the chill haze, but that is probably to be expected.

A different customer said this wine filtration system works great. He racked first through a 50 mesh strainer to the keg. Then, he used this after particles settled for a week. It is not crystal clear, but it’s also not hazy.

Draft Brewer Beerbrite Wine Filtration System

Why We Think It’s Great

Despite what the name of this filtration system says, it can also be used for filtering wine. Although, there may be changes to the procedures, given that wine and beer are stored in different containers: kegs for beer and carboys for wine. But they both contain yeast, which is where this filter system comes in.

This set includes one filter housing, siphons or tubes, two filter cartridges (5.0 micron and 1.0 micron), and two ball locks. The product is about 6 pounds. Using this filtration system will help make the wine or mead clear without adding stabilizers, like potassium sorbate, as this tends to break down during long-term storage.

It also allows you to customize or make a DIY wine filtration system at home. In filtering beer, CO2 is used to push the liquid. But since wine, in general, is not carbonated, you can use a water pump and a power supply to effectively move the wine through the filter and to the empty carboy.

You can even add another filter housing and put each filter in separate containers so the wine will be filtered in both types of filters in one go.

Who Should Buy It

If you have a knack for creating your supplies or equipment, you can challenge yourself by making your wine filtration system.

3. Midwest Clarity Beer & Wine Filter System

Midwest Beer Clarity Filter System
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Pros Cons
  • Customizable
  • It can be used for other brews
  • Incudes filter cartridges
  • Produces a steady flow
  • Requires additional components

What Customers Have To Say

This filtration kit has taken one customer’s brew to the next level of quality. He can produce competition-grade, crystal clear beverages with it. Another customer filtered 10 gallons of brew quickly, and it worked great as the liquid came out clear.

Why We Think It’s Great

This filtration system is another product intended for beer but can also be used for wine. It includes a 10-inch filter housing, the chamber containing the filter cartridges, and where the wine passes to be filtered. 

Along with it are two tubes with connecting valves and disconnects and two filter cartridges. For the first filter, you would need the 5.0 micron, a disposable course filter used to catch large particles and sediments. The second filter will use the 1.0 micron polishing disposable filter to catch any remaining wine yeast particles.

This best wine filter has been reconfigured to make the filtering process easier and more efficient. You can use a Cornelius keg system with two kegs when filtering beer or wine. You can choose this option if you don’t want to build a new system out of water pumps and a power supply. 

But instead of CO2, you should use an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon, like in wine preservation systems. Unlike CO2, these gasses will not incorporate into the wine and carbonate it.

Who Should Buy It

If you prefer an efficient but not very expensive filtering method, you can count on this wine filter to make your beverage clear and refined.

4. Buon Vino Super Jet Wine Filter - Fastest Operation

 Buon Vino Super Jet Filter
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 Pros Cons
  • Built with a self-priming pump feature
  • Filters 80 gallons of wine per hour
  • Operates smoothly
  • Great for big batches of wine
  • Doesn’t come with filter pads
  • Minimal leaks

 

What Customers Have To Say

A customer said this wine filtration system worked perfectly. The wine gets shredded through the filtering system and requires at least one week to settle before bottling. Filtering the wine makes handling the bottles more manageable, and the wine tastes fantastic each time. 

Another shopper said this is the only way to have sediment-free homemade wine. The pre-filter helps, especially in the first stage. Without the pre-filter, there would be immediate clogging. An initial racking before the first filtration is suggested. If the wine filters are installed right and tightened down well, there would be minimal leakage.

Why We Think It’s Great

The Buon Vino Super Jet Filter is one of the best wine filters because it gets the job done quickly. It can filter as large as 80 gallons every hour, suitable for big batches of wine.

Like other wine filters, this unit is motorized and comes with a self-priming pump. That way, you don’t have to stress out about air exposure. This wine filter is made with durable materials, making the entire wine filter long-lasting.

This machine is 19 inches long, 15 inches wide, 26 inches tall, and weighs about 29 pounds. Note that you will have to purchase other necessary supplies before using this wine filter, such as filter pads. But considering this unit’s great functionality, filter pads are a minor challenge.

Who Should Buy It

If you often make several 5-gallon wines at home, you will need the best wine filter that caters to every carboy you have. 

5. Buon Vino Mini Jet Wine Filter Starter Kit

Buon Vino Mini Jet Filter Starter kit with Pre-Screen
 Pros Cons
  • Self-prime motorized pump
  • Filters 20 gallons per hour
  • Built-in drip tray and drainage tube
  • Include filters and a mini jet pre-screen filter
  • It can produce some leaks

 

What Customers Have To Say

A shopper has been using this wine filtration system for several years now and loves that it clears both red and white wines. 

Another customer likes this wine filter and has used it for five different types of wine, and they all sparkle. If you just follow the directions, it should be easy to use, and you'll have a beautifully polished wine.

Buon Vino Mini Jet Wine Filter Starter Kit review

Why We Think It’s Great

Another best wine filter you should check out is the Buon Vino Mini Jet Filter Starter Kit. The included pre-screen filter is connected to the intake hose and is used to screen out large particles of sediment, oak chips, or pulp before reaching the pump. This additional feature lengthens the lifespan of the check valve and makes the pump cleaner.

This wine filtration system is built with a motorized self-priming pump that ensures a secure filtration procedure. It is also incorporated with a drip tray and a drainage tube, so you don’t have to worry about any mess. 

This product also includes four packs of #2 filter pads (polish), with each package containing three pads. Moreover, this wine filter opens easily so that you can clean it without hassle. The result will show a high-end-looking wine with enhanced brilliance. 

Who Should Buy It

This is the best wine filter if you often add oak chips or use hard fruits in making your wine.

6. Magicwolf Siphon Tube Wine Filter Pipe - Best Budget Option

Magicwolf Siphon Tube Wine Filter Pipe
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 Pros Cons
  • Made from durable and safe material
  • Effortless to clean
  • Easy to use
  • Inexpensive
  • Takes a long time to filter

 

 

What Customers Have To Say

A customer said that you have to squeeze the wine filter rapidly to get it started, but it works great. If you've put a lot of fresh fruit in your wine while it ferments, the screen filter may get clogged while siphoning the last little bit of wine. He was able to rack two one-gallon jugs of liquid in about five minutes.

Another shopper said that this wine filter works for what it is intended for. You just squeeze it like a blood pressure pump. Once it starts, you sit and wait. It works very well and is affordable.

Why We Think It’s Great

Using this siphon seems like a good idea if you have time to spare. Some winemakers still prefer using this method rather than pressurized wine filters, and it may also be the right product for you.

The Magicwolf Siphon Tube Wine Filter Pipe is made of sturdy and durable food-grade plastic and is approximately 6.6 feet long. It is easy to operate because of the suction bulb at one end. What you need to do to get it working is put the end of the siphon into the wine and pinch the suction ball to start siphoning. It’s as easy as that!

There are many functions to this siphon. You can use it for home brewing, filtering, extracting, and bottling. This is perfect for small batches as it takes more time than other wine filtration systems.

Who Should Buy It

This is the best wine filter if you’re on a tight budget. It is also ideal when making 1-gallon brew batches at a time.

7. Buon Vino Mini Jet Wine Filter - Most Efficient 

Buon Vino Mini Jet Filter
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 Pros Cons
  • Filters 20 gallons per hour
  • Compact design
  • Self-priming pump
  • Easy to operate
  • Doesn’t affect the wine’s taste
  • No filter pads included

 

 

What Customers Have To Say

A customer said this wine filter didn't change the flavor nor the color of his wine. He used the #3 pads right away to filter a white wine he racked only once, and it was perfect. The clarity was impressive, and it is easy to set up.

Another shopper said this device pumps wine fast and makes it so easy to rack the liquid. After more than ten years of making wine, he has decided to invest in a pump, and it was the best decision he’s made for winemaking.

Buon Vino Mini Jet Wine Filter review

Why We Think It’s Great

One of the most well-known brands of wine filters for homemade wine is Buon Vino. They specialize in electric pumps and motors for filtering wine before the bottling process. As the name suggests, this model is suitable for screening a small batch of brew at home. 

This machine is equipped with a self-priming pump. It is capable of removing air before the pumping starts by creating a partial vacuum to discharge liquid while evacuating any air. This process is vital because incorporating the wine with air at this point will ruin its quality. 

In terms of measurements, this mini wine filter is about 8.4 inches tall, 5.5 inches wide, and 11.8 inches long. Furthermore, it only weighs approximately 7.67 pounds. The other components included are the tubes where the wine passes through, metal and plastic plates that keep the filter pads in place, and black hand wheels and washers to lock everything. 

It also has a built-in tray and tube to lessen any mess and avoid spilling wine. Depending on how many times you have transferred your wine, you can either use a #1 pad (coarse), #2 pad (polishing), or #3 pad (sterilizing). The pads are sold separately, though. With this machine, you can expect to filter about 20 liters or 5 gallons of wine in just 15 minutes.  

Who Should Buy It

If you want to make professional and sparkly-looking wine quickly and easily, this is the best wine filter for you. 

8. Vinbrite Mark Iii Wine Filter - Best Set

Vinbrite Mark Iii Wine Filter
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 Pros Cons
  • Includes 6 filter pads
  • Easy to assemble
  • It doesn’t require electricity
  • Great value
  • Requires monitoring
  • The wine may have an uneven flow

What Customers Have To Say

A customer said this wine filter is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to introduce filtering into your homebrew. One pad is suitable for a five-gallon batch. The only drawback is you can't save the filter medium if you only use one gallon, so it felt like he’s throwing away ⅘ of the cost of a pad when doing only one gallon.

A different customer said this is by far the best wine filtering system he’s ever used. It’s almost perfect just with the coarse filter, but the premium filter gave him the clearest wine he’s made yet.

Why We Think It’s Great

Vinbrite has been a trusted brand for over 50 years, making it one of the best wine filters for homemade wine. This filter unit is gravity-fed, so there is no need for electricity, and it should be fairly easy enough to use. 

This wine filter only weighs about one pound and comprises a few plastic parts like a filter body, funnel, locking ring, support disc, and a spanner. The first four are used to hold the filtering pad, while the fifth one is used to lock the pieces together and keep them in place. 

The kit also includes two of each of the Vinbrite filter pads, namely the Crystalbrite pad, Filtabrite pad, and Prime pad. The Prime pad enhances the overall performance by removing large particles in the wine. This is often used first before the two other filter pads. Both Filtabrite and Crystalbrite ensure that the wine will achieve great clarity. However, the former is relatively thicker, making the wine’s flow rate slower than the latter. 

There is also a siphon tube fitted with a flow control valve and a vent tube. This wine filter kit is designed to release trapped air while filtering, so the liquid is less disturbed, preventing back pressure build-up in the filter body. And this is what the vent tube and tap are for. This clever tweak in the design has made the Vinbrite Mark Iii a reliable choice for home wine filtration.

Who Should Buy It

If you want a quick, easy, and budget-friendly solution to filtering your homemade wine, Vinbrite is the best wine filter that you can get. 

9. Youthful Homemade Brew Wine Syphon Tube

Youthful Homemade Brew Syphon Tube
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 Pros Cons
  • Sufficiently separates wine from large, visible particles
  • It doesn’t require much assembly
  • Easy to use
  • Very affordable
  • Needs to be monitored
  • Takes a long time to filter

 

 

What Customers Have To Say

One customer said this wine filter did the job quickly and well. She also used one-star no-rinse cleaner sanitizer for easy cleanup. A different shopper said this works perfectly and is very useful for brewing mead or wine. He highly recommends this product.

Why We Think It’s Great

Some winemakers choose to filter their wine once before bottling it. This is just to ensure that the remaining yeast particles will not be incorporated into the wine when they’re bottled to prevent re-fermentation. When you opt to filter your wine just once, you can use one of the cheapest ways to do it: the siphon tube. 

This siphon tube is made of food-grade plastic, which is about 6.6 ft. long. On one end is a sediment trap that is 1.6 inches tall and 1.1 inches wide. On the other end is a tap that, when pinched several times, starts the suction process and pulls the wine. 

The sediment trap is placed in a carboy full of wine on a lower surface than the empty carboy. Then you must pinch the other end until the wine starts to flow through the tube and into the empty carboy. 

This siphon follows a gravity filter system. But because it doesn’t come with filter pads or even chambers to contain the pads, you can improvise by using a wine funnel lined with a filter pad. However, this will make the process slower and has a risk of exposing the wine to oxygen. 

Another alternative would be using a funnel with a mesh filter, but this doesn’t guarantee that it will remove all particles.

Who Should Buy It

This siphon is a fantastic alternative in filtering wine when you’re still new to winemaking and don’t have the resources to invest in a pressurized pump filter. 

Best Wine Filters Buying Guide

Here are a few factors that you need to think about before buying the best wine filters:

  • Gravity-Fed Vs. Pressurized

You will come across two types of wine filters - gravity feed and pressurized. 

Gravity-fed is ideal for people who like to make wine at home as a hobby. A gravity-fed filter uses gravity as its source of pressure. It is pretty easy to use as you just need to start a siphon from the wine into the wine filter. It can only take one to two gallons of wine per session, making it the perfect wine filter for hobbyists. It’s also affordable.

The downside to this is its slow performance. It takes about 45 minutes to filter only a gallon of wine. You will also notice a difference between the results made with the two types of wine filters. 

On the other hand, a pressurized filtering system either uses motorized pumps or hand pumps for pressure. This type of wine filter is commonly used in wineries because it can perform quickly, filtering wine as fast as 1 gallon per minute.

They can also perform finer filtrations. Its downside is its price since a pressurized wine filter is much expensive than a gravity feed. But considering the service you’ll be getting, it’s pretty reasonable.

  • Filter Pads

There are different types of filter pads, namely coarse, polish/medium, and sterile/fine. They all differ in their microns which is a fine unit of measurement. 

A coarse filter pad is rated at 6 microns, polish/medium at 1 micron, and sterile/fine at 0.5 microns. The particle in the wine should be the same size as the micron or less to pass through the filter pad. 

The coarse filter is to be used if you want to enhance and polish your wine without altering its color or body. The polish/medium filter is what winemakers mostly use and only slightly changes its color and body.

Also, if you are going to filter your wine through a sterile/fine filter pad, you need to run it through polish/medium first. The sterile/fine filter pad can filter about 80% of yeast residue floating in your wine.

  • Price

The price is an essential factor as some wine filters can be pretty expensive. But if you’re willing to pay that much money, it might as well be worth it.

If you have a strict budget allotted for a wine filter, worry not because many products on the market work well at a low price. Also, make sure the product you’re eyeing is durable and sturdy.

  • Size

Determine the approximate volume of wine you’ll be making in the long run. If you’re making wine for yourself, you’re going to need a small unit only.

But if you’re planning to make large batches, you’ll need a wine filter with a bigger capacity. Moreover, make sure you have the space to store your wine filter in.

  • Speed

You need to consider how fast a wine filter can do its job. You want to have a unit that doesn’t take a lot of time as air exposure is gravely harmful to your wine. There are wine filters that can process the filtration of each batch within a couple of minutes.

Wine Filters FAQ

1. How can filtering affect wine?

The debate of whether filtering makes the wine better or worse is still constantly being discussed. If you’re a beginner in the winemaking scene, this is how filtration can affect wine, and this might help you decide if a wine filter is worth buying or not:

Stability and clarity are two reasons why some choose to filter their wine. Winemakers want to achieve stability by making sure the wine thrives in a sterile environment. Filtering prevents any microbes from passing through. 

The other reason is clarity. Winemakers find it irritating if the wine turns out a bit cloudy even after using clearing agents. Filtering should make it even more polished and much clearer. Some winemakers also believe that filtering changes the aroma, color, and flavor of the wine.

2. What is the difference between filtered and unfiltered wine?

The difference between filtered and unfiltered wine is not much. Filtering makes wine safer and clearer, but that doesn’t mean unfiltered wine is neither safe nor clear.

For safety and stability, winemakers may alternatively use sulfur dioxide to manage the growth of bacteria that might spoil the wine. For clarity, winemakers may use bentonite so the proteins and yeast will group and sink to the bottom, and then racking comes after. 

Some wine lovers prefer unfiltered wine as they believe it’s more natural and authentic, but it actually boils to preference. The kinds of wines usually filtered are fruity or floral dry white wines, sweet white wines, and Botrytis wines.

On the other hand, these wine types are usually unfiltered: small production red wines, dry wines, and wines that went through second malolactic fermentation.

3. Is it necessary to filter wine?

Filtering wine is unnecessary when you’re using wine making kits or fruit concentrates for wine making because they don’t involve solid and large particles from fresh fruit. 

However, they still get incorporated with wine yeasts that can make the wine cloudy. If you’re making wine naturally, the tannin, pulp, yeast, and other particles will settle after fermentation, and you have to rack the wine to remove them. 

If you give the wine a hefty amount of time, it will work on the clarity on its own. However, it won’t be as clear a filtered wine.

4. When is wine filtered?

Wine is to be filtered just after the winemaking process and before bottling. This is to secure stability and make sure the wine is free from any yeast and bacteria residue that might harm the wine. Also, make sure the bottle is sterile before bottling. 

5. What is the difference between fining and filtering?

Fining and filtering serve the same purpose - to achieve clarity. However, their methods are different. 

Fining eliminates unwanted elements in the wine by adding a fining agent that binds unnecessary particles such as tannins, proteins, and yeast. The clumped particles will then become gradually heavy until they sink to the bottom. After the necessary amount of time, the sediment should be separated, and the wine will be racked. 

On the other hand, filtering works by letting the wine pass through the filter pads that strain the unwanted elements. This will result in a clearer and smoother beverage. 

Conclusion

Making wine involves using equipment such as a wine press and wine filter. It takes time, effort, and resources, but it is also gratifying. And the best wine filter will help you achieve that goal.

If you want to save some energy and let a machine do most of the work, the Buon Vino Mini Jet Filter is what you need. Meanwhile, if you’re going to spend less on a filter but still want to achieve a certain efficiency level, you can try Vinbrite Mark Iii Wine Filter.  

Finally, Magicwolf Siphon Tube Wine Filter Pipe is perhaps the cheapest way to filter wine but also the most time-consuming and not as effective as other filter types. But it still delivers an impressive performance.

Do you prefer filtered or unfiltered wine? What is the best wine filtration system for you? Let us know in the comments.

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