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Experience last Tuesday seems to indicate that Melita coffee filter papers are not as effective at removing sediment from vintage port as the unknown brand that we started using.

To help me in my search for replacement unbleached coffee filter papers, can anyone who is a regular coffee drinker suggest to me some brands I should search out, brands whose filter papers are capable of removing even the very fine sediment which the Melita paper seems to allow through?

I am now wedded to my antique silver plate decanting funnel, which I use in preference to the more modern design with the gauze inset.

It has the great advantage of having a flat perforated inner plate that clearly shows fine sediment the moment it starts to come out of the bottle, much easier than trying to spot it through the falling fluid.

It also sits vertically in the decanter, unlike the modern types.

Tom

AHB wrote:Experience last Tuesday seems to indicate that Melita coffee filter papers are not as effective at removing sediment from vintage port as the unknown brand that we started using.

To help me in my search for replacement unbleached coffee filter papers, can anyone who is a regular coffee drinker suggest to me some brands I should search out, brands whose filter papers are capable of removing even the very fine sediment which the Melita paper seems to allow through?

Part of the problem might be that a decent coffee filter should let some of the finest particles through; good quality coffee should be a suspension. Judging by bad filter-coffee experiences, perhaps catering-grade paper might be a bit stronger?

Incidentally, whilst idly searching google for such things, I came across Thomas and Green who, unless my eyes are deceiving me, advertise “Bespoke Coffee Filters†…

Jacob has a good point and one I never thought about before. Coffee filters generally allow a little bit of fine particulate through (checked our pot at work today). I still prefer using unbleached cheesecloth. Its cheap, easy to transport, and if absolutely needed can be rinsed out and reused.

I must say that I never use a cheesecloth or coffee filter. A funnel and a steady hand usually do the trick. Normally, less than half a glass is left in the bottle. I pour this in a glass, together with the dregs; a nice sipper while the decanter needs to rest.

I should point out that a Mister Men hankerchief did a pretty good job at Christmas and had no holes in it afterwards.

RonnieRoots wrote:I must say that I never use a cheesecloth or coffee filter. A funnel and a steady hand usually do the trick. Normally, less than half a glass is left in the bottle. I pour this in a glass, together with the dregs; a nice sipper while the decanter needs to rest.

I quite like this approach too. Especially if the bottle has a good chance to settle, vertically, before decanting. I tend to leave the final glass for a little while, though, as the sediment will settle to the bottom of this.

This method also ensures the preservation of fine sediment for drying and later consumption, if you are into that sort of delicacy!

When Julian first presented the collapsible funnels, he also passed me half a dozen or so filter papers that were not Melita papers. These were excellent for using with port as they removed all the particulate, even the fine particles.

Any idea what brand these were Julian? Please?

How much fine particulate can be removed before a port's flavor and texture are affected?

SushiNorth wrote:How much fine particulate can be removed before a port's flavor and texture are affected?

In a tasting in early February, reported here, we experimented to try and find an answer to this very question.

At that tasting, we took a magnum of port and decanted it several different ways (freehand, using washed muslin, using raw muslin, using unbleached coffee filter paper) and found that the differences between the five different processes was marginal at most.

And when you also bear in mind that 50% of port enthusiasts at the recent 1980 tasting could not correctly identify the identical wine treated the same way but served out of two different decanters then I would suggest that you can remove far more particulate than can be achieved by a coffee filter paper before you start to seriously affect the taste and texture of a port.

AHB wrote:At that tasting, we took a magnum of port and decanted it several different ways (freehand, using washed muslin, using raw muslin, using unbleached coffee filter paper) and found that the differences between the five different processes was marginal at most.

And when you also bear in mind that 50% of port enthusiasts at the recent 1980 tasting could not correctly identify the identical wine treated the same way but served out of two different decanters

It would also suggest that, other than changing the appearance slightly, it really doesn't matter if one used a very fine coffee filter or a metal screen (as i tried in that other experiment), thus we can update a decanting theorem to be:
Pouring patience = Visual Clarity.

In examining that silty residue, i also found it to be malleable, smearable stuff. In other words, it won't feel gritty because it's not sand, its globs of proteins, tannins, oils, etc.

SushiNorth wrote:
It would also suggest that, other than changing the appearance slightly, it really doesn't matter if one used a very fine coffee filter or a metal screen (as i tried in that other experiment), thus we can update a decanting theorem to be:
Pouring patience = Visual Clarity.

I've found with bottles that haven't had the time to settle. It's still better to use muslin or coffee filter and not the metal screen.

The metal screen catches alot of big chunks but still leaves the port cloudy

I used to be slightly paranoid (yes, hard to believe isn't it) about "bits" getting into the decanter or my glass. I thought of these particles as some sort of dirty contaminating substance that had to be completely eliminated in order to allow me to enjoy a fine VP. I don't really care too much these days and I think that has come from visiting Portugal a number of times and being served VPs that are popped and poured without ever seeing a decanter let alone a fliter.

That said, I do tend to filter using the Jdaw TDK or my Screwpull stainless steel port decanting funnel. I don't worry too much if a few bits get through but draw the line at cloudiness, which I don't like and would cause me to filter a number of times until it's gone.

This thread prompted this question in another thread here

Bottle Shock - which I have always understood to be what happens when a VP is badly shaken and all of the sediment goes into suspension in the liquid leaving it very cloudy. Do coffee filters eliminate the entire effects of Bottle Shock or is the wine still damaged in some way from the experience?

Derek

Derek T. wrote:I don't worry too much if a few bits get through but draw the line at cloudiness, which I don't like and would cause me to filter a number of times until it's gone.

Well now that raises a question of definition. I know when I filter with the metal coffee filter, I wind up with some very fine grained particles which (if stirred up) could resemble cloudiness however they settle to the bottom of the decanter quickly. I also wind up with a low-density sediment that floats at the top and crusts slightly. I wouldn't characterize either as legit cloudiness, but others might.

Now, if there was actual cloudiness (microscopic particulate in suspension), I doubt the metal filter would remove it, and several passes through a fibrous filter would be required.

I bought some white filters on Saturday from Costco. They looked more helpful than the Mellita ones. I have 400 so have plenty to play with and distribute as necessary.

A quick look over the Wine Society website, those of a couple of merchants, and a specialist provider of wine accessories showed little of interest to assist decanting. Only the specialist had a range of funnels, and they were clearly gift priced, being made of pewter, for example. What a surprising gap in a very big market. It seems very odd to review brands of coffee paper, but we all have.

My own experience is that my metal filter lets through quite a lot, but when combined with some muslin cloth, it catches most of the fine particles.

Those who do not like the idea of filter paper would do well to acquire one of these...



These come in two pieces, a stainless steel funnel with an insert that contains a very fine stainless steel mesh filter which is much finer than any other filter I have seen and which catches all but the very finest particles. I use this when I have had time to stand a bottle up. I use the Jdaw TDK when decanting whilst travelling or in emergency situations.

The Screwpull filter is available from www.wineware.co.uk for £28 plus delivery. Worth every penny.

Derek

Derek T. wrote:Those who do not like the idea of filter paper would do well to acquire one of these...

Ever compared its mesh with one of those permanent coffee filters? Finer grained?

SushiNorth wrote:

Derek T. wrote:Those who do not like the idea of filter paper would do well to acquire one of these...

Ever compared its mesh with one of those permanent coffee filters? Finer grained?

No, I haven't seen one of those. The blurb from Screwpull says it's the finest filter on the planet. Might be worth testing that theory if anyone has access to one of these and a permanent coffee filter?

Derek T. wrote:The blurb from Screwpull says it's the finest filter on the planet. Might be worth testing that theory if anyone has access to one of these and a permanent coffee filter?

Well, maybe we just need to get you a permanent coffee filter for that experiment It is hardly "the finest filter on the planet" as i've gotten several offers from scientist friends for insanely grained filters. My concern with filtering is "how much can you filter port before it's just water + ethanol?"