Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/101495
WINEMAKING A torn filament allows filter bleed-through in this early monofilament cloth technology. A modern blend shows low contamination and carbon lees (left) and large areas of tissue free of dirt (right) after triple filtration and cleaning with a hose. Cleaning the filter cloth SEE US AT UNIFIED, BOOTH #1719 140 W in e s & V i ne s JANUARY 20 13 The cleaning of multifilament filter cloth, on the other hand, has long been considered problematic. ���Integrated filter cloth cleaning systems��� that perform fully automatically are available. Corresponding videos are available on YouTube: search for ���automatic filter press filter cloth washer.��� The pressure washer is considered the secret weapon of sanitation, but with multifilament cloths this is a rather blunt weapon���both harmful and ineffective. After cleaning with a pressure washer, the cloth is not typically odorless. The jet cannot adequately penetrate into the deeper cloth layers. In many cases with heavily blocked cloths it can be necessary to continue with the chemical cleaning cycle for days in order to achieve the desired cleaning effect. By contrast, the cleaning of monofilament cloths seems to be very simple: Cleaning with a water hose causes a very good cleaning effect on monofilament cloths. Only small quantities of filter aid and carbon remain after the cleaning of the filter cloth. Compared with the conventional cloths, these impurities are probably negligible. An indicator of contamination is the characteristic dull and musty smell of the cloth. Compared to multifilament cloths, monofilament fabrics typically have very little odor. Initial cleaning with the water hose followed by an additional cleaning with high-pressure equipment at a reduced temperature of 140��F results in an almost completely clean cloth. However, operators must be cautioned that high temperatures and too close a distance from the pressure nozzle to the filter cloth can lead to destruction of individual fibers and damage to the cloth. The pressure needs to be reduced to 1,500 psi, and a minimum distance of at least 10 inches from the filter cloth must be maintained to prevent rupture.