Sulfite Removal Funnel

WINE TALK
1

Interesting article by W.BlakeGray on this new Ullo funnel that
is supposed to take out SO2 in a wine, down below the 10 ppm level:
UlloSulfiteRemoval

The thing was tested by ETS and found to be effective in its claims.

Blake’s taste test is, of course, flawed. The control sample was poured directly. The Ullo’d sample was decanted. So the sensory changes in the two wines Blake tasted may not have been due to the SO2, but due to the decanting effect…which we all know from experience reaps vast improvements in a wine. We do know that…don’t we??

Anyway…the thing looks interesting & effective. Though I’ve never viewed SO2 levels in a wine a big issue for me. But I’m buying when they’re available. We’re talking about $2.50/funnel. One-time use only.
Tom

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2

A decant and a 30-45 minute wait, or a 2 hr slow-o should accomplish sulfite reduction. It isn’t really “removed”, it changes from SO3 (sulfite) to SO4 (tasteless and harmless sulfate) by quickly combining with any free oxygen in the wine. That’s why it’s useful to initially protect a new wine (from excess oxygen in solution that would degrade the fruit and color).

3

i’m in love with this guy.

“Üllo has a bigger impact on whites because there’s less going on in white wine,” said Kornacki, who said he is not a wine expert.

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4

That line killed me. Really lets you know what the author thinks about the product and creator.

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5

I just had a friend of mine who also sells wine retail, ask if I had ever heard of this device. After a little research I found it. Why not use a real test on someone who is sensitive to sulfites ? If this works as well as they say, why not make a selective filter for TCA ? If Saran Wrap can take out TCA in a corked bottle, the technology could be similar.

6

A TCA chelating filter would be industry changing!

Great idea!

7

Worth noting that the filter needs to be changed after every bottle. So, on top of the $80 base price, you’re looking at about another $3 per bottle!
The article states that the filter was found to effect “a reduction in free sulfites to less than 10 ppm in the random wines they sampled.” Of course, it doesn’t say what the sulfite concentration was before the wine was filtered. Any idea what a typical level would be for wine straight from the bottle (of course, I know it depends on a lot of things)?

8

I don’t think this is true. That would be an oxidation reaction that requires higher temperature or catalyst. SO2 reacts with water to form H2SO3 (or more accurately HSO3- and H+), involving no redox at all. Analogous to the equilibrium of CO2 in water to form carbonic acid (H2CO3).

This claim seems bizarre:

“The difference is the water filter will take out every negative ion,” Kornacki said. “It wouldn’t be something you’d want to drink. We modified it to be selective for sulfite ions. The process is similar to the way lactose is taken out of milk.”

Lactose isn’t “filtered” out of milk, it’s removed with the lactase enzyme that splits the disaccharaide Lactose into the two monosaccharides (simple sugars) glucose and galactose.

9

If Alan every comes into a large sum of money, we may have cause to be suspicious… [cheers.gif]