Why You Need to Buy a Charcoal Filter for Your Cellar

by Kelvin Teo | Last Updated: August 31, 2020

To ensure nothing but the best for your wine and your experience, your best investment would be in a quality wine cellar. These modernized cellars offer a range of benefits and will ensure your wine develop as they were intended to. But while your cellar takes care of your wines, it is important that you take care of your cellars. These cellars work hard in ensuring your wines retain their quality, but they require some assistance.

This assistance comes in the form of a compact charcoal filter — one which can truly make a whole lot of difference to your wines. But why is that?

What Does a Charcoal Filter Do?

Essentially, charcoal filters filter the air before it enters your wine cellar. This is important for several reasons.

EuroCave Charcoal Filters

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Firstly, filtering the air prevents any mold from developing on your labels and corks – which tend to happen with long-term storage. This mold is mostly caused by humidity and moisture in the cellar – which is both controlled with the addition of a charcoal filter.

Secondly, and most importantly, the filter absorbs bad odors. These bad odors could potentially affect the wine and alter the aromas and flavors. Although this seems impossible, it is important to remember that the cork is porous, which easily allows for bad odors to enter the bottle.

Thirdly, the wine filter regulates the humidity in the cellar and provides ventilation. This is especially important as high humidity could potentially cause the cork to expand and contract. With any expansion of the cork, oxygen is easily able to enter the bottle and could ruin the wine. So, by regulating the humidity and providing ventilation, the cork can maintain its integrity and ensure the wine ages perfectly.

How does the Charcoal Filter Work?

The charcoal filter that is attached to a wine cellar contains porous carbons which can trap and absorb the bacteria and odours. These filters are almost always located on the upper-left side, inside your cellar.

Any harmful molecules will be trapped in the charcoal filter, which also means that these filters should be changed regularly to ensure the filters keep working. Ideally, these filters should be replaced on an annually.

How Do You Change Your Filter?

Replacing your filter is a simple process that will mean the world’s difference to your wine.

1.       Since the filters are located at the back of the cellar, it is best to remove all the bottles and the top shelves.
2.       The filter should be turned a quarter-way to loosen and remove it.
3.       Place the new filter where the previous one was located.
4.       On your control panel, press charcoal filter button, then the (+) button, followed by the charcoal filter button again.
5.       Once this has been selected, your 365-day count-down has been reset.

Can you store wines without a Charcoal Filter?

Although these filters create the ideal storage conditions for your wines, there are ways to combat the humidity, mould and odour control inside.

The first step is to minimize the number of times the fridge is opened and closed. With each opening of the fridge, more warm air and bad odours can settle in the fridge. So be sure to keep it at a minimum.

As for the mould prevention, cleaning the inside of the fridge regularly will clear away in the mould that has already built up, and prevent the rapid growth of more mould.

When cleaning, it is important to remove all the wine bottles and unplug the cellar.

There are three recommended cleaning solutions to use for the best results:

1. Bleach and water: Combining 1-part bleach with 1-part water will ensure the best cleaning mixture. It is important to use this mixture to wipe down every part of the cellar, including the door, shelves and all four walls. After this step is complete, dry the entire fridge with a dry towel and leave the door open for a few hours to allow the fumes to escape.
2. Vinegar and water: For a less invasive method, mix 1-part vinegar with 1-part water and follow the exact steps as with the bleach-and-water-method.

For the prevention of odours from settling inside the fridge, it is recommended to keep a small container with baking soda in the bottom of the cellar – which will absorb any odors. This should be changed every few months.

There are ways to store your wines successfully in a cellar without the use of a charcoal filter, but these filters offer the best conditions for your wine. These filters are easy to replace and will ensure that every bottle that is stored in these cellars, offer the quality that you deserve.

Are You Storing Your Wine Wrongly?

If you want to enjoy your glass of wine to the fullest, proper storage is a must. This detailed guide reveals how you can store your prized bottles optimally.

The Ultimate Wine Storage Guide

Kelvin Teo founded Filled With Wine™ because one summer night, he noticed that his glass of wine tasted funny. It was only after he discovered that he stored his bottle wrongly that he realised the importance of proper wine storage. Since then, he has taken the art of wine drinking seriously and is now on a quest to help fellow wine lovers achieve the best drinking experience possible.