Beer Filter

[Richard]

So, I've been giving serious thought to getting one of these:

http://www.filterstore.com/beer.asp

My understanding is that 1 micron will filter most yeast (essentially any that has flocculated at all), and an 0.5 micron will filter out basically everything - sterilising in the process.

Ultimately I would still be maturing beer with the yeast & sediment, but once I transfer to a keg I'd be filtering to produce a bright appearance.

I have a couple of other approaches to clarity that I'm going to try first, namely:

• using propane rather than stove-top for greater hot-break
• transferring first from boil tun to a carboy via cooler, then from that carboy to the fermentation chamber once cold break has formed.

[/i]

FWIW several well-respected home-brewers use filters... including Mike "Tasty" McDole already use filters, although I gather he uses 7 micron (http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/ ... ?f=&t=6878)

Any thoughts?

[Dave Savoie]

http://www.hopdawgs.ca/index.php/equipm ... beer-kit1/

same thing it looks like for 1/2 the price

[Richard]

One I linked to does 250 gallons for a filter cartridge, that does 10. Filters for the one I linked are 45 bucks (US). So that's 18 cents / gallon.

This is the one Tasty uses: http://morebeer.com/view_product/5676/ and does 5 gallons to a filter. Filters are 3.50 for two, so that's 70 cents / gallon.

Hrmm...

[Richard]

http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/ ... 66#p128966

Pretty sure that's the filter I linked to originally.

[Kyle]

I have used both the 1 micron and the 0.5 micron filter sizes (in addition to 5 micron).

The 1 micron size does not add much additional clarity assuming you use whirlfloc, proper brewing technique, and cold crashing with non spunded beers. I haven't tried it with spunded beers, but I expect there would be an improvement.

The 0.5 micron size is definately not sterile but it gives crystal clear beer. It did strip out alot of the hops in a tested IPA, but left a barley wine tasting the way it should.

I personally find filtering to be messy, expensive, and overall not a real improvement for non spunded beers as long as you have time to let them mature.

I have filtered approximately 8 seperate batches, using multiple filter densities on each of the first ones to test.

There is also a great deal of difficulty in cleaning the filters between use and then getting all the cleaner out before pumping beer through.

However... now that I think of it, my old filter housing is bout to become my new Randall hopback.

[Richard]

What filter model did you use?

And yeah, I was thinking of going 5 micron - I got it wrong, it's the 0.35 micron ones that sterilise.

[Kyle]

I got something like this one (brand and appearance are the same but mine was lighter duty, probably weighing 2 pounds instead of 6):

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/ge-heav ... nit/977705

Mine is rated to 120psi and was on clearance for about $17 in 2009

[Richard]

Yeah I think I'm gonna give the hot/cold break enhancement a try before I bother with any filtration.

[sdixon]

Richard - A couple of questions re: hot/cold break:

1.Why will propane help with your hot break. As long as you can get to a rolling boil that flocks the protein, aren't you good? On a stove top it takes longer, but that just means you need to boil longer, no?
2. For your cold break, you mean rack from boil into carboy, then put in your cooler (the big one by your back door) until coldbreak, then rack into fermenting primary... correct?

Then you will have to wait until primary comes up to pitching temp. All of which unfortunately increases the chance of infection.

BTW, this is also what I am planning to do, but I will use my garage to induce a cold break. I'm hoping as long as I am super anal about sanitisation I should be good.

[Richard]

The boil I get on my stove is rolling, but only if I partially cover the pot with the lid. I've read in several places that a more violent boil (just below the level you might expect boil-over) induces a greater hot-break. Propane (or heat sticks) give you enough energy to the boil to get a real nice rolling boil going with minimal effort.

As for the cold-break, again it's to do with the speed of cooling. The faster the wort is cooled, the better the cold break precipitates. I'd noticed that when putting the wort through my CFC into the carboy for fermentation, that after about fifteen minutes there's an inch of crud on the bottom of the carboy. Plan is to rack out of the first carboy after the CFC, and into another one, to remove the break material.

I'm not 100% on the process by which this break material ends up back in suspension, but I have noticed that the wort in the primary is a lot clearer than the beer I get at the end of cold-crashing. Extended cooling does brighten the beer some, but 100% clarity seems to be real tricky without resorting to gelatin or other fining agent.

Since the inch of crud seems to have disappeared by the end of fermentation, and replaced with a much smaller yeast cake, my guess is that the fermentation activity rouses the break material back into the beer and/or consumes it as a nutrient. Just a guess.

I'm gonna do a couple of batches with the cold-break trick I have above and see if it improves clarity or otherwise messes with the brew. Worth a try, I figure.

[sdixon]

I have a disc filter my father gave away when he stopped making wine. Anyone is welcome to borrow it if they choose. I filtered a very hazy Belgian Blonde tonight that turned out ok.

Here are a couple of pics of it in action...


IMG_2881 by sdixon669, on Flickr


IMG_2879 by sdixon669, on Flickr

[Chris Craig]

Anything further on this?  

As for the rolling boil, are we just looking to boil hard until the break occurs, and then backing off to a gentle boil, or do you need to boil hard the whole time?  

I only have an IC, so once the wort is down below 100ºC, I agitate it by moving the IC around to cool it quicker.  Is this sufficient, or do I really need a CFC?

I've used gelatin before, but I've not noticed much of a difference.  I've read that you need to use it when cold crashing.  Is this correct?

I'm not overly concerned with having clear beer, but BMC drinkers balk at a cloudy beer.

[Kyle]

As for the rolling boil, are we just looking to boil hard until the break occurs, and then backing off to a gentle boil, or do you need to boil hard the whole time?
A rolling boil is needed for good hop isomerization, i.e. releasing the bitterness.

I only have an IC, so once the wort is down below 100ºC, I agitate it by moving the IC around to cool it quicker. Is this sufficient, or do I really need a CFC?
An immersion chiller is fine.

I've used gelatin before, but I've not noticed much of a difference. I've read that you need to use it when cold crashing. Is this correct?
If you want crystal clear beer right away, it can be useful, but cold crashing itself acts to clarify.

I'm not overly concerned with having clear beer, but BMC drinkers balk at a cloudy beer.
Using Whirlfloc in the boil will make a HUGE improvement in clarity. Minimizing the amount of wheat is a good plan, although even a wheat beer will go crystal clear after being chilled for a few weeks (technically undesirable). If adding fruit, read up on pectin haze. Use a highly flocculant yeast strain, meaning it will form a dense cake at the bottom of the fermenter and clear much sooner. Personally, I have found Poly-clar to be a waste of time. Vorlauf your mash runnings, hmm, what else... if dry hopping, put them in a bag.

[Chris Craig]

Ok, so I'm doing all I can do, I guess.  Like I said, not a big deal for me.

[HappyHax0r]

I'm not overly concerned with having clear beer, but BMC drinkers balk at a cloudy beer.
Using Whirlfloc in the boil will make a HUGE improvement in clarity. Minimizing the amount of wheat is a good plan, although even a wheat beer will go crystal clear after being chilled for a few weeks (technically undesirable). If adding fruit, read up on pectin haze. Use a highly flocculant yeast strain, meaning it will form a dense cake at the bottom of the fermenter and clear much sooner. Personally, I have found Poly-clar to be a waste of time. Vorlauf your mash runnings, hmm, what else... if dry hopping, put them in a bag.

I second the whirlfloc. I tend to add it 10 minutes to flame out instead of 15 as I find it clarifies better (for me). For examples of what whirlfloc can do, check my beer pr0n thread for the cherry wheat, specifically look at the level of clarity at the top of the racking cane (the hose coming off the cane adds some haze but the hard plastic at the top of the cane is clear, and shows how clear the beer is quite well.

Kyle: Are you sure that all wheat beers are supposed to be hazy? It seems to me that the wheat beer that I had modeled my cherry wheat off of was clear as glass .