Water Filter Setup - Page 4

wedward · 03-07-2009, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClaudiusB

Here is my brewery water filtration system.
A whole house filtration system is not possible in El Paso.
Our main water line is inside the concrete slab, each sink would require a filter.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

Cool setup - care to explain this one a bit... it seems very Frankensteinish in a very cool & useful way!

**bendavanza** · 03-07-2009, 09:59 PM

ClaudiusB
I have to say, the pics I have seen you post, have a certain mad scientist feel about them. I love it.
I'm using a simple RV filter inline, feeding directly into the ball valve on my HLT, which is much lower than the top of the HLT on a 3 tier stand. I started using campden tablets for the chloramine removal. So far so good, I used to use straight tap.
-Ben

**JVD_X** · 03-07-2009, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobby_M

You spend $3 on every batch on a spun filter for break material? I have to say, that's rather wasteful and I don't think it's worth the money or trouble. You'd be better off using hop bags and letting the cold break get into the fermenter.

It didn't bother me since I don't brew to save money but I do see your point. I did end up modifying a filter that I ripped the material out of, just leaving the cage, and wrapped window screen around it.. it's now reusable and I can use it as a hop-back as well..

**Saccharomyces** · 04-19-2009, 05:15 PM

After doing some research I settled on these filters:

ChlorPlus 10 Advanced Carbon Block Filter Only $17.65

At 0.5 GPM they are rated to remove nearly all chloramine for 1,000 gallons. That works out to 50-100 batches. They fit in the Omnifilter housing which is $28 at Walmart. Add an RV hose and some hose QDs and you are good to go.

Catt22 · 04-19-2009, 06:41 PM

I've been using a cannister filter like this for several years with good results. I have it mounted on my brew tower. Here's a pic:

The plumbing is arranged so that I can bypass the filter easily if desired. It's best to filter water slowly. How slowly, I'm not sure, but I keep it down to one gpm or a little more maybe. The bypass permits a higher flow rate for the chiller, cleanup etc.

When shopping for cartridges I came across this extruded carbon block filter. The carbon used for the filter is made from coconut shells. This is supposed to produce a better tasting water. The carbon block has a spun polyester cover that acts as a pre-filter:

KX Industries MATRIKX® +5 10"×2½" Extruded Activated Carbon Block Filter with Chlorine and 5 µ Particle Reduction - H2ODISTRIBUTORS.COM

These are a little pricey, but should last for years considering the small quantities of water that we are filtering for our beer.

One other handy accessory I use is a pressure reducer which has garden hose threads. It attaches to the faucet and limits the pressure to 50 psi max. The idea is to reduce the strain on the hoses, filter housing and fittings. You can shut the water off at the nozzle without worrying about bursting a hose or blowing a connector off which can sometimes happen. These are made for use on RV's and can be purchased at most hardware stores for under $10.

I only have a 1/2" ID hose exiting the filter. This is more than sufficient for filtering slowly like I do. The bypass is connected to a 25 ft dinking water grade hose with standard garden hose ends.

I only filter water destined for my beer (strike and sparge water). I bypass the filter for everything else.

I also remove the filter from the housing and rinse it thoroughly with cold water after use. I then let the filter air dry. Except I don't think they ever do dry completely no matter how long they sit unused. I at least feel better storing it separate from the filter housing. I only use the filtered water pre-boil, so I am not overly concerned about contamination. I would not trust it to put directly into a fermenter without boiling.

ClaudiusB · 04-19-2009, 09:39 PM

Quote:

catt2 wrote:
One other handy accessory I use is a pressure reducer which has garden hose threads.

Please post a picture.
My setup is equipped with a commercial pressure reducer from Grainger.
No pressure reducer with garden hose threads was available a few years ago.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

Catt22 · 04-19-2009, 10:23 PM

Here ya go. It says Valterra RV Water Regulator on the label (40-50 psi):

and a closer shot of the filter setup. I bought the regulator at Ace hardware for about $8.00 or so.

**Denny's Evil Concoctions** · 04-19-2009, 11:14 PM

I don't think you really need to go slow with those. They are designed for house pressures. I have one on the entire house (including hot water) water line and it takes a month or more before I have to change it due to chlorine.

I even tested the water with one of those swimming pool kits and it says 0 ppm.

Catt22 · 04-19-2009, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denny's Evil Concoctions

I even tested the water with one of those swimming pool kits and it says 0 ppm.

Have you tested the unfiltered tap water? There might not be a detectable level of chlorine in your water to begin with.

Regarding the filtering rate, it was only something I read, but the filter itself is rather restrictive and will reduce the flow rate considerably. I prefer to give the filter time to do its job. I can't visualize it absorbing all it could absorb at a high flow rate. I'm seldom in that much of a hurry anyway. I filter the water while I am doing other tasks such as milling the grain and such. Waiting five or ten minutes isn't a big deal and I am heating the water while filtering it into the kettles.

Aspera · 04-20-2009, 12:03 AM

A bucket of clean sand and milligram quantities of lime will remove cloramine, precipitate and then filter bicarbonates as well as removing organics and many heavy metals. No expensive plastic landfill generated.