Cheap Beer filter

Hello,

I looked at all kinds of ways to try and filter my beer and none of them were very cheap. I wanted to be able to filter the beer and not lose much of it in the process. I also wanted a cheap easy to clean reusable filter media. My filter cost me about $20 not including the tubing which I already had. I used 2" pvc pipe but any size would probably work. The filter media is a polyester voile curtain I got at Big Lots for $4.

I use a corny keg to do pressurized fermenting so I put the filter between the kegs when I transfer the beer. I only set the pressure at about 15 psi so it's slow. I put the fermentor keg up on the counter top so gravity can give me a hand with the flow. Very little beer is lost in the process which I like, don't wanna waste beer that's alcohol abuse. I can't really comment the filters efficiency as I have nothing to compare it to. But I can say it's the best beer filter I've ever had :rockin: I have used it to filter two brews and it worked great on both no trub made though. After I'm done I just pull the curtain out and rinse it out and wash it with the next load of laundry. I have discovered it's better to sew the cut end unless you like a zillion white hairs in your clothes. :cross:

All the pieces are standard pvc fittings with 2 nylon 1/2" npt to 1/4" barb fittings and 1 cheapy stainless sink strainer. I cut the pipe 12" long which makes the whole thing about 18" long total. After I had it together I let it sit for about a week until the pipe dope smell was totally gone. I put the sink strainer on the output end to keep the curtain out of the outlet fitting. I then crammed as much of the curtain in the pipe as humanly possible and cut it off.

Please forgive the crappy pictures my phone sucks as a camera!

looks pretty good. i like the fact that the filter is reusable and not fine enough to strip flavors from the beer (like using <1 micron canister filters will).

one thing i would recomend though, would be to fill the filter completely with sanitizer and push it out with CO2 before filtering beer. otherwise you will get a lot of extra oxygen uptake with that thing...

also, how does cleaning work?

Making something similar but haven't settled on the filter media.

one thing i would recomend though, would be to fill the filter completely with sanitizer and push it out with CO2 before filtering beer. otherwise you will get a lot of extra oxygen uptake with that thing...

also, how does cleaning work?[/QUOTE]

audger,

I never thought of the oxygen uptake that's a great idea thanks. I'll have to put a valve and drain line between the kegs and drain off the sanitizer. Filter clean up is easy I just rinse it out in the sink. The curtain comes 100% clean in the sink but I still wash it in the washing machine and then soak it in sanitizer before reuse. It doesn't absorb any liquid but it will hold ALOT.

TrubHead,

I love the curtain material super cheap and easy to clean. It's infinitely reusable if you sew up the cut end. On the other hand you could get a curtain and stuff it in a length of pipe and cut the pipe to fit the curtain. It's hard to go wrong with cheap and easy.

Also you need to put teflon tape on the threaded cap before each use or it's almost impossible to get back out.

My design is much shorter and not as much filter media. Not sure if this is a concern but I'd go neutral (low dye) on the fabric color just in case color leaches out. Am I too...you know "anul" or whatever?

I used white cloth to be safe. I've been accused of being to anal but I take it as a compliment. Better safe than sorry. On my filter most of the gunk is caught in the first 3-4 inches but I transfer REALLY slow to try not to push the gunk any more than I have to. I don't mind waiting a few extra minutes to have the beer filtered. The first batch I did in my pressurized system transferred a bunch of muck which inspired the filter. I have not cut or bent the dip tube in my keg so it's a mudsucker.

Good choice on the color. Better to err on the "anul" side in my opinion.

I love this idea!

Very cool idea. Is this mainly to filter just trub? What kind of clarity do you get with it?

Yeah I use it mainly as a trub filter. I'm sure it wouldn't come close to a plate filter as far as clarity. The first batch of red ale is fairly clear but not crystal. The second batch of smoked scotch ale is still hiding in the keg. But every time I pass the keg I hear it calling my name. I'm half tempted to bottle the scotch ale to clear the keg but I just can't seem to find the gumption to do it. AHHHH 53 BOTTLES!!! It's probably clearer than the red because I cold crashed it and didn't the red.

This is a great build. How does the Beer look?

I'd love to see a side-by-side photo of beer just before and after filtering to really know how effective your rig is. How dense would you say you packed the tube? Any worries of the beer taking the path of least resistance and just flowing down channels along the outside?

I crammed as much as I possible could in there. The curtain I bought was actually a swag I think its called (ask the nearest woman) it was 59" X 18' and I got a good 2/3s so 12' ish. The filter sits fairly vertical so it has little choice but to flow though the curtain of trub doom MUHAHAHA.

As far as filtering out chill haze I don't think this filter would do it but I dunno. It filters sediment like a witch. I have no idea about what kind of microns the filter is it didn't say on the package. I doubt this filter is the be all end all of filters but it's dirt cheap and infinitely reusable. It has done me well as a trub filter.

I can't really get a before picture of the beer cause it's in the pressurized fermentor keg. But it's clear when it comes out of the filter hose.

I guess I don't understand why you filter in the first place. Why not just use gelatin? or if you are fermenting in a corny for the primary, why not just cut off the dip tube or add some hose to the end of the dip tube angled up so it doesn't pick up the trub in the first place? Not trying to marsh your mellow .. I'm a big fan of DIY'edness and think your filter is pretty awesome.

I don't wanna cut the dip tube so I can use the keg as a serving keg also. I thought about bending it but still the same result. I don't necessarily have one dedicated fermentor keg just which ever one is empty. I didn't think of hose DOH that would have been alot cheaper but not near as nifty looking. When I saw the trub first thing I thought of was I have to filter this stuff. I usually try to avoid the KISS method of engineering and make things more complicated than they need to be LOL. That way when your done you feel like you really accomplished something.