Plate Filtering Pictorial

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ISUBrew79

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I recently started filtering my beers. I like being able to serve bright, sediment free beer, especially to those that I'm trying to convert to craft and homebrewed beer. While I don't filter everything, I do filter beers that I plan to transport and serve elsewhere. I plan to do some experiments in the future to explore the changes in flavor, body, and the head retention that filtering imparts on my beers.

I am using the plate filter setup from morebeer.com:
IMG_1424.jpg

This photo shows all of the components of the filter. As you can see, there are two ends of the filter body separated by a center ring. The green beer is forced from the center of the unit through the filter pads on each side of the housing. The clear beer then travels from each half of the housing to a "Y" adapter to a single hose, and into the receiving keg.
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The first step in the filtering process is to assemble the thoroughly cleaned apparatus. One filter plate is placed on each side of the housing, with the smooth side facing outward.

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Next, put the two sides of the housing together over the center ring, making sure the o-rings on either side are properly seated. Tighten down the nuts evenly and securely in order to minimize leakage. Only hand-tighten them.

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At this point, I fill my receiving keg half full with Star-San and roll it around in the keg to sanitize it. I then connect the keg to my CO2 at ~5 psi and push about a gallon of sanitizer through the filter and into a bucket. This sanitizes the filter housing and lines. Honestly, I'm not sure if the filter plates can really be sanitized effectively, but this is what I'm doing. I unhook the beer line from the keg of sanitizer and leave the filter unit packed with sanitizer for a few minutes. I then empty the keg of sanitizer and purge it with CO2.

IMG_1455.jpg

I then push CO2 from the keg through the filter housing to flush the remaining sanitizer and any oxygen from the system.

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I connect my keg of uncarbonated green beer to ~5 psi of CO2, and connect the liquid tubing from the filter unit to this keg. I discard the residual sanitizer and first pint or so of beer that come through the filter before I connect the tubing to the beer out post on the CO2-purged receiving keg.

IMG_1458.jpg

I open the relief valve on the receiving keg and let the beer flow. With 5 psi of CO2 pressure on the source keg, it takes about 20 minutes to filter 5 gallons of beer. Once the source keg is empty and I start to see CO2 bubbling from the beer out line on the filter housing, I remove the beer lines from both kegs. At this point there might be half a cup of beer left in the filter housing. I purge the headspace of the receiving keg with CO2 again and force carbonate the beer as usual.
 
I recently started filtering my beers. I like being able to serve bright, sediment free beer, especially to those that I'm trying to convert to craft and homebrewed beer. While I don't filter everything, I do filter beers that I plan to transport and serve elsewhere. I plan to do some experiments in the future to explore the changes in flavor, body, and the head retention that filtering imparts on my beers.
Well done.
Pictures make everything a lot easier..:mug:

Similar set-up explaining the process only:eek:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/i-got-plate-filter-now-how-do-i-use-200618/

Cheers,
ClaudiusB
 
Well done.
Pictures make everything a lot easier..:mug:

Similar set-up explaining the process only:eek:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/i-got-plate-filter-now-how-do-i-use-200618/

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

So it looks like you have a few of these in series? From the pictures, it looks like 7 micron then 3 micron. Is there a tighter filter after that?

I am using the filter pads from MoreBeer. I've tried the rough pads, which are supposedly 5-7 micron. They didnt really clear the beer up much, and since then I have used the polish filter pads, which they say are 0.5-1 micron. They also sell what they call sterile filter pads, which I thought were excessive. Where do you get your filter pads?
 
Another point I should make is the importance of having your beer as cold as possible, without freezing, prior to filtration. By doing so, your are encouraging the formation of chill haze. The small particles of agglomerated protein that result in chill haze can then be filtered out if your have tight enough filter media. This process is sometimes called chill-proofing.

I have failed to do this on the last couple batches. I have chilled the beer down to about 38 degrees in my kegerator, which takes about 24 hours when I start with room temperature beer. I then filter the beer right away. I have gotten clear beer immediately after filtering, but more chill haze developed after the filtered beer was refrigerated overnight.

In the future, I plan to get the beer down to 35 degrees or so and hold it there for three or four days to set the chill haze prior to filtration.

I should also add that I have gotten the brightest beer when I have used gelatin finings in the secondary prior to filtration. My last two batches, which developed the chill haze after filtration, were not treated with gelatin finings.
 
So it looks like you have a few of these in series? From the pictures, it looks like 7 micron then 3 micron. Is there a tighter filter after that?
1 micron
Where do you get your filter pads?

One of the vendors is Austin Homebrew Supply.

In the future, I plan to get the beer down to 35 degrees or so and hold it there for three or four days to set the chill haze prior to filtration.
My beers age at 34° F which is perfect at filtration time.

I should also add that I have gotten the brightest beer when I have used gelatin finings in the secondary prior to filtration. My last two batches, which developed the chill haze after filtration, were not treated with gelatin finings.
I don't add anything to my beer, old school:D
I am happy with the outcome.
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Cheers,
ClaudiusB
 
Got pictures of the dirty filters? I've always wondered what comes out.
 
Got pictures of the dirty filters? I've always wondered what comes out.

I don't have any pics of the used filters at the moment. I will be sure to take some next time I filter a batch, which should be later this week.

Honestly, I haven't seen a whole lot of material stuck in the used filters. They generally just tend to have a dirty light brownish appearance. Occasionally I will see a few pellet hop particles that managed to stick around that far along in the process. I've never tried filtering a real yeasty beer, but I'm pretty sure there would be a lot of yeast sludge caught up in the media if you did.
 
I'll be using this same filter for the first time tonight. The beer has been in the dispensing keg in the fridge for 24 hours now. I have a question for you about running the star san through the pads. Do you find that there is a lot of star san left in the pads? Or, are you able to purge most of it out with CO2?
 
This is very cool, I've always wondered about the set-up. Seems easy and works well.

And +1 on seeing some filthy filters ;)
 
I have a question for you about running the star san through the pads. Do you find that there is a lot of star san left in the pads?
Or, are you able to purge most of it out with CO2?
Not much left after a good CO2 purge.

I also discard the first few ounces of beer coming out.


Cheers,
ClaudiusB
 
How much co2 do you go through pushing the beer through the filters?

I really don't think it amounts to much. I only use about 5 psi of pressure to push the beer, so I end up with the empty source keg filled with CO2 at 5 psi. Since the beer really isn't absorbing CO2, it is only a small fraction of the CO2 needed to carb and dispense 5 gallons of beer.

I have a 5 pound CO2 cylinder, and haven't noticed much of a difference in how long it lasts since I started filtering.
 
3 & 1 micron, lost the 7 micron picture

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Cheers,
ClaudiusB

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And to heckels, since CO2 is not going into solution and instead is simple displacing the beer you only need enough CO2 to displace 5 gallons. So 5 gallons of CO2 at 5psi.
 
So at what point do you filter your beer? I saw you said "green".... so does that mean after primary? Secondary? Would one lager the beer after filtering?
 
what is the heat rating on the plate filters? I'm curious about using something like this as a method to filter out hop pellet trub inline with a plate chiller.
 
Anyone try doing this from a carboy to a keg? Kegs are at a premium oftentimes at my house. I'd like to transfer from my carboys with a few PSI, through a filter into the serving keg. Thoughts?
 
Anyone try doing this from a carboy to a keg? Kegs are at a premium oftentimes at my house. I'd like to transfer from my carboys with a few PSI, through a filter into the serving keg. Thoughts?

As long as your carboy cap can hold 5psi without blowing off, this should work just fine. This will not gravity feed and make it through the filter, definitely needs pressure.
 
In pairs starting with 7 micron.

Wait, so are you running more than 1 pair of filter in the device or running multiple plates in 1 device or running 2-3 of these devices in series?

IE, you have the beer running from
Secondary keg-->7 micron filter housing-->3 micron filter housing-->1micron filter housing-->Serving keg????
 
Wait, so are you running more than 1 pair of filter in the device or running multiple plates in 1 device or running 2-3 of these devices in series?
Multiple plates in series.

Beer_Filter_Rear.jpg


Beer_Filter_Top.jpg


IE, you have the beer running from
Secondary keg-->7 micron filter housing-->3 micron filter housing-->1micron filter housing-->Serving keg????

Correct.

Beer comes out of the aging fridge tank (bottom arrow) ---> Filters --> back into aging fridge dispensing tank (top arrow)

Freezer_Door2.jpg


Cheers,
ClaudiusB
 
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