I now filter my beer - is there any point to the secondary fermenter anymore?

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fastricky

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My thinking is I keep the beer in primary until terminal gravity, then chill it overnight, filter it, carb it, done.

What am I missing by not going to secondary?

(I'd still use a secondary for dry-hopping as I wouldn't want the beer on top of the yeast for longer than after TG is hit).
 
Yes, fair enough. I'd leave it in primary longer than hitting TG, maybe by a week. I dunno, I'm considering following the methods breweries use (no secondary, they go from primary to filter, then to bright tank to carb up for 2 days or so, then it's kegged/bottled)
 
Sounds like a plan for me beerthirsty.

I think filtering is the missing link to ultra-high quality beer now that I've gotten into it. I personally don't find yeast flavor appealing most times (a Wit being an exception). And all the sedimentation at the bottom of the bottle is not something I enjoy either. Plus, I really do like a clear beer. It's like cleaning a great vegetable taken from the earth of all the dirt and stuff. 2 cents y'all!
 
If you are not planning to do any Belgians, wheat beers, not planning to age any beers than you are all set on your plan.
 
It really depends on your yeast health and pitching rate. The big danger is crashing and filtering before the yeast have really finished. That said, I made a brown ale with WL British Ale yeast on Friday that is now finished and ready for drinking. I pitched a massive amount of yeast though.
 
Yup, this is on the assumption that I'm pitching a huge amount of yeast so I get to TG faster and can let the beer clear a bit while still in the primary.... another advantage of filtering - not having to worry about adding gelatin anymore.
 
it wouldn't carbonate.

lol yeah theres no yeast to carb it.

way back when like 10 years ago i was starting to make really tasty beer
but it was clowdy all the time.

I built a filter to go between to kegs.
I used it twice and never again, I did a side by side test with a brown ale and then with an Irish red, the amount of flavor removed was striking and was not at all worth it. ( it really pulled out alot of the hop aroma and flavor but not bitters, it also pulled out the some of the maillard reaction flavors -melanoidins in the specialty malts)

now I brew beautifully clear unfiltered beer, what changed? I spent some time understanding and puting to work :Fining Agents, Hot break ,Whirlpool , Cold Break , Extended Compleate Primary, (Secondary Rarely) and a good Cold Crash and then in to the keg, non cloudy beer every time unless you want it.
 
what are you filtering with? It seems like a little extra work to me. I prefer to just leave it in the ale pail or carboy longer.
 
I will bottle, and will carb up the beer in the keg after filtering.

Depending on the beer I choose the micron level. For most, I use an 8 micron filter (plate filter btw). It just cleans up the beer and the flavor is intact. I just filtered a 60IBU IPA that way and all the aroma and flavor is there, believe me!

For a lager/pils/light colored summeresque beer, I go to the 2.5 filter. If I need to remove all the yeast for backsweetening (fruit beer) I go to the 1.5 filter.
 
Yes, fair enough. I'd leave it in primary longer than hitting TG, maybe by a week. I dunno, I'm considering following the methods breweries use (no secondary, they go from primary to filter, then to bright tank to carb up for 2 days or so, then it's kegged/bottled)

Commercial breweries can achieve this kind of turn-around by pitching massive amounts of verifiably healthy yeast. Even then, many beers are moved to packaging a bit too soon and are still green when they hit the shelves.

As as filtering goes, I don't have any direct input to offer but I will say that too fine a filter will strip out flavor compounds in addition to the yeast.
 
Many people here do not secondary regardless of whether they filter or not. I don't see the benefits of a secondary. You can cold crash in the primary, rack to the keg and wait a few weeks and get the same results.
 
http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Boerderij_Kabouter/Secondary_fermentation_and_why_it_makes_me_crazy/

Most major breweries use cylindro-conical fermenters and dump yeast and trub regularly. In our world, that means using a secondary fermenter.

Anyway, I think filtering can be useful if you are looking for faster turn around times and clear beer. If you pitch a proper amount of healthy yeast, give it ideal fermenting conditions (temp, nutrients, etc.), and allow enough time for conditioning (e.g., T.G. plus a week or two) then you should be able to filter, burst carb, and bottle a very good perfectly clear beer and have it presentable before any of us using time to clear our beers.
 
http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Boerderij_Kabouter/Secondary_fermentation_and_why_it_makes_me_crazy/

Most major breweries use cylindro-conical fermenters and dump yeast and trub regularly. In our world, that means using a secondary fermenter.

Anyway, I think filtering can be useful if you are looking for faster turn around times and clear beer. If you pitch a proper amount of healthy yeast, give it ideal fermenting conditions (temp, nutrients, etc.), and allow enough time for conditioning (e.g., T.G. plus a week or two) then you should be able to filter, burst carb, and bottle a very good perfectly clear beer and have it presentable before any of us using time to clear our beers.

Proper pitching rates, temps, filter and carb, you can turn around ales in under 14days that have no hint of fermentation byproduct.
A lot of microbreweries have something close to a 14 day turnaround on the typical beers.
 
Proper pitching rates, temps, filter and carb, you can turn around ales in under 14days that have no hint of fermentation byproduct.
A lot of microbreweries have something close to a 14 day turnaround on the typical beers.

Yep! That's my goal, tho' I think 3 weeks is more likely...
 
I think you answered your own question on page one... The beer may taste different, but "better" is a matter of opinion. Personally, I prefer unfiltered beer, but a major reason to homebrew is to make what you like. Enjoy!
 
You can always treat the lost taste, aromas, etc from filtering as a recipe problem. For example, if you lose hop aroma to the filter, next time add more aroma hops to compensate.
 
After 6-8 weeks of conditioning my beers I run all of them through the filter.

Filtering will not remove green beer flavors, conditioning is still required.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB
 
I filter my beers if I will be taking them anywhere. If they are sitting in my kegerator I usually won't bother, but if I will be taking them somewhere I hate having sediment shook up into them. I use a 5 micron cartridge filter and cannot tell a difference in flavor, I have even done side by sides with the same beer ran through the filter and can't tell a difference. I would probably use a filter on all my beers, but it's just another step and chance at contamination and oxidation (albeit a very small chance if you are careful).
 
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