filtering is bad????????

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nicksteck

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I am new to brewing and have tried to ask about filtering, nobody has respoded to any post, is it a bad thing , do only bad people filter, im just trying new ideas. can some one please let me know if im asking a really dumb question?

i like the web site but sometimes it seems like if you are not fm you suck, or is it ive not paid to join just wondering

Nick
 
Never filtered myself. Some posts just don't get responded to, don't take offense. I don't think filtering is bad, but it's really not necessary. If you were to filter a hefeweizen, you'd have a krystalweizen... but I think hefe's are way more popular. THat's the only example I can think of.
 
thank you! thats what i was looking for, my brew bud did not transfer to second and we are going to transfer any way, should we still filter or just skip it

again thank for a replay

Nick
 
I found filtering to be a pain in the ass. It seemed to me to be too much extra work cleaning and sterilizing the gear. I find gelatin and/or time does the trick.
 
filtering is great if you need the beer in short order...frankly I don't see the need, since this hobby is all about patience.

are you kegging or bottling? if kegging, when you chill the keg (crash cool) a lot of yeast will drop out, clearing the beer. as long as the keg isn't moved around much, you can get most of the yeast out in the first couple pints.

if you bottle, you'll just have a little more yeast sediment in the bottle. not a big deal.

I do suggest doing a secondary for most beers. i feel like you get a better final product.
 
I filter sometimes so I guess that makes me BAAAAAAD! :rockin:
Filtering is great if it is intended for BM/C guests, fests, or competitions.
You just need a filter housing, 1-micron pleated filter, hoses, and 2 beer out QDs.
Oh CO2 and clamps too. You can filter between carboys or cornys.

Tips: filtering will not rush a beer. If its green, it'll be green until its done.
Push the beer through the filter slowly.

Good luck,
Wild
 
I was on a brewery tour at the Weeping Radish in NC last week. The brewery owner went on and on about how they proudly never filter because it is not true to the history and even further, that it removed healthy minerals from the beer. Not sure if I buy this 100%, but it takes a time consuming task out of my brewing process, so I like what he says...
 
I have some filtering pictures in my gallery. I only filter when a batch won't clear. That's maybe once a year.

Historically, some brews were filtered through straw or moss. This was common when the mash was fermented directly.
 
I prefer unfiltered hazy hoppy beers. They just usually seem fresher, with a fuller body and better mouthfeel.
 
malkore said:
filtering is great if you need the beer in short order...frankly I don't see the need, since this hobby is all about patience.

are you kegging or bottling? if kegging, when you chill the keg (crash cool) a lot of yeast will drop out, clearing the beer. as long as the keg isn't moved around much, you can get most of the yeast out in the first couple pints.

if you bottle, you'll just have a little more yeast sediment in the bottle. not a big deal.

I do suggest doing a secondary for most beers. i feel like you get a better final product.
this is the first batch that has not gone into the 2nd fermenter, will we have a lot of large particals in the beer? should we filter that batch? we both got busy and couldn't get it over to the 2nd.

thanks for your time

P.S. we are kegging, and it rocks!!!

Nick
 
If you filter out all the yeast, you're pretty much limited to force carbonation.

Most of us will use some kind of clarifying agent, either in the boil or in secondary (Irish moss, Whirlfloc, gelatin, there are all kinds of choices) which makes filtering pretty pointless. If you can chill your wort quickly after the boil, you'll end up with a clearer beer, as well.

Frankly, the only advantage I can think of to filtering your beer - if you've got a process in place to make it clear through other means - is that you can drink straight from the bottle. Not many people do that, anyway (I'll even pour filtered commercial beers into a glass, you get better aromatics that way).
 
I get hangovers from commercial beer and I don't get hangovers from my beer. I believe it has to do with keeping the nutrients in that are filtered out in commercial brews. Whether or not that's true I will not be changing what I'm doing because this no hangover thing is simply outstanding. Your belly eventually stops grumbling.
 
questio! slightly off topic but i think it's not off enough to warrent a seperate thread.

commercial beers, say a small microbrew, that naturally carbs their beer will have yeast sediment on the bottom just like homebrew. however it's never as much sediment as any homebrew i've seen/made and you wouldn't need to leave a bit in the bottle to avoid yeast in your glass. my question is what is different about the breweries process that allows them to naturally carb their beer and avoid the sediment issue? is there any way to replicate that at home?
 
I would wager that it's not just yeast that's settling at the bottom of our bottles - it's proteins, it's tannins, it's all that other stuff. They may have better processes to keep that stuff out of the beer (more effective whirlpooling, or better chilling to get a good cold break) even if they aren't filtering.

That's just a guess, though.
 
I thought about putting a filter just before the tap on my kegerator that has quick connects so I can use it if needed, but I would use it mainly and probably most of the time and a hop infuser. :D Yummmmmm, that fresh smell of hops in every glass. I agree though, filtration isn't really needed just time.
 
I asked about filtering at my LHBS and to be honest it was the only time I've ever felt I got a rude responce from them.

That said, I don't see the need to filter myself. I was worried in the beginning that I'd need to, but using a hop bag at the boil and using a secondary to let stuff settle makes beer that's clear enough for me. :)
 
the_bird said:
I would wager that it's not just yeast that's settling at the bottom of our bottles - it's proteins, it's tannins, it's all that other stuff. They may have better processes to keep that stuff out of the beer (more effective whirlpooling, or better chilling to get a good cold break) even if they aren't filtering.

That's just a guess, though.

I would imagine commercial breweries like Sierra Nevada who do this filter their beer, then add back a precisely calculated, perfect amount of yeast for bottle conditioning.

I think you are correct to assume that we, as homebrewers, are also seeing a lot of protein mass/residual trub left over.
 
I've stopped adding any clarifying agent to my beers. The kegs always pour nice and clear and even the bottles are pretty crystal if they've been refrigerated. I've got half a package of irish moss if anyone wants it...:p
 
OP - If your intent is to simply serve a clearer beer, it is not necessary to filter.

Depending on the style, you can add certain clarifying agents to help get a clearer finished product.

I use Irish moss (out of habit more than anything) and then I use gelatin in the secondary. Except for my wits and dark ales.

This beer is a light grain bill and about three weeks old (from grain to glass).

HappyFri_4.jpg
 
Fingers said:
I get hangovers from commercial beer and I don't get hangovers from my beer. I believe it has to do with keeping the nutrients in that are filtered out in commercial brews. Whether or not that's true I will not be changing what I'm doing because this no hangover thing is simply outstanding. Your belly eventually stops grumbling.


I tend to agree with you. At first I thought it was all in my head, but after drinking many, many.....many pints, I can say that there really is something in the homebrew that makes a difference. Maybe it's that vitamin B boost we get from drinking homebrew?:tank:
 
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