Filtering......

So last fall, I am at a local micro brewer, talking to the owner/head brewmaster.

I didnt think much about this untill recently.

I asked him, what his guys were rinsing out (we were talking in the breweing room,)

He said they were his filters. My counterpart (yes I really was there for work) asked (he's a miller drinker) " Why do you filter and is it "cold filtered""?

The owner smirked a bit, (as did I) he said, "We filter to speed up the process. There is no way we could do the volume we do without it".

I asked how long it took him to go from mash to bottle.

He said " Well we have all of our Ale's ready in about a week, and our lager in just over two weeks."

No this place only makes one lager, but come on, 15-18 days? Really?

I didnt get to press him on it, maybe he was BS'ing me, but for a guy who brews, owns the business, markets and does it all, he gave us alot of time talking about beer, gave some samples, ( samples are on the market now) literally, gave us an hour plus. I swear if my counterpart hadnt strayed off topic, we would have been there all day. The owner loves to talk beer...with anyone. I have sen him three times in the last year, always happy to see me and always happy to talk.

Soooooooo.......what type of filtering can bring a lager ready in less than 20 days?

Cold filtering, obviously.

Just kidding.

I've been using a plate filter, actually 2 filters in series, and I've been turning my beers around a lot faster than I used to. I'm also making the best beer I've ever made, for a variety of reasons, but turning them around quickly hasn't hurt them. I found out early that I don't like the flavor of yeast. I have made 10g batches and filtered 1 keg and not filtered the other. I really preferred the flavor of the filtered beer. My guess is that if I had aged the beer more and allowed more yeast to fall out of the unfiltered beer I would have liked them about the same. With filtering, however, I was able to get the beer where I wanted it in less than 2 weeks. This is a 1.055 O.G. ESB, btw, so nothing that needs a ton of time anyway. With some beers I still leave them for 4 weeks before I cold crash and filter.

Gameface said:

Cold filtering, obviously.

Just kidding.

I've been using a plate filter, actually 2 filters in series, and I've been turning my beers around a lot faster than I used to. I'm also making the best beer I've ever made, for a variety of reasons, but turning them around quickly hasn't hurt them. I found out early that I don't like the flavor of yeast. I have made 10g batches and filtered 1 keg and not filtered the other. I really preferred the flavor of the filtered beer. My guess is that if I had aged the beer more and allowed more yeast to fall out of the unfiltered beer I would have liked them about the same. With filtering, however, I was able to get the beer where I wanted it in less than 2 weeks. This is a 1.055 O.G. ESB, btw, so nothing that needs a ton of time anyway. With some beers I still leave them for 4 weeks before I cold crash and filter.

Click to expand...

So what are you using for a filter?

NTOLERANCE said:

So what are you using for a filter?

Click to expand...

I use the plate filter sold by MoreBeer and Austin Homebrew Supply. I actually use two of them with a "rough" filter pad in the first and a "polish" filter pad in the second.

I cold crash the beer before filtering and I get 10g through one set of pads (they recommend 1 set of pads per 5g). I found that you need reasonably clear beer before filtering or the filter will clog and there is a considerable amount of beer in the filter unit that gets wasted changing filter pads in the middle of a batch.

Filtering isn't the hardest thing in the world, but it does add a good deal of work to making beer that I thought I had left behind with kegging. I'm going to look into other options for the majority of my beers and save the filter for things like kristalweizen. I do like the look of the beer, though. I host a monthly poker game and I've found that people unaccustomed to drinking homebrew are much more accepting of the beer when it looks clean and clear. Many are surprised that it's possible to make beer like that at home.

NTOLERANCE said:

. . .
He said " Well we have all of our Ale's ready in about a week, and our lager in just over two weeks."

No this place only makes one lager, but come on, 15-18 days? Really?
. . .

Click to expand...

This is entirely reasonable if he's talking time to packaging. I'm assuming the lager gets kegged in 2 weeks and then lagered in the keg so that he can free up the fermenter for another batch.

Also, the filter isn't really doing anything other than getting the yeast out of suspension. I think this is where the month long primary thing started. What people think of as "aging" is really just waiting for beer to clear. But you can also kick 'em out early with no ill effects. Filtering is the easiest way for the big breweries, but you can get the same results with a cold crash and a fining agent. I looked into filtering, but it seems like a bit of a hassle and ends up costing a lot more per batch than 1/2 a packet of Knox gelatin.

I love filtering. I have most Ales on tap in about 3 weeks. I use one filter (Medium) and can get through 5 1/2 gallons to get 5 in the keg. Agree with Gameface, I cold crash for at least 3 days before, they will clog up on you.

Bought this one: http://www.austinhomebrew.com/produ...=1419&osCsid=9628b7dc7efc4eb2bea2b879e3c5925f

Have a filter and don't use it. One of only a few batches I screwed up was my first and only try with the filter - a Stone Levitation clone. Oxidized the batch and destroyed the head retention due to foaming of the beer due to poor process the first go around. I was trying to rush a batch and just didn't have a good process going into it. Since then, I just allow more time and use Knox in the keg if I'm in a hurry to clear. Works great and one less thing to sanitize and one less transfer.

Filtering sucks. No reason to do it with a good brewing process, cold crashing and gelatin (if needed). I like breweries that do not filter. Btw, with a dry hopped IPA I go grain to glass in 2 weeks and it's generally clear at week
3.

T

I looked at filtering, but never pulled the trigger on it. In general, with ~3 days cold crash & gelatin, I transfer very clear beer into the keg (straight from primary, whether dry-hopping or not). I end up with *very* little sediment in the bottom of the kegs, and very clear beer.

I've got nothing against the idea of filtering, but if you have a fridge, you can manage without it.

bwarbiany said:

I looked at filtering, but never pulled the trigger on it. In general, with ~3 days cold crash & gelatin, I transfer very clear beer into the keg (straight from primary, whether dry-hopping or not). I end up with *very* little sediment in the bottom of the kegs, and very clear beer.

I've got nothing against the idea of filtering, but if you have a fridge, you can manage without it.

Click to expand...

I'd have to say that you need to cold crash to make filtering a realistic possibility. Clogging happens too often with beer that hasn't been cold crashed. It's very frustrating to have to pull the filter apart, lose around 20oz of beer, clean it back up, sanitize and plug another $3.50 worth of filters in while filtering the beer.

I'd imagine filtering isn't for everyone, but it does work. Your friends will absolutely be impressed with the clarity of your beer. That good first impression really opens their mind to the possibility that the beer might taste good, imho.

I saw a Bell's bumper sticker the other day... If God intended for us to filter our beer, he wouldn't have created us with a liver. I got a chuckle out of that.

In my opinion, I see no reason to filter beer if proper processes and techniques are used.

The best part of filtering is drinking super fresh beer. Another thing that any chef will tell you, is that we eat with our eyes, nothing looks more refreshing to me than a crystal clear beer. Also I'm not into adding seaweed, fish bladders, gelatin, or plastics to anything if I have the choice. Not to mention waitng for a beer to clear, no thanks, I do not have the patience.

Buna_Bere said:

The best part of filtering is drinking super fresh beer. Another thing that any chef will tell you, is that we eat with our eyes, nothing looks more refreshing to me than a crystal clear beer. Also I'm not into adding seaweed, fish bladders, gelatin, or plastics to anything if I have the choice. Not to mention waitng for a beer to clear, no thanks, I do not have the patience.

Click to expand...

Time clarifies all beer if you are doing it right. Patience isn't required - brew more often.

makomachine said:

Time clarifies all beer if you are doing it right. Patience isn't required - brew more often.

Click to expand...

You can wait, more filter pads for me.

Clarity is an important beer characteristic for me. I was getting frustrated with my beers, especially light lagers, not clearing that well. I bought a filter and a number of 1 micron pads from Morebeer.com I used the setup one time and noticed a big difference between the filtered and unfiltered versions (it was a special better or ESB). I liked the flavour of the unfiltered version a bit better.

Since then I have improved some aspects of my process and learned more about using gelatin and other clearing agents (Biofine Clear is one I use now). I also generally try to use the most flocculant yeast that will work for a particular style. But I also have a huge amount of beer in my pipeline so I am never needing to turn something around so quickly that I need to filter.

So I would say there is nothing wrong per se with filtering home brew; I'm just glad I don't have to do it regularly. If it's built into your process and allows you to turn around your beer quickly, keep doing what works. If I really needed to go two weeks grain to glass, I wouldn't hesitate to filter--although I would probably go down to 0.5 micron. Right now I think I can get under three weeks grain to glass (kegging) with a flocculant yeast and Biofine anyway.

Buna_Bere said:

The best part of filtering is drinking super fresh beer. Another thing that any chef will tell you, is that we eat with our eyes, nothing looks more refreshing to me than a crystal clear beer. Also I'm not into adding seaweed, fish bladders, gelatin, or plastics to anything if I have the choice. Not to mention waitng for a beer to clear, no thanks, I do not have the patience.

Click to expand...

The whole point of fining agents is that they don't end up in the beer. I suppose if you had a strong moral opposition to using animal products, I could understand, but there are vegan alternatives. If filtering works great for you, cool, but I get kind of irked when people suggest that you're adulterating a beer by adding a fining agent.

gr8shandini said:

The whole point of fining agents is that they don't end up in the beer. I suppose if you had a strong moral opposition to using animal products, I could understand, but there are vegan alternatives. If filtering works great for you, cool, but I get kind of irked when people suggest that you're adulterating a beer by adding a fining agent.

Click to expand...

Or that running your entire batch through a paper filter media, made from who knows what process, is somehow less 'invasive' than fining agents that predate plastic. To each his/her own - but the extra transfer and sanitation steps alone just isn't worth it to me.

Prost!

Time clarifies all beer if you are doing it right.

Click to expand...

True, but there are definitely certain strains like WLP029 that are notoriously bad flocculators. Sure, it'll clear eventually but sometimes I just can't/don't want to wait that long!

I believe you guys when you say beer will clear on its own. However, without using finings my beer seems to only get so clear. I've had beer cold for several months and it is still a little murky. Not chill haze. I filter the beer and I can read a newspaper through a pint glass. So I sort of wonder, when you say beer clears naturally, how clear is "clear"? I think our standard of what that means may be different.

One of my regular beers is a kristalweizen. That is a style that is typically filtered. I ferment that beer for 10 days, cold crash for at least 2 days. At that point the beer is pretty damn clear. Then I filter it and it is brilliantly clear and is a huge crowd pleaser for me at my monthly poker game and other events. People absolutely notice that it looks like a BMC in color and clarity. I think that allows them to really taste it without preconceived notions about homebrew. I am personally convinced that it makes a huge difference in the way the beer is received by the non-initiated homebrew drinker.

Not sure why people are hating on filtering. It is one tool in some brewer's toolboxes and one that does the job it is supposed to do. There are other tools a brewer can use to get to the same place, but as with many things there is a trade off.

Gameface said:

I believe you guys when you say beer will clear on its own. However, without using finings my beer seems to only get so clear. I've had beer cold for several months and it is still a little murky. Not chill haze. I filter the beer and I can read a newspaper through a pint glass. So I sort of wonder, when you say beer clears naturally, how clear is "clear"? I think our standard of what that means may be different.

One of my regular beers is a kristalweizen. That is a style that is typically filtered. I ferment that beer for 10 days, cold crash for at least 2 days. At that point the beer is pretty damn clear. Then I filter it and it is brilliantly clear and is a huge crowd pleaser for me at my monthly poker game and other events. People absolutely notice that it looks like a BMC in color and clarity. I think that allows them to really taste it without preconceived notions about homebrew. I am personally convinced that it makes a huge difference in the way the beer is received by the non-initiated homebrew drinker.

Not sure why people are hating on filtering. It is one tool in some brewer's toolboxes and one that does the job it is supposed to do. There are other tools a brewer can use to get to the same place, but as with many things there is a trade off.

Click to expand...

I'm not hating on filtering - as I haven't sold mine and may someday need to pull it out of that "toolbox". I'm just saying kettle finings, a good hot and cold break, and worst case gelatin in the keg have got me brilliantly clear beer without the extra transfer. Completely agree that it's just another tool, just stating that poo pooing finings and touting filter superiority doesn't make sense to me personally.

No filter touched this beer as example - only way to be more brilliant is to take the beer out.

That's the Stone etched logo on the other side of the glass - along with my fingerprint.

makomachine said:

I'm not hating on filtering - as I haven't sold mine and may someday need to pull it out of that "toolbox". I'm just saying kettle finings, a good hot and cold break, and worst case gelatin in the keg have got me brilliantly clear beer without the extra transfer. Completely agree that it's just another tool, just stating that poo pooing finings and touting filter superiority doesn't make sense to me personally.

No filter touched this beer as example - only way to be more brilliant is to take the beer out.

That's the Stone etched logo on the other side of the glass - along with my fingerprint.

Click to expand...

Impressive!

I guess that I have found something that's been working for me and haven't looked much beyond that. I still consider myself a new brewer. I'm going to start looking at other ways to clear my beer.

Also not hating on filtering, just saying there are easier and cheaper ways for a homebrewer to do the same thing. No pics, but I get the same results as mako - beer as clear as any commercial brew I've had.

By the way, I'm glad you told us that was a thumb print. I was about to say that there was a little haze to it.

Gameface said:

Impressive!

I guess that I have found something that's been working for me and haven't looked much beyond that. I still consider myself a new brewer. I'm going to start looking at other ways to clear my beer.

Click to expand...

Don't remove the filter from your arsenal - you nailed your point and I completely agree with the fact that beers that should be clear commercially, should be clear in homebrew. If you approach every problem with 'what's the least invasive way to get my desired result' your beer will get better. I learn something new every day on this forum - and still have a lot to learn. If you approach every beer with that mindset, your beers can only get better. Being that you've successfully filtered your beer to desired result, and I'm 0-1, I have a lot to learn from you in that process. Prost!

Those that are filtering, are you using a pump or gravity siphon, or co2 pressure from keg to keg?

NTOLERANCE said:

Those that are filtering, are you using a pump or gravity siphon, or co2 pressure from keg to keg?

Click to expand...

I use CO2 from keg to keg. I can usually start out around 7psi and get decent flow. I have had kegs that take well over an hour to filter, some only take 20-30 min. It all depends on how much stuff is in suspension to begin with. It can get frustrating when you're at 13psi and not moving much beer and the plate filters start to leak at that pressure.

NTOLERANCE said:

Those that are filtering, are you using a pump or gravity siphon, or co2 pressure from keg to keg?

Click to expand...

Keg 2 Keg here.

I just started filtering at a fellow home brewers suggestion. I think i have the wrong filters or something cuz my beers i have filtered dont seem clearer than before i ran them thru the filter. I used a 5 micron filter and it seems that it didnt change a thing. Am i doing something wrong here?