DIY 2 stage, single pass beer clarity filter on the cheap
- Thread starter Radix
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
BurntOrngeLonghorn84
Well-Known Member
Well I finally broke down and setup my two stage using all of the parts in this thread. Was able to do a pressured transfer from my brewbucket after adding some shims to the latches.
I used a yeast with high flocculation so I probably could have gotten away with a single stage 1 micron.
Only issue was when I put the filters in, the o-ring for the housing didn't make it back on so it leaked some beer while pushing it through.
I'll post a picture of the beer when its carbed and ready.
View attachment 1430434898820.jpg
I used a yeast with high flocculation so I probably could have gotten away with a single stage 1 micron.
Only issue was when I put the filters in, the o-ring for the housing didn't make it back on so it leaked some beer while pushing it through.
I'll post a picture of the beer when its carbed and ready.
View attachment 1430434898820.jpg
ericbw
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2012
- Messages
- 3,592
- Reaction score
- 1,225
I just priced the parts for this on Home Depot, and it's about 60 cents cheaper than what homebrewstuff.com sells it for. I think I got a ball lock QD one time from them that seemed a little cheap, but otherwise, does anyone see a reason to sepnd the time and effort when you can get the same thing for the same price? Does anyone have an idea on the difference in quality of the housing?
I saw a similar set up from Adventures in Homebrewing for a little less, but no QDs, so the cost is about the same as well.
There is shipping if I order it, but there is time and effort (and frustration, I'm sure) if I build it myself. I don't need it for a few weeks, so that comes out even as well.
I saw a similar set up from Adventures in Homebrewing for a little less, but no QDs, so the cost is about the same as well.
There is shipping if I order it, but there is time and effort (and frustration, I'm sure) if I build it myself. I don't need it for a few weeks, so that comes out even as well.
Brewslikeaking
Well-Known Member
Can you use these filter systems to filter a batch before bottling. My bottles always have sediment and yeast at the bottom and are not very pleasing to the eye.
Colbizle
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2013
- Messages
- 332
- Reaction score
- 47
Unless someone has a process I'm not aware of, no. You need two kegs and co2 in order to push the beer through the filter in a closed environment. If you filtered into an empty bucket, for example, you would introduce a lot of oxygen and oxidize the beer.
Have you tried using gelatin? Gelatin works wonders and IMO is a better solution to clarifying beer then using a filter.
I bought and used this system twice and found it was too much work for the same results as gelatin so I now I just use my filter system as a carbon filter for my brewing water coming out of the tap.
Owly055
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2014
- Messages
- 3,008
- Reaction score
- 686
I don't understand why the filters are not inverted??? There is no reason to use them "right side up" and leave beer in the filter..... except that it "looks right". Many filters are installed upside down, and as a result there is no residual liquid in the filter.
H.W.
H.W.
Brewslikeaking
Well-Known Member
What is gelatin and what is IMO and how do you use it. Also is there any point in using the above filter system prior to adding the yeast?
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2014
- Messages
- 574
- Reaction score
- 191
You will always have yeast in your bottles of you are sugar priming to carbonate. The only way to avoid yeast in the bottle is to force carb in a keg and use a counter pressure bottle filler to bottle pre carbed beer.
ericbw
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2012
- Messages
- 3,592
- Reaction score
- 1,225
I ended up buying the components and putting this together myself. First off, the quick connects leaked like crazy. Might have been operator error, but it seemed like that's not a good way to do it. So I changed those out to barbs, BUT I would still suggest hose clamps on those, because they leaked (but way less - drops, not a trickle).
There is really no way to tell if it filtered the yeast out without a microscope or adding sugar after filtering and seeing if it starts up again. But it seemed to work.
HOWEVER, I just saw the same thing online at Beverage Elements, and I think there is a discount code going around, too. That makes this much cheaper than you can put it together yourself. And the barbs have nice valves on them, too. They also have reusable/washable 1 micron filters for about the cost of 2 disposable filters.
I might pick up another at that price and do 2-stage filtering with 5 and 1 micron. Cider is pretty clear after fermenting, so maybe 1 and .5 micron would be better.
There is really no way to tell if it filtered the yeast out without a microscope or adding sugar after filtering and seeing if it starts up again. But it seemed to work.
HOWEVER, I just saw the same thing online at Beverage Elements, and I think there is a discount code going around, too. That makes this much cheaper than you can put it together yourself. And the barbs have nice valves on them, too. They also have reusable/washable 1 micron filters for about the cost of 2 disposable filters.
I might pick up another at that price and do 2-stage filtering with 5 and 1 micron. Cider is pretty clear after fermenting, so maybe 1 and .5 micron would be better.
So, my fermenters won't take pressure- anybody know if you can filter pushing with a pump?
erikrocks
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't. You'll oxidize your beer.
How so? If the filter pack is purged of oxygen with either water, sanitizer, or CO2, and then you push beer into it, where is the oxidation happening?
erikrocks
Well-Known Member
The pump is pushing beer out using air. I don't see how it's possible to purge the pump of oxygen...it's an open system. Would that be enough O2 to oxidize the beer? I'm not sure. But I would guess this is a reason people use a siphon and not a pump to push/pull beer out of a fermentor and into a bottling bucket or keg.
The pump doesn't use air, it's the rotary motion of the magnetically driven impeller. All moving parts are totally submerged in beer with no oxygen contact there. The only oxygen contact would be in through the top of the fermenter, where there's little or no motion going on, like in a bottling bucket.
Sounds like he was assuming you were talking about an air compressor rather than a liquid pump.
biertourist
Well-Known Member
Please explain. How does this work, particularly when the filters are lower than the corney keg as in the OP's pictures?
Adam
why not just use 2 kegs? i dont have any fermentors that hold pressure. just rack into one keg then push the beer with co2 through the filter...
Why do you want to filter the beer?
i don't filter any of my beer. i use the filter for when i make cider. mainly use a .5 micron filter to remove the yeast so i can back sweeten it.
For beer i just cold crash and use gelatin for clarity. much easier than filtering.
Ike
nOob for life
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2015
- Messages
- 532
- Reaction score
- 186
I'm brushing the dust off this thread to ask a question:
I just tried to filter a cider during transfer from primary to keg. I sanitized the whole shebang, put all the backsweetening in the keg, and started the transfer, with a 1 micron filter in the housing. I used Notty for the ferment, and (as always) it flocc'd like a champ: the cider was pretty much "newspaper clear" so I felt ok going straight to the 1 micron. Using CO2 to push from primary seemed to go ok, but I had a bit of trouble with the filter. The cider went in with no problem, but at the "out" flange I had TONS of gas along with the cider heading to the keg.
I made sure all the connections in the filter itself were tight, and tightened the HE*L out of the hose clamp holding the tubing onto the "out" flange. At the outset there WAS a small cider leak at the "in" flange but a twist on that particular hose clamp solved that. But as far as the gas chugging from the "out" flange: nothing seemed to help. I'm afraid I was aspirating air into the system somehow, but couldn't figure out where it was coming from.
One thing I noticed: TONS of carbonation coming out of solution in the filter housing. SO, safe to assume that what I was seeing is just the CO2 being agitated out of solution as the cider moved through the filter?
Thanks!
I just tried to filter a cider during transfer from primary to keg. I sanitized the whole shebang, put all the backsweetening in the keg, and started the transfer, with a 1 micron filter in the housing. I used Notty for the ferment, and (as always) it flocc'd like a champ: the cider was pretty much "newspaper clear" so I felt ok going straight to the 1 micron. Using CO2 to push from primary seemed to go ok, but I had a bit of trouble with the filter. The cider went in with no problem, but at the "out" flange I had TONS of gas along with the cider heading to the keg.
I made sure all the connections in the filter itself were tight, and tightened the HE*L out of the hose clamp holding the tubing onto the "out" flange. At the outset there WAS a small cider leak at the "in" flange but a twist on that particular hose clamp solved that. But as far as the gas chugging from the "out" flange: nothing seemed to help. I'm afraid I was aspirating air into the system somehow, but couldn't figure out where it was coming from.
One thing I noticed: TONS of carbonation coming out of solution in the filter housing. SO, safe to assume that what I was seeing is just the CO2 being agitated out of solution as the cider moved through the filter?
Thanks!
ericbw
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2012
- Messages
- 3,592
- Reaction score
- 1,225
I'm brushing the dust off this thread to ask a question:
I just tried to filter a cider during transfer from primary to keg. I sanitized the whole shebang, put all the backsweetening in the keg, and started the transfer, with a 1 micron filter in the housing. I used Notty for the ferment, and (as always) it flocc'd like a champ: the cider was pretty much "newspaper clear" so I felt ok going straight to the 1 micron. Using CO2 to push from primary seemed to go ok, but I had a bit of trouble with the filter. The cider went in with no problem, but at the "out" flange I had TONS of gas along with the cider heading to the keg.
I made sure all the connections in the filter itself were tight, and tightened the HE*L out of the hose clamp holding the tubing onto the "out" flange. At the outset there WAS a small cider leak at the "in" flange but a twist on that particular hose clamp solved that. But as far as the gas chugging from the "out" flange: nothing seemed to help. I'm afraid I was aspirating air into the system somehow, but couldn't figure out where it was coming from.
One thing I noticed: TONS of carbonation coming out of solution in the filter housing. SO, safe to assume that what I was seeing is just the CO2 being agitated out of solution as the cider moved through the filter?
I would assume it is just CO2 coming out from agitation. If you shake a bottle of beer or soda, there are some bubbles in it, even if it stays closed. I suspect that's what you're seeing.
And the receiving keg was purged before filling? And purged again after? I think that helps to minimize the O2.
I'm brushing the dust off this thread to ask a question:
I just tried to filter a cider during transfer from primary to keg. I sanitized the whole shebang, put all the backsweetening in the keg, and started the transfer, with a 1 micron filter in the housing. I used Notty for the ferment, and (as always) it flocc'd like a champ: the cider was pretty much "newspaper clear" so I felt ok going straight to the 1 micron. Using CO2 to push from primary seemed to go ok, but I had a bit of trouble with the filter. The cider went in with no problem, but at the "out" flange I had TONS of gas along with the cider heading to the keg.
I made sure all the connections in the filter itself were tight, and tightened the HE*L out of the hose clamp holding the tubing onto the "out" flange. At the outset there WAS a small cider leak at the "in" flange but a twist on that particular hose clamp solved that. But as far as the gas chugging from the "out" flange: nothing seemed to help. I'm afraid I was aspirating air into the system somehow, but couldn't figure out where it was coming from.
One thing I noticed: TONS of carbonation coming out of solution in the filter housing. SO, safe to assume that what I was seeing is just the CO2 being agitated out of solution as the cider moved through the filter?
It's not coming out from agitation unless you were shaking your filter like a cocktail shaker while filtering.
CO2 will come out of solution when you have to large of a pressure drop too quickly, or if the beer/cider warms up quickly.
When I have filtered I needed to maintain a very slow flow to minimize the pressure drop across the filter. 1 micron will produce more resistance than a 5 micron so more CO2 will come out of suspension.
How are you maintaining the pressure in the receiving keg? It's hard to do this without CO2 coming out of suspension if you don't have a spunding valve with a gauge on the receiving keg. With a spunding valve you can set it to a few psi below whatever pressure you have the tank regulator set at. As you raise the pressure in the receiving keg closer to the sending kegs pressure, the flow will reduce and less CO2 will come out of solution.
Ike
nOob for life
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2015
- Messages
- 532
- Reaction score
- 186
To answer some of the questions:
Didn't purge the keg beforehand, DID the "five purge" rule after. I know I should have purged the keg before, but have never had issues with oxidation in my ciders before. Baby steps: I'll add that to the mix next time. If it WAS CO2 coming out of solution, I know I had a solid blanket in there pretty quickly.
I didn't use a spunding valve, the receiving keg was at room pressure. This may have been part of the problem. The combination of the flow rate on the reg and the low pressure I was using meant the regulator's needle never left "zero" during the whole process. But, I'd say the whole transfer took more than 5 minutes but less than 10: even with just getting the regulator barely flowing, it may have been pushing too fast.
The take home lesson for me: try the whole setup you plan on using with water or starsan before risking a full 5 gallon batch of hooch!
Didn't purge the keg beforehand, DID the "five purge" rule after. I know I should have purged the keg before, but have never had issues with oxidation in my ciders before. Baby steps: I'll add that to the mix next time. If it WAS CO2 coming out of solution, I know I had a solid blanket in there pretty quickly.
I didn't use a spunding valve, the receiving keg was at room pressure. This may have been part of the problem. The combination of the flow rate on the reg and the low pressure I was using meant the regulator's needle never left "zero" during the whole process. But, I'd say the whole transfer took more than 5 minutes but less than 10: even with just getting the regulator barely flowing, it may have been pushing too fast.
The take home lesson for me: try the whole setup you plan on using with water or starsan before risking a full 5 gallon batch of hooch!
It usually takes me more like 30 to 40 min per 5 gallons. 5 to 10 sounds too fast.
Ike
nOob for life
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2015
- Messages
- 532
- Reaction score
- 186
Wow. OK. Got it.
kricks111
Active Member
I tried 0.5 micron on a plate chiller and it completely clogged up. The beer wouldn't flow through at all. This was 1 stage. If you pass it through the 5 micron filter first, you may have better luck, but it got messy and I'm scared to try. Good luck!!
