When to filter a beer

[STR87]

Hello.

I will try to start filtering my beer to remove yeast from them, so i'm gathering information.
And one article said this:

Despite the fact that filtering can be used to accelerate the aging of your beer, you don’t want to filter your home brewed beer too early. Some important chemical changes take place during the later phases of fermentation and early aging. <...>Allow the beer to fully complete fermentation and then sit in the secondary for at least 2-3 weeks before filtering, then move it to your keg.

Since i'm not happy with this information, i want to ask you, what's your experience and opinion on this matter?
Do you really have to wait this long? I would prefer to keg my beer after 3 weeks of fermentation (without secondary). Could that have negative results on beer taste?

 

[Rev2010]

Most of my beers I give a full 4 weeks in the primary (I never secondary as there's really no need IMO) then keg. I force carb for 30 hours or so at 30psi then purge the gas and set to my desired PSI and one week in the keg then I open the tap for drinking. Been working wonderfully this way. I've tried shortening the time in the fermenter and still have decent results at 3 weeks but I find that for me at 4 weeks the beers come out commercial quality taste-wise. My last hefeweizen however I kegged after 12 days and it came out very good, so for hefe's I will likely do the shorter primary time, but I am sticking to 4 weeks for all my other beers. Your experience may vary. Many here go grain to glass in much much shorter times. Maybe they have some awesome beer brewing mojo I don't have after 8.5 years, maybe their taste buds are just not as susceptible to low levels of off taste compounds, maybe they have a better rapport with yeast than I do, I don't know. So the only way you will know is to try kegging/bottling early vs. letting the beer sit for longer and make your own determination whether there's a difference or not.

That said, I use gelatin to clarify but only for my pilsner. I cold crash after the 4 weeks then add the gelatin and let it sit for 3 days before kegging - so 5 weeks there total. The beer comes out commercially crystal clear but adds that one week to step the temp down and sit with the gelatin.


Rev.

 

[day_trippr]

How do you avoid sucking up the gelatin when racking to a keg? Does it form something that's resistant to being lifted off the bottom or do you just avoid going that deep with the cane?

I've never used gelatin but have been thinking of trying it just for grins. I'd prefer doing it in a cold-crashed primary rather than the keg if the technique is effective without significant loss...

Cheers!

 

[TheMadKing]

How do you avoid sucking up the gelatin when racking to a keg? Does it form something that's resistant to being lifted off the bottom or do you just avoid going that deep with the cane?

I've never used gelatin but have been thinking of trying it just for grins. I'd prefer doing it in a cold-crashed primary rather than the keg if the technique is effective without significant loss...

Cheers!

Basically yes what you said, I just keep the racking cane above it so it doesn't get sucked up.

I've done it in primary a few times, but I almost always use gelatin in the keg. It doesn't interfere with cleaning, and a simple syringe with a QD and some tubing will allow you to add gelatin through the gas port oxygen free

 

[Yooper]

The thing with filtering is that if the beer isn't already clear, you will clog the pads with sediment so fast that filtering can't happen. So you filter a clear beer only, and that may take a couple of weeks.
You could rush it by allowing it to finish fermenting, and start to clear. Then put it in a cold place for 48 hours so that it's pretty clear, then move to the first keg and push it with c02 through the filtering plates to the second keg.
It doesn't need to sit for several weeks- just until it's clear enough to filter.

 

[couchsending]

Never

 

[STR87]

thanks for answers

 

[Rev2010]

How do you avoid sucking up the gelatin when racking to a keg? Does it form something that's resistant to being lifted off the bottom or do you just avoid going that deep with the cane?

I use Ss Brewtech fermenters so I don't use a racking cane. I have the diptube faced sideways for most of the drain then when near the very end I rotate the diptube to face down by pushing it with a long plastic sanitized brew spoon (I don't like rotating the whole valve). Works perfectly and doesn't suck anything up. Any tiny amount of yeast that might still get sucked up at the end comes out with the first pour of 3oz or so that I discard. Some people clarify with gelatin right in the keg and the gelatin gets sucked up with the first pour. I just prefer to leave it in the fermenter and reduce any beer waste.


Rev.

 

[couchsending]

I use Ss Brewtech fermenters so I don't use a racking cane. I have the diptube faced sideways for most of the drain then when near the very end I rotate the diptube to face down by pushing it with a long plastic sanitized brew spoon (I don't like rotating the whole valve). Works perfectly and doesn't suck anything up. Any tiny amount of yeast that might still get sucked up at the end comes out with the first pour of 3oz or so that I discard. Some people clarify with gelatin right in the keg and the gelatin gets sucked up with the first pour. I just prefer to leave it in the fermenter and reduce any beer waste.


Rev.

You’d rather expose your beer to more O2 than rotate the racking arm?

 

[Rev2010]

You’d rather expose your beer to more O2 than rotate the racking arm?

First off, that short period of time with just the surface of the beer exposed has never given me any perceivable oxidation. Second, I have to remove the vodka from the airlock so that the fermenter can drain anyhow - so air is already coming in. Third, I have to open the lid and look in anyway to see when the beer level is about to go below the horizontal tube cause I want a continuous smooth flow without a break where air rushes into the tubing than is forced into the beer in the keg once the valve is rotated and flow resumes.

So yeah, I'd rather use the spoon.


Rev.

 

[couchsending]

First off, that short period of time with just the surface of the beer exposed has never given me any perceivable oxidation. Second, I have to remove the vodka from the airlock so that the fermenter can drain anyhow - so air is already coming in. Third, I have to open the lid and look in anyway to see when the beer level is about to go below the horizontal tube cause I want a continuous smooth flow without a break where air rushes into the tubing than is forced into the beer in the keg once the valve is rotated and flow resumes.

So yeah, I'd rather use the spoon.


Rev.

You have Co2 right? Why not get the pressure transfer valve SS sells? Got a bathroom scale? If so you don’t even need to open it up to see, you can just go by weight. If you’re making anything where hop aroma is important all that oxygen exposure is definitely not doing the beer any good.

 

[Rev2010]

You have Co2 right? Why not get the pressure transfer valve SS sells?

I'll look into it. Though up till now as mentioned I haven't noticed any issue and my IPA comes out great. Could be though that it would be even better doing pressure transfers with CO2 and I just don't yet know what I'm missing


Rev.

 

[Jtvann]

I'll look into it. Though up till now as mentioned I haven't noticed any issue and my IPA comes out great. Could be though that it would be even better doing pressure transfers with CO2 and I just don't yet know what I'm missing


Rev.

I've even got a spare pressure transfer fitting and weldless tc bulkhead that I'll sell ya for drastically reduced price. I dont use both of my brew buckets anymore. No need for multiple fittings

 

[wilserbrewer]

Never

Time and temperature is critical imo....

Enough time at cold temps and filtering is not needed for my taste jmo

Sparkling clear beer can be obtained without all the hoops of filtering.

Just not needed imo.

 

[Soulshine2]

Hello.

I will try to start filtering my beer to remove yeast from them, so i'm gathering information.
And one article said this:



Since i'm not happy with this information, i want to ask you, what's your experience and opinion on this matter?
Do you really have to wait this long? I would prefer to keg my beer after 3 weeks of fermentation (without secondary). Could that have negative results on beer taste?

I dont secondary as a habit. I did once for my coconut porter . I also dont filter my beer. I bottle and I'm fine with a slow steady pour and seeing a little yeast on the bottom .

 

[Bubbles2]

A Fining agent will drop your yeast. The Racking or Transfer is always a challenge. .5 micron is the size of yeast, so you will have a challenge with a Filter that small (needs pressure). You could run a mesh sack on the end of your Cane if that is how you are transferring...zip tie and sack if the flow wants to draw Trub or Cake. If you want it clear and clean like the store bought stuff, that is Cold Crash and Filter I believe. However a fining agent and leaving beer will get you close. I usually have a solid Pint+ left over which I save for beer batter...Yum Yum

 

[robcj]

Time and temperature is critical imo....

Enough time at cold temps and filtering is not needed for my taste jmo

Sparkling clear beer can be obtained without all the hoops of filtering.

Just not needed imo.

Please note that people may have other reasons than clarity for filtering their beer. For example, I am aware that some people have medical reasons for filtering yeast from beer.