10 micron stainless filters - What can I use these for?

[kpr121]

So my dad brought two stainless steel filters home from his work. He said they found them while cleaning and were going to just throw them away. He immediately thought I could use them for something, and I hopefully agree, just don't know for what.

The filters are approximately 10 inches long, maybe 1 1/2 inches in diameter, and on the package it says they are 10 micron. They have what looks to be 1/4 inch male pipe threads and one has an adapter to go to 1/2 inch male. They look to be brand new as they are in in original packaging.

I was thinking to use these to filter my beer post fermentation but it seems like 10 microns might be too big to make a difference. Every post I've read seems like 5 microns is the go-to size. I also thought about using it after the boil to get rid of break material, but it might get clogged up when using pellet hops. I'm not all the concerned to get rid of all that gunk anyways, it just settles out in the fermenter.

So my question to all you DIY pros out here on the interwebz, what the hell should I use these things for?!

 

[o2nut]

I have access to similar ones but about 6" long. My only thoughts would be to use them for oxygenating your wort to the fermenter. Another use would be to put one into a keg for carbonating. At my work, we sell them for sparging wine. So instead of a filter it turns into a diffusion stone. Hope this helps.

 

[kpr121]

O2nut, I was thinking about using them as an oxygen diffusion stone, I was planning on trying to get an O2 setup anyway. Thanks for the thoughts.

What all would i need to get this thing connected to the disposable 02 tanks they sell at Lowes/HD?

And a second question, will 10 micron do absolutely nothing to filter the beer? I may just try it on my AHS Kolsch or Dunkel that is currently conditioning just to see if its worth the work.

 

[o2nut]

It will definitely not hurt to use it as a filter. It just may get clogged quickly. The great thing about these stones is that you can boil them to clean and sanitize them. For an O2 set up, the easiest way would be to get the regulator and O2 tank, and then just get a barbed adapter. When your wort is in the carboy or whatever, just put the sanitized stone in the wort and turn the tank on.

 

[kpr121]

Yep I have recently hit that brewing/man/little kid stage where anything stainless and shiny makes me go "WOWWWWW, I need that!" and I love the idea of just throwing this in the boil pot to sanitize.

 

[JonW]

I think pumping O2 through them may be too much volume at once.

How about mounting one inside a water filter canister to make a hop randall out of it. That's what I'd do!

 

[kpr121]

Jon, I actually was thinking about that since he also gave me a water filter as well. The only problem is the filter is too long. I guess I would have to hack the end off it anyhow. I've always been intrigued by the randall but it just seems like a waste of hops to me. Does it really make that big of a difference or is it just some fun novelty?

 

[kpr121]

My wife had another idea, albeit a bit wasteful of the filters intended purpose- turn them into tap handles. Ha they do kinda look like the correct size and shape - just need to adapt to the correct threading.

 

[JonW]

Jon, I actually was thinking about that since he also gave me a water filter as well. The only problem is the filter is too long. I guess I would have to hack the end off it anyhow. I've always been intrigued by the randall but it just seems like a waste of hops to me. Does it really make that big of a difference or is it just some fun novelty?

Most filters are 10 inches, so maybe you can fit it in with some mods to the filter housing. Hacking it apart would probably ruin it. A randallized beer is a big difference from the same non-randallized version. There's a reason Sam Calagione called his "Randall the Enamal Animal"! Send one of those to me and I'll make a randall with it!

 

[shroomzofdoom]

What if you were to get some clear polycarbonate tubing and make randalls? McMaster sells polycarbonate tubing up to 8" or so. You can cut it to length with a hacksaw or circular saw.

 

[kpr121]

Most filters are 10 inches, so maybe you can fit it in with some mods to the filter housing. Hacking it apart would probably ruin it. A randallized beer is a big difference from the same non-randallized version. There's a reason Sam Calagione called his "Randall the Enamal Animal"! Send one of those to me and I'll make a randall with it!

So I just checked, the filter itself (thicker portion) is 10 inches exactly. The 1/4" connection extends it to 11.5 inches. It does not fit by itself in the water filter, it is too tall by about 1.5 inches. For it to work, I would have to probably A. hack the interior of the water filter (not that big of a deal) and also B. either cut off the 1/4" connection and/or the other end of the filter.

It does seem like this might work. If noone comes up with a better idea, I am going to give this a shot. It would be ideal if I could maybe salvage enough of the filter housing so that if I want to use a conventional filter to clear beer, I can do that. I am of the Alton Brown mentality that unitaskers have no role in my kegerator (except maybe the beer faucet and C02 regulator).

 

[JonW]

Will the fitting unscrew from the end of the filter? It looks like it might. You could always put a different fitting on there. You could even cut it off, drill it out and put a short fitting in there to possibly fit it into the water filter with no modifications to the water filter housing. Hard to tell from the pics.

 

[kpr121]

What if you were to get some clear polycarbonate tubing and make randalls? McMaster sells polycarbonate tubing up to 8" or so. You can cut it to length with a hacksaw or circular saw.

Hmmm I like this idea! That way I wouldnt have to fill up this huge filter housing with beer. Keep it thin, maybe 6" diameter, and fill that baby with hops.

 

[jar1087]

I would definitely give them a try for filtration. I know that some commercial breweries use filters that are that large. You could also use them as a pre-filter before hitting the beer with something smaller, in the 1-5 micron range; it might decrease clogging in the second stage and make the pads last longer, and it can be boiled or soaked in oxyclean, since it's stainless.

 

[kpr121]

Will the fitting unscrew from the end of the filter? It looks like it might. You could always put a different fitting on there. You could even cut it off, drill it out and put a short fitting in there to possibly fit it into the water filter with no modifications to the water filter housing. Hard to tell from the pics.

Jon, if it does unscrew, I must be weak. I tried to pop it off with a wrench and no go, although it does look like it is not welded on at least from the outside. Maybe the inside is.

 

[kpr121]

Dammnnnn polycarbonate tubing is expensive. Mcmaster has 5 inch diameter for 29.26 per foot. I want this to be a cheap DIY project, maybe I'll stick to the filter housing somehow.

 

[kpr121]

So if I were to attempt to cut one of these, what would be the best way? My gut instinct would be a hacksaw to the end with the fitting, but it would be nice if i could just cut the fitting out. I don't have access to a plasma cutter.

 

[Sawdustguy]

Cut one end and make it into a hop filter for your boil kettle.

 

[kpr121]

Cut one end and make it into a hop filter for your boil kettle.

This might work for pellet hops, but if I were to use whole leaf I imagine I wouldnt be able to get more than 1 or 2 ounces in there.

 

[kpr121]

Welp, I am going for the randall in the water filter idea (at least with one of the filters). My dad and I figured out that by hacking off 1/2" of the threaded end of steel filter, and drilling a 5/8 hole in the other end, it will fit in the water filter housing. I did have to cut the circular nipple out of the top of the housing with a dremel and plastic cutting wheel for clearance.

Im thinking that with a few stacked orings, I can create a seal from the "in" side of the filter to the "out".

I do have concerns that when used as a randall, that the beer will not flow through all the hops, but will simply want to flow through the top of the filter. Should I plan on some type of sheathing or something that forces the beer down to the bottom, then back up through the filter?

Ill try to get some pics up tomorrow, my dad has it since he is going to pick up some new step bits from Harbor Freight (mine were all burned out from keggle modding). That steel on the end looks to be nearly 1/4" thick!