Beer Filtration System

[WortMonger]

Well, I bought my stuff from USWATERSYSTEMS.COM because they were running a special. I got a sweet clear housing for like $14, and a .45 micron 100% pleated polypropylene filter for $31... but it is reusable and autoclavable. The housing can be ordered the way you want it as far as relief button, inlet and exit port sizes, and whether or not you want a mounting bracket. I know the filter might be overkill from the cheaper through-aways... but you can do the math on how long it takes to equal the price differential from the cheaper filters.

I have not used mine for its intended purpose yet. I had a beer on tap that was yeasty post transfer, so I attached the filter pre-tap in my kegerator and it works great. The beer after that, I didn't even transfer. I just threw it in the kegerator and tapped it (it was pressure fermented in an unmodified Sanke and all the yeast was still there). I could see the yeast build up during the first couple of pints inside the filter housing, but just like after crash cooling that did not increase after the first day of pulling pints. I am really excited to use this for keg to keg transfers, but man it is so sweet inline like it is. I haven't had to clean it yet. I just let it expel the first beer out before getting a 100% next beer taste. Worked like a charm, and any oxidation is a non-issue since it is going into your glass for instant consumption.

Thanks for the thread, it is what made me pull the trigger after re-reading all the other filter threads.

 

[Hermit]

[/URL] for like $14, and a .45 micron 100% pleated polypropylene filter for $31... but it is reusable and autoclavable.

They call it disposable? Are you saying it can be autoclaved based on the material used?

 

[WortMonger]

Yep, went through all of my questions about that as well and they were put to bed. Poly is 100% autoclavable. You wouldn't want to use the filter at high temperatures, but cleaning it is fine. Not to mention you don't have to use heat... Star-San would work just fine.

 

[MrZ2U]

When you get right down to it there is really no reason any of them couldn’t be reused a few times.

Back flush them well to get as much particulate matter as you can out. Get a large kitchen container, something like that, tall enough to hold an element or two and store them in clean water and in the fridge. (don’t freeze). When ready to use give it a flush with Star-San and you should be good to go. I mean if you can get 5 uses out of a $5 element then I think that is a good value right? I would think you could get at least that out of the big box store elements.

 

[WortMonger]

+1 to this! There is no reason you can't squeeze that much use from an cartridge. I would just always say to use one rated absolute and not nominal. That way you know exactly how fine you have it filtered down to.

 

[MrZ2U]

well I found the link that I was looking for a few posts back...
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/midwest-beer-clarity-filter-system.html

They flat out say you can reuse the filters and they dont seem too spendy either.

Still hold with my last post...no reason I can see that one could not use standard ones several times.

Just gotta to the math to see whats the best deal.

 

[ricknewsom]

During my search of old postings I found this old thread and I'm hoping someone can help.

I received a Beer and Wine filtering kit from MoreBeer (item number FIL40 that looks exactly like the one in the video by the OP). The included instructions are sketchy, but it seemed simple enough. Two kegs, one with cloudy beer, one keg sanitized and empty. Connect both lines to the out posts on each keg, apply 3-5 pounds of pressure to the full keg, and the beer flows (slowly) through the one micron filter (in the correct direction) through the sanitized filtration system and should come out nice and bright on the other end.

Except the filtered beer looks exactly as murky and opaque as the un-filtered beer. My only thought is that somehow the filter is not seated properly in the clear plastic housing and the beer follows the path of least resistance AROUND the filter instead of through it.

Help!

 

[j1n]

During my search of old postings I found this old thread and I'm hoping someone can help.

I received a Beer and Wine filtering kit from MoreBeer (item number FIL40 that looks exactly like the one in the video by the OP). The included instructions are sketchy, but it seemed simple enough. Two kegs, one with cloudy beer, one keg sanitized and empty. Connect both lines to the out posts on each keg, apply 3-5 pounds of pressure to the full keg, and the beer flows (slowly) through the one micron filter (in the correct direction) through the sanitized filtration system and should come out nice and bright on the other end.

Except the filtered beer looks exactly as murky and opaque as the un-filtered beer. My only thought is that somehow the filter is not seated properly in the clear plastic housing and the beer follows the path of least resistance AROUND the filter instead of through it.

Help!

I have the same filter kit from morebeer. Is the filter all nasty from the yeast it catches when your done? do you cold crash first? could be chill haze. what micron do you use?

 

[ricknewsom]

I wouldn't say the filter looks "all nasty" at all. Just sort of stained the same color as the beer. Looks barely used. I used a 1 micron filter, and cold crashed.

 

[j1n]

I wouldn't say the filter looks "all nasty" at all. Just sort of stained the same color as the beer. Looks barely used. I used a 1 micron filter, and cold crashed.

When i cold crash and filter its hard to tell the clarity cause of the condensation on the lines. The filter is usually dirty from the yeast that has been filtered. i also use a 1 micron filter and it gets about 90% of the yeast out of the beer. I've used it a few times but i don't normally filter. i only do for kegs i'm going to be transporting for an event. For the rest i just keg and serve from my kegerator or i will bottle from the keg.

The only thing you can really mess up besides not purging the system with co2 is reversing the lines. i did that the first time i filtered cause i wasnt paying attention. Still worked though but maybe not as much as if it was the correct way.