Cider filtration system

[Vaughancider]

Looking for a cider filtration system. I will be filtering approximately 300 gallons at a time. Not looking for new or expensive systems. Any thoughts or ideas? I will probably be looking into 1-2 microns. Wanting to clear and filter the yeast for quicker turnaround.

 

[Yooper]

Looking for a cider filtration system. I will be filtering approximately 300 gallons at a time. Not looking for new or expensive systems. Any thoughts or ideas? I will probably be looking into 1-2 microns. Wanting to clear and filter the yeast for quicker turnaround.

For three hundred gallons at a time, a simple plate filtering system just wouldn't work. They work fine for 5 gallons, but the pads need to be replaced after just 5 gallons.

You'd need something more commercial-like.

 

[Vaughancider]

Thank you, Yooper. I have been looking into converting a home water filtration system into a cider filtration system.

 

[cthomas]

I've decided to try something like this

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOclJsjZnyY[/ame]

which uses a home water filter setup. I'll let you know next month how it goes.

There is a thread here where someone made a 2 stage single pass filter using similar stuff.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=261897

- C. Thomas

 

[MarkKF]

Good luck. You have to remember you usually don't run water full of solids and organisms through such a filter. It might plug up quickly with cider. Report back your results.

 

[Firewalker11]

Thats my filter system, it works well once I cold crash for a week. Keep in mind that I keg ferment, transfer off the yeast under pressure, carbs up naturally then I filter it to the aging keg. Filter didn't plug up, just go REALLY slow, 1/2 hour for 5 gallons slow.

 

[gx37987]

I have made that exact same system and found that if you start off with the 1 - 2 micron filter it will clog up really quickly, so what I have done was start with a 30 micron filter, then step down to a 5 then to a 1, but even after the 1 micorn filter it was still a bit cloudy so I use a wine conditioner (isinglass) and every thing dropps out and I then have a crystal clear cider. If your doing 300 gallons at a time then I would have a system with the 3 filter housings in line of each other and then you would be able to do it in one go.

 

[elerten]

Unless you have a centrifuge, mechanical filtration should be last.

 

[madscientist451]

I fill my swimming pool from a spring and use filters like that to keep mud and debris out of the pool. You can take a hose and blast the crud off the pleated filters and re-use them a few times. Never considered filtering my cider with that, it always clears on its own.
I think it would work and is worth trying the step down method mentioned above.
The other option is buying some 275 gallon IBC totes to store the cider in and building up your stock so you don't need a fast turn around.

 

[Vaughancider]

Thanks for all the great input. Going for the two or three step filtration at this time. For myself I don't mind the unfiltered cider, but looking to make larger amounts to public in near future. The majority of the public likes the clear cider. That either requires a lot of time to just allow the gravity to filter, or a filtration system. We will be looking at a quicker turn around for the cider, filtration will be the answer for us for the majority of the ciders. May even look into the more expensive wine filtration units with nylon plates.