Filtered for the first time

[JVD_X]

I have filtered my beer for the first time and I am AMAZED.

I am not usually the filtering type. I use Whirlflock, watch my racking, give my beer extra time to clear naturally and almost always have brilliantly clear beer - at least I thought so.

At my last beer club meeting the topic of filtering was brought up by one of the members... and it seems that just about everyone that wins the competitions filters theirs, so I figured 'what the heck'.

We have an American Lager competition coming up so I figured I would go all out and use every trick in the book.

What I have found is that... at least for THIS category... filtering has made a huge difference in the beer.

 

[ClaudiusB]

What I have found is that... at least for THIS category... filtering has made a huge difference in the beer.

Welcome to the club

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[Zen_Brew]

What filtering solution did you go with?

 

[Brew-boy]

I would like to know if you have made two beers with and without filtering and did you notice a flavor difference? I have many awards with my beers and never filtered. I have thought about it just to have another gadget to play with.

 

[dr_finklestein]

I have filtered my beer for the first time and I am AMAZED.

I am not usually the filtering ....

Did you make it yourself?

 

[JVD_X]

What filtering solution did you go with?

I used a plate filter with number GF1 and GF3 filters.

I would like to know if you have made two beers with and without filtering and did you notice a flavor difference?

I have not done a filter/no-filter comparison but I have never ever produced such a clear beer and I am the patient type. Cold-crashing, time, racking, gelatin, KC super clear, isinglass, you name it... but first time filtering. To be clear I tried my beer several times before racking it to the keg but not after (before carbing and filtering). This was a Light American Pilsner made with 6-row and I had a lot of sharp tannins and chill haze... all gone.

I am sure it is not necessary or right for ALL beers but it certainly helped this time around.

 

[ForRealBeer]

Filters are in better brewhouses for a reason. Sure, you could patiently arrive at the same solution, but I often think that Occam's Razor works in brewing as much as it does engineering processes: the simplest answer that is correct is often the best one you are going to find.

 

[ForRealBeer]

Also a question, JVD: I'm assuming that you went with the sterile pads as opposed to the cheaper non-sterile ones. Is that true, or does it make a difference? I suppose one could always heat them to sterilize them, but it seems to me that doing this might change the pore diameters.

That and did you pump it through or gravity feed through the filter?

 

[david_42]

I use a canister system and run sanitizer through before filtering. That should work with a pad system.

There's no way gravity would do the job with my setup. I use two kegs and CO2 to move the beer.