Filtering Beer

[jknapp12105]

Is there a way to filter beer to clear up the clarity?

 

[ylpaul2000]

Short answer yes, what would you like to know specifically?

 

[Hammy71]

Cold crashing the fermenter is probably one of the easiest ways to help with clarity. Of course, it really depends on what your clarity issue is. It may be chill haze. You can combat that by having a good hot and cold breaks. Also, you may find you get clearer beer by having an efficient wort chilling method. There are ways to 'filter' the beer. If your bottle conditioning this isn't practical, since you'll filter out the yeast you need to carbonate the bottles. If you keg, there are filtering kits to basically 'polish' the beer and take out most if not all of the particles that can effect clarity.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/plate-filtering-pictorial-238690/

 

[jknapp12105]

Short answer yes, what would you like to know specifically?

Of course! I am making an apricot ale and the clarity looks identical to the Pyramid AA. Which is fine, I just want to clear it up some. Can y'all explain the process of cold crashing and how it is done or have a link to explain it. Thanks

 

[Gameface]

I just got done reading the linked thread. I have been been using the same type of plate filter. I have two plate filters connected in series with the "rough" (7 micron) filters first and the "polish" (3 micron) filters second.

I love the results. Using the filters, on the other hand, can be very frustrating.

The most important thing I have learned about using plate filters:

Crash cool your beer before racking to the keg. Colder is better, short of freezing.

Try to start with relatively clear beer.

Clogging a filter is an enormous pain in the ass and results in a lot of wasted beer.

The best things about using a filter, in my opinion, are:

Can transport or move kegs around without stirring up sediment.

Beer is just as clear as commercial beers which seems to be the most impressive thing to non-homebrewers. But face it, when someone pours you a glass of their beer so you can try it the first thing you do is hold it up and look at it. So your beer makes a really good first impression to people new to or not fans of homebrew.

I have split 10 gallon batches and filtered half and not filtered the other. I like the taste of the filtered beer better. Now that may have been something time would have cured, but I didn't end up waiting that long and since I've started filtering I don't have to.

 

[Gameface]

Of course! I am making an apricot ale and the clarity looks identical to the Pyramid AA. Which is fine, I just want to clear it up some. Can y'all explain the process of cold crashing and how it is done or have a link to explain it. Thanks

To cold crash you will have to be able to chill your entire fermentor. I have a 5cuft chest freezer that my fermentor is in with a digital temp controller. I just lower my temps by 3 degrees at a time and get it to about 34-35F. Then I leave it at that temp until I'm ready to rack it to a keg.

 

[Supurb]

I use this filter. I love the results, a very clear beer with no messing around. It is actually very easy for me to use because i do all of my secondary fermentation in soda kegs. I just take the lid with my airlock off, put a normal lid on, and filter away.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00420OIT8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[jknapp12105]

I use this filter. I love the results, a very clear beer with no messing around. It is actually very easy for me to use because i do all of my secondary fermentation in soda kegs. I just take the lid with my airlock off, put a normal lid on, and filter away.

Video Link: http://www.amazon.com/Home-Brew-Stuff-BF-10C-Filtration/dp/B00420OIT8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336685414&sr=8-1

So when you use this device, how do you use it?
The beer is sitting in the secondary fermenter, how do you use it to transfer your beer? Do you use it in our bottling bucket?

 

[dirtyrick1300]

To use that filter you first have to rack to a keg. Then you filter from one keg to another.

 

[signmastr]

I use these. Filters and aerates while adding the wort to my fermenter. http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=24071&catid=685

 

[badbrew]

Anybody know if carbonated beer will filter in the plate filter or canister filter? I am thinking beer that is 12 psi being pushed at 14 with a relief valve set at about 13 to go really slow and not foam up. Will it blow out the filter?

 

[badbrew]

I use these. Filters and aerates while adding the wort to my fermenter. http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=24071&catid=685

Does a big pile of trub remain in that after pouring 5 gallons? Or just hops? If it works on trub, I want it.:fro:

And what size?

 

[helibrewer]

I have tried using a 10 micron canister filter coming out of the kettle and it gets pretty clogged about 1/2 way through 5 gallons. I'm thinking for trying the 100 micron strainer and see how it does....for price you could just about do one of each size...maybe even nest them from large (inner most) to smallest and see how it works.

 

[signmastr]

I use the 400 micron filter. It filters everything, didn't clog and still bottle conditions well...

 

[badbrew]

o.k. I just bought 5 of those ez strainers. Plan is to take my next batch pliny and just toss the hops in the kettle without the filter tube. Then chill, open the valve, drain into a colander on top of a 600 micron filter over a 5 gallon bottomless bucket and into a 100 micron filter over an ale pail.

 

[Gameface]

Anybody know if carbonated beer will filter in the plate filter or canister filter? I am thinking beer that is 12 psi being pushed at 14 with a relief valve set at about 13 to go really slow and not foam up. Will it blow out the filter?

You can't filter carbonated beer in a plate filter. Plate filters are used with uncarbonated beer being pushed by 7-13 psi, and at 11-13 psi the filters leak a little.

 

[Cromwell]

You can't filter carbonated beer in a plate filter. Plate filters are used with uncarbonated beer being pushed by 7-13 psi, and at 11-13 psi the filters leak a little.

This thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/i-got-plate-filter-now-how-do-i-use-200618/

says this:
If you filter carbonated liquids you must do a counter pressure filling,
receiving tank must be pressurized.

Makes sense, nothing about carbonated beer changes the way it goes through the filter, except that it's higher pressure. Long as the plates don't leak, it should work fine.