Sanitizing Filters

[twitchster]

This is kind of a newbie question but it's one that I need to ask. I normally filter my beer with a 1 micron cartridge filter that I buy from Morebeer. However, due to some problems with my orders from them, I had my wife pick up a filter for me from my LHBS. Morebeer says their filters are packaged in a sterile environment so I've never had to sanitize one before. The filter I just got though, just came loose, not in any kind of packaging. So, my question is, since the yeast has already done it's job, do I need to worry about sanitizing the filter? Is there any risk of infection if I don't? I know I need to sanitize the housing and all the equipment associated with the filtering so it would just seem logical that the filter would need to be sanitized too. If I do need to sanitize it, what would be the best way to get that accomplished? BTW, the filter is a strung wound, one time use filter. Thanks in advance and I'm looking forward to some responses!

 

[helibrewer]

Do you have a pressure cooker? I think heat is the best way although I do not know how hot you can get those filters since there are a lot of plastic parts.

Sanitizer might work but you are going to have to flush it with beer for some unknown timeframe to purge it.

MoreBeer might package in a sterile environment but I doubt the filters are made sterile so a brief dip in sanitizer to handle anything external may be perfectly adequate to equal you past experience.

 

[twitchster]

Do you have a pressure cooker? I think heat is the best way although I do not know how hot you can get those filters since there are a lot of plastic parts.

Sanitizer might work but you are going to have to flush it with beer for some unknown timeframe to purge it.

MoreBeer might package in a sterile environment but I doubt the filters are made sterile so a brief dip in sanitizer to handle anything external may be perfectly adequate to equal you past experience.

As far as flushing with beer, are you thinking a couple pints would be adequate? I don't want to waste a bunch of beer to flush if I don't have to. As far as the morebeer filters go, I've never had a problem with them. The filter I'm using now is one from my LHBS so I know nothing about it.

 

[helibrewer]

As far as flushing with beer, are you thinking a couple pints would be adequate? I don't want to waste a bunch of beer to flush if I don't have to. As far as the morebeer filters go, I've never had a problem with them. The filter I'm using now is one from my LHBS so I know nothing about it.

I would think that is adequate. You could also flush it with boiled water then push the water out with beer, the color change would be easy to detect and any boiled water mixed with beer would have no flavor impact.

 

[twitchster]

I would think that is adequate. You could also flush it with boiled water then push the water out with beer, the color change would be easy to detect and any boiled water mixed with beer would have no flavor impact.

Are you suggesting using boiling water instead of sanitizer or boiling water to flush out the sanitizer? Either way, this sounds like a fantastic idea.

 

[helibrewer]

Are you suggesting using boiling water instead of sanitizer or boiling water to flush out the sanitizer? Either way, this sounds like a fantastic idea.

I was suggesting to flush out sanitizer.

 

[twitchster]

After I asked the question, I realized how dumb it was...