Using an inline filter when kegging

[ryanj]

The other day I was kegging a beer that had 4oz of dry hops. I was doing a closed transfer to the keg and I picked up some hop material that collected in the tube right before the quick connect. It slowed the kegging process and ultimately killed my siphon which lost me probably 1/4-1/3 gallon.

I dry hop a lot of my beers and I'm using an Anvil bucket fermentor.

I was thinking about adding one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CH29IK2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 in between the fermentor output and keg input to catch any hops that my dip tube accidently allows through.

Does anyone have any experience working with these? Do they work ok for gravity fed closed transfers?

 

[kcinpdx]

I have the bouncer MD inline filter which is essentially a rebranded version of the one you linked to. I’ve found it to be essential.

 

[ryanj]

I have the bouncer MD inline filter which is essentially a rebranded version of the one you linked to. I’ve found it to be essential.

Any reason why the bouncer brand might be superior to the one I linked? I noticed bouncer is about twice the price.

 

[mongoose33]

Geez, at that price, it's almost impossible not to try it.

I wonder how easy it is to clean.

 

[kcinpdx]

Any reason why the bouncer brand might be superior to the one I linked? I noticed bouncer is about twice the price.

the only thing I can see is that the bouncer has threaded / removable npt nipples whereas I am not sure that the other one does. It is super easy to clean as it all comes apart.

I do use CO2 for transfers, but I would think with enough height and a decent tubing size, gravity could work.

 

[applescrap]

It wont help close transfer but experience led me to use sanitized hop sack around racking cane. I cant think of a way to make a fabric filter work unless you wrap the keg dip tube. A wilser hop sack that he sent me I cant wait to rack with.

 

[Rodent]

I use this inline filter, and also opted for the stainless mesh filter to catch all of the floaters without stripping any flavor from the beer. anything that gets past the stainless mesh also flows thru a poppit without any buildup/clogging

https://www.austinhomebrew.com/Inline-Beer-Filtration-System-10_p_5774.html

since incorporating this into my pressurized transfers, I have yet to get another plugged poppit on IPAs and other heavily dry-hopped beers. I attach this directly to the keg post with an adapter (keg post threads x MFL) and then swap to the standard keg QD fitting once the transfer is complete.

 

[day_trippr]

I've seen that small screen thingie at my lhbs and the mesh is like an order of magnitude coarser than nylon paint bag material. The wound filter, otoh, is way finer but one more thing to have to purge before use and then clean and sanitize carefully afterwards.

fwiw, I always use free-swimming pellets in the fermentors, then cold-crash (under CO2 pressure) and rack through purged lines to a purged keg. This is all I use on the racking cane end as a screen, I start with the cane about halfway down in the beer then follow the level down to the trub. My kegs end up with a ~1/2 tablespoon of trub coating the bottom when they kick and I've never had anything plug up. Easy to clean and sanitize, too...

Cheers!

 

[WBCo]

Does anyone have any experience working with these? Do they work ok for gravity fed closed transfers?

I use one for transferring out of my conical and into my keg. While I can push through with some CO2 pressure, I usually don't have to, gravity is enough.

I hook mine up to the blow off of my conical and onto the keg and use naturally occurring CO2 from the fermentation to actively purge the filter and keg. When I'm ready to keg I just move the "in" side of the filter to the racking arm of the conical and open the valve.

 

[Tartan1]

I use one for transferring out of my conical and into my keg. While I can push through with some CO2 pressure, I usually don't have to, gravity is enough.

I hook mine up to the blow off of my conical and onto the keg and use naturally occurring CO2 from the fermentation to actively purge the filter and keg. When I'm ready to keg I just move the "in" side of the filter to the racking arm of the conical and open the valve.

While using this process, how much residual beer is left in the filter canister or is it completely emptied when fully transferred?

 

[WBCo]

While using this process, how much residual beer is left in the filter canister or is it completely emptied when fully transferred?

I always transfer roughly six gallons into my conical, so my keg is full before the conical is empty. I tend to brew a lot of hoppy beer and like to have a little extra for hop absorption. That being said, the total volume of the filter is very minimal, I'd say close to a shot glass worth of beer is left in it even when it is full. If you are completely draining your fermentation vessel I would think gravity would allow you to empty the filter, but your overall volumes shouldn't change much even if you can't get it to empty all the way.

 

[ryanj]

I see a lot of comments about racking canes. I ferment in an Anvil Fermentor, so I'm at the mercy of my dip tube and holding a siphon throughout the transfer. When transferring a heavily dry hopped beer, I always cold crash for a few days to compact the hops as much as possible. I think for $14, I'm going to try this filter and just hope for the best.

I've had mixed luck with with transferring heavily dry hopped beers. Sometimes they transfer perfectly, sometimes I get clogs.

 

[applescrap]

I've seen that small screen thingie at my lhbs and the mesh is like an order of magnitude coarser than nylon paint bag material. The wound filter, otoh, is way finer but one more thing to have to purge before use and then clean and sanitize carefully afterwards.

fwiw, I always use free-swimming pellets in the fermentors, then cold-crash (under CO2 pressure) and rack through purged lines to a purged keg. This is all I use on the racking cane end as a screen, I start with the cane about halfway down in the beer then follow the level down to the trub. My kegs end up with a ~1/2 tablespoon of trub coating the bottom when they kick and I've never had anything plug up. Easy to clean and sanitize, too...

View attachment 606073

Cheers!

Thats nice work there. Thats what I have come to over the years. With a really hoppy neipa, I leave a little more fabric, dont know if that helps it from getting to plugged up.

 

[kcinpdx]

I see a lot of comments about racking canes. I ferment in an Anvil Fermentor, so I'm at the mercy of my dip tube and holding a siphon throughout the transfer. When transferring a heavily dry hopped beer, I always cold crash for a few days to compact the hops as much as possible. I think for $14, I'm going to try this filter and just hope for the best.

I've had mixed luck with with transferring heavily dry hopped beers. Sometimes they transfer perfectly, sometimes I get clogs.

This device has completely eliminated poppet clogs for me.

 

[milldoggy]

I use the brew hardware wort strainer. Works good. Have had some clogging issues where flow slows. Sometimes I would disassemble and clean and be back in business. https://www.brewershardware.com/FILTER1.html?category_id=295

I use it on 10g batches,

 

[Tartan1]

I use the brew hardware wort strainer. Works good. Have had some clogging issues where flow slows. Sometimes I would disassemble and clean and be back in business. https://www.brewershardware.com/FILTER1.html?category_id=295

I use it on 10g batches,

Do you use an additional filter net (eg .2mm-.3mm) over the fixed screen when transferring to kegs? I have this exact strainer but purchased it to strain out trub/ cold break material after whirl-pooling, from the boil kettle. Haven't had time to plumb it into my setup yet, and didn't even considered using it as a filter for post fermentation before you mentioned it. Sounds like a great idea!!

 

[milldoggy]

I first used the .2 mm screen. It would clog faster. I switched to the .4 and it is much better. I run it opposite of its suggested direction so I can vent the air out of the round top. I have debated drilling the holes bigger so there is more screen surface area.

 

[jjw5015]

Are these barbs compatible with beer line diameters? I want to transfer keg to keg using beverage line and it looks like these barbs are more for 5/16 racking hose.

 

[sicktght311]

I got one of the inline filters from Amazon and it works great. I got the 3/8" barb size for transfer between my ss BrewBucket and my keg, and i just use a 5/16" diameter barb on the Ball lock size since its fairly close to 3/8" and is leak free. Works great! Definitely doesnt replace a good cold crash, but it picks up the last stuff that you might normally miss during closed transfer.

 

[ABI Brewery]

I got one of these and finally got to use it on sunday transfering from two big mouth bubblers to 24 bottles and a 3 gallon torpedo keg and a 5 gallon corny keg, I loved it, decent dry hop on these so had to clean out a couple times but worked great, I am using the blue filter now but thinking about getting the other two, compact, easy as heel to clean and cheep, cant miss!!!