Page 1 of 2
Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 10:03 pm
by sleepyjamie
I'd like to try and start filtering. Lately I've been wanting super clear beer and I don't want to wait months or many pours from the keg to achieve this. Discuss....
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 10:27 pm
by NASH
Filters are illegal. Discuss...
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 11:55 pm
by mr x
I filtered my beer. Once. Wasn't worth the effort. Probably made the beer look better and taste worse.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 2:12 am
by jeffsmith
Why not finings in the keg instead? Seems like a lot of risk of contamination and oxidization just for clear beer.
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 12:21 pm
by sleepyjamie
Yeah I'm concerned about adding contamination. What sort of fining agents can one use for the keg?
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 12:35 pm
by jeffsmith
sleepyjamie wrote:Yeah I'm concerned about adding contamination. What sort of fining agents can one use for the keg?
Gelatin, Isinglass, and Biofine all come to mind.
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 12:37 pm
by sleepyjamie
Ah yes forgot about the gelatin. I recall rubbertoe used it once but don't remember the results
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 12:57 pm
by mr x
Due to my boredom, we now have this.

Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 1:27 pm
by sleepyjamie
Haha
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 2:24 pm
by dean2k
"unfiltered" is part of my branding strategy.
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 3:02 pm
by GAM
Smiler to X I filtered once. PITA. I have the whole house filter in the basement that you can have for the shipping.
Sandy
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 3:15 pm
by sleepyjamie
I have a filter. Ill try out the gelatin first and crash cool a little longer. Some beers turn out clear while others take much longer. It's a pita
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 3:17 pm
by LeafMan66_67
sleepyjamie wrote:I have a filter. Ill try out the gelatin first and crash cool a little longer. Some beers turn out clear while others take much longer. It's a pita
Use a dark colored glass - won't see that it's not clear!

Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 3:35 pm
by sleepyjamie
Haha. Maybe I'm just being anal. Lately I just want super clear beer like the pros.
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 4:09 pm
by mr x
Now you're just asking for abuse hahahahahahahaaaaaaaaa
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 4:14 pm
by Jayme
I just to filter but after clogging it far too often I switched to gelatin. 90% the beers is just as clear as it would have been after filtering
Sent from a rotary telephone using taps talk
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 4:23 pm
by NASH
dean2k wrote:"unfiltered" is part of my branding strategy.
We're going head to head then!
Transmitted from the hop-phone.
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 4:30 pm
by sleepyjamie
Jayme wrote:I just to filter but after clogging it far too often I switched to gelatin. 90% the beers is just as clear as it would have been after filtering
Sent from a rotary telephone using taps talk
This is the advice in looking for. Screw all you filtering haters. Lol

Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 4:32 pm
by dean2k
NASH wrote:dean2k wrote:"unfiltered" is part of my branding strategy.
We're going head to head then!
Transmitted from the hop-phone.
No contest. Mine are hammered with mediocrity.

Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 11:29 am
by benwedge
I realize that they are not welcome in most Brewnosers' houses, but vegans & vegetarians would not want to find out you're using gelatin, isinglass, or biofine. There are plant-based gelatins out there though, so that may be an option.
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 12:51 pm
by Broob
So filtering seems to be unpopular but what about straining? I know that's not going to make it clear but are there any problems with running from the carboy to a bottling bucket or keg through a strainer? To get dry hops out etc.
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 12:58 pm
by jeffsmith
You'd want to be pretty careful straining at that point. Straining could potentially introduce oxygen that could spoil the beer.
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 1:19 pm
by GuingesRock
benwedge wrote:I realize that they are not welcome in most Brewnosers' houses, but vegans & vegetarians would not want to find out you're using gelatin, isinglass, or biofine. There are plant-based gelatins out there though, so that may be an option.
I didn't even think of that. We have some vegetarian friends who
are allowed in the house to drink beer. They would be horrified. I haven't yet started fining in the keg but was contemplating it. So that's a con in the pros and cons list. Thanks.
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 1:27 pm
by RubberToe
All I have to say is, don't do it! It will just be a pain in the ass and you'll have more stuff to clean. Work on tweaking your process and you'll have clear beer. I don't use gelatin very often because my beer's usually really clear anyways.
I have an IPA that's only 11 days after pitching that I want to be serving this coming weekend. It's reached 1.010 and tastes good from the primary but still very yeasty, we'll see how clear I can get it by the weekend. I forgot how floculant S-05 is not. So on that note you might want to experiment with different yeasts. What you're dealing with is probably chill haze though.
Re: Filtering pros and cons
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 1:47 pm
by GuingesRock
Thanks, That's what I had been thinking. It was a back burner thing. I've started skimming hot break and krausen and whirflocking. My beers cleared before well, it's just since I've been obsessed with this real ale thing, with more yeast in the kegs. I'll see what happens now and go from there. I'm also thinking of kegging a bit later than 4 days, maybe do the week thing. Do you think it would make a difference to move to US-04?
Edit: sorry I was talking about finings and I think you were talking about filtering.