# Clarifying - Clarify (and Can You Use A Coffee Filter)



## sugarfree (12/10/12)

After the primary fermentation (cider) is complete, some recipes are suggesting to clarify this brew for up to 2 weeks then bottle.
Would you get the same clarity (taste, carbonation etc) if you instead ran the brew through one of those coffee filters then bottled?


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## dougsbrew (12/10/12)

i did try a coffee filter a few years back and found that it blocked up rather quickly, youd have to go - im guessing 1 filter per litre. 
youd be better of forking out some dosh and grab yourself a proper filter, it will work great and last along time.


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## sugarfree (12/10/12)

dougsbrew said:


> youd be better of forking out some dosh and grab yourself a proper filter, it will work great and last along time.


Something like this?


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## sugarfree (12/10/12)

dougsbrew said:


> youd be better of forking out some dosh and grab yourself a proper filter, it will work great and last along time.


Stupid question i know (so dont flame me)... could you use an external fish tank filter (assuming its been sterilized)


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## dougsbrew (12/10/12)

i cant see why not. some breweries do use something similar called a diatomaceous earth filter. 
however setting that up may cost more and may not work.


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## sugarfree (12/10/12)

dougsbrew said:


> however setting that up may cost more and may not work. are you after a cheap clearing method?


 Yes


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## Ces (12/10/12)

sugarfree,

The clarification process your recipes describe is designed for the yeast in cider to 'clean up' any undesirable flavours that may have been produced during vigorous fermentation, then drop out along with other suspended solids.

Whilst the first part of this statement is true, this process is mainly to make the cider 'look clearer' (think cloudy vs bright cider) and has only a small effect on flavour.

In terms of carbonation, given two ciders that have the same amount of CO2 dissolved in them, one cloudy and one bright, the cloudy cider would appear to be more carbonated when poured because of the greater amount of nucleation sites for CO2 bubbles to form.


In terms of your question... I would not filter through coffee grind filter pads. I doubt that they have a fine enough filtrate rating (micron level) to remove all of the yeast cells in the cider and I cant think of a way of doing it with oxygenating my newly finished apple brew. 

Oxygenation of beer/cider/wine on the so called cold side of brewing is unadvisable as you drastically reduce the storage time of whatever you've so lovingly concocted (even below 24 hrs if oxygenated well). There is also the risk of introducing an infection but this is somewhat reduced at the end of fermentation due to the alcohol content of the fermented liquid.

Having said this... if its a small amount and you just want to see what happens... go for it. I wouldn't with a larger batch.



hope this helps.


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## sugarfree (12/10/12)

So the short answer is to leave it alone and bottle as normal (being cloudy doesn't bother me) and not worry about clarifying.

However, as for the frankenstein cider vs ginger beer that i accidentally made, i will have to run it through something (perhaps a cloth filter) to remove the 3 chilies, powered ginger and fresh shredded ginger that's currently bubbling away. :lol:


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## Spork (12/10/12)

If using a fish tank filter, I'd remove the charcoal part. I think it's there to remove odours (aroma).


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## JDW81 (12/10/12)

sugarfree said:


> After the primary fermentation (cider) is complete, some recipes are suggesting to clarify this brew for up to 2 weeks then bottle.
> Would you get the same clarity (taste, carbonation etc) if you instead ran the brew through one of those coffee filters then bottled?



What they mean by clarify (most likely) would be to add a fining agent like gelatine or isinglass. If it were me I wouldn't bother with either fining of filtering.
Bottle it and then let it sit in a cool place for a few months and it will clear up beautifully. I cracked I cider that had been in the bottle for over a year and it is fantastically clear, and only just starting to come into it's own. 

Personally I don't believe in filtering. I'm sure there are pros and cons to it, but for me there is no substitute for time and a cold cement garage floor. 

My 2c.

JD


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## Ces (13/10/12)

sugarfree said:


> However, as for the frankenstein cider vs ginger beer that i accidentally made, i will have to run it through something (perhaps a cloth filter) to remove the 3 chilies, powered ginger and fresh shredded ginger that's currently bubbling away. :lol:



get yourself a siphoning tube... they're not expensive. then you'll be able to siphon it off, leaving behind all your additives and the yeast (provided you've let it condition for awhile and it has clarified). Done.

edit: almost all of the yeast can be left behind (there may still be a minute amount left in suspension but functionally, it is absent).


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## Ces (13/10/12)

Sugarfree,

I should have said that whilst there will be a difference in flavour between a cloudy and a bright cider (or unfiltered vs filtered/not clarified vs. clarified), the major difference will be in mouth feel. A bright product will generally feel thinner on the palate than the same recipe that has been say- bottle conditioned like a coopers pale ale (or in other words, contains some yeast or other solids still suspened in the liquid)


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