# If I filter do I need to cold crash?



## Patrick_BCB (3/7/17)

Just looking to streamline my brewing. I currently cold crash and then filter into a keg. Can I skip the cold crash? I expect the filter might clog more but that's ok. If I can remove 3 days of cc'ing from my brew cycle I can brew more often.

Thoughts?


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## Grott (3/7/17)

Out of interest do you currently get much crap in the filter after you have cold crashed?


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## Patrick_BCB (3/7/17)

Yeah I do get chunks of yeast left behind in the filter. Need to hose it out after.


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## trevgale (3/7/17)

I would say yes. Based on my experience cold crashing and holding at -1 seem to help remove chill haze as well as yeast.


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## Coodgee (3/7/17)

I streamlined my brewing by getting rid of the filter. Fining actually works much better for me - biofine clear gives me a really bright beer. as in as bright as a VB or XXXX Gold.


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## Patrick_BCB (3/7/17)

Thanks Coodgee. I fined with cold crashing and gelatine before going to filtering. Like lots of processes I went additive rather than thinking about what I was replacing. Now I am thinking of removing this step altogether and just filtering.


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## trevgale (3/7/17)

If you are filtering, I would not worry about finning, just crash chill and hold it a few days.


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## Coodgee (4/7/17)

If you filter warm you will have no chance or removing chill haze but you might remove it if you filter cold.


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## Garfield (5/7/17)

I'd sooner ditch filtering and keep CCing IMHO. What grade is the filter in microns?


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## AJS2154 (5/7/17)

Patrick_BCB said:


> Just looking to streamline my brewing. I currently cold crash and then filter into a keg. Can I skip the cold crash? I expect the filter might clog more but that's ok. If I can remove 3 days of cc'ing from my brew cycle I can brew more often.
> 
> Thoughts?



Gee mate, if 3 days is adding too much time to your brewing process you must be running a high volume operation. I have a filter, but tend to CC and then put it in a keg. Only time I filter is if there is a concern with hops in the finished product.....dry hopping can do that!

See you, Anthony


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## Quokka42 (5/7/17)

That's the "secret" method of Carlton cold, etc. The beer is crashed to about freezing to coagulate the proteins, then it is filtered. This allows them to be a bit more wild with their recipes and still produce a clear beer.


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## Brewman_ (5/7/17)

Patrick_BCB said:


> Just looking to streamline my brewing. I currently cold crash and then filter into a keg. Can I skip the cold crash? I expect the filter might clog more but that's ok. If I can remove 3 days of cc'ing from my brew cycle I can brew more often.
> 
> Thoughts?


If you want super bright beer, you must filter cold. You can't remove things like chill haze until it forms, and it forms when cold. You don't need three days CC, just need to get it cold and let any haze form.

You'll get better results if you use some Polyclar as part of your filtering process..


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## Dan Pratt (6/7/17)

if you are filtering then simply reduce the length of the cold crash to 1day. Set the fridge to 4c the night before and when it reaches that temp do your transfer to serving keg.


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## Batz (6/7/17)

Coodgee said:


> I streamlined my brewing by getting rid of the filter. Fining actually works much better for me - biofine clear gives me a really bright beer. as in as bright as a VB or XXXX Gold.




I've never heard of this, how do you add it?


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## winkle (6/7/17)

Batz said:


> I've never heard of this, how do you add it?


Kegs23 and Mitch from Craftbrewer have been singing its praises for a while now.


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## TidalPete (6/7/17)

FYI
http://brulosophy.com/2016/05/23/th...gelatin-vs-biofine-clear-exbeeriment-results/

Cold crashing + a week or so in the keg does it for me these days.
No more filtering, no more gelatine. 
Just a more streamlined process.


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## Coodgee (6/7/17)

yeah Anthony from craftbrewer put me onto it. The xbmt test found it to be no better than gelatin, but my understanding is that biofine works on a wide range of haze causing issues. I have found it to be a very easy solution. I just inject 10ml down the gas dip tube of my keg and give it a shake before carbonating. drops very clear in less than 48 hours. I accidentally put some in a wit (got the kegs mixed up) and 10ml dropped the bastard clear as a bell!!


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## Batz (6/7/17)

TidalPete said:


> FYI
> http://brulosophy.com/2016/05/23/th...gelatin-vs-biofine-clear-exbeeriment-results/
> 
> Cold crashing + a week or so in the keg does it for me these days.
> ...



I do the same thing, gave filtering away some time back. I've never liked gelatin, I.... _possibly _imagine I can taste it, but it's enough for me not to use it.

Beers are very clear but don't sparkle like a filtered beer does, might give biofine a try..nothing to loose I guess.


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## Batz (6/7/17)

Coodgee said:


> yeah Anthony from craftbrewer put me onto it. The xbmt test found it to be no better than gelatin, but my understanding is that biofine works on a wide range of haze causing issues. I have found it to be a very easy solution. I just inject 10ml down the gas dip tube of my keg and give it a shake before carbonating. drops very clear in less than 48 hours. I accidentally put some in a wit (got the kegs mixed up) and 10ml dropped the bastard clear as a bell!!




OK your convinced me to give it a try.


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## Coodgee (6/7/17)

Batz said:


> OK your convinced me to give it a try.



Anthony also put me onto the floating cask widge that replaces a keg dip tube. Draws the beer from the top of the keg. Using this I can still move the keg and still get clear beer.


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## Rocker1986 (6/7/17)

I've never liked gelatine either although not for taste reasons, and can't be bothered with a filter set up. I've used a schedule of isinglass first then Polyclar a couple of days later during the CC phase (which is about a week long), kegging the beer a few days after the Polyclar is added. I've had great results from this, but I might give the Biofine a go at some stage too and see how it compares to my current procedures.

I've thought about a floating dip tube type thing for my kegs but once they go in the kegerator they stay put until empty so no real need for it in my situation I guess.


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## RdeVjun (7/7/17)

+1 for the Cask Widge floating pickup.
I am fairly time poor and also loathe excessive process tinkering but brewing much Eurolager (its quite popular with the family & friends), so I've been using BrewBrite in the boil and the floating pickup in the cornie, results in brilliantly clear pale lager well within a fortnight of going into the keggerator, it's actually quite astounding. I leave it CCing for up a week before kegging too, no racking or any such nonsense though.
Anyway, as usual, there are many ways to tackle this particular issue or achieve certain ends, it's fair to say though that few folks can be arsed with filtering, I'm one of them.


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## Bribie G (7/7/17)

You bastards
Just when I thought I had it all sorted.

Soooo

Biofine $10
2x cask widge floats $59
2× gas dip tubes $19
Postage say $10

$89all up.


Suckers had betta work or Hulk get very angry and you wouldn't want to see Hulk get angry.


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## Coodgee (7/7/17)

^^haha it works I promise and I agree it's pretty exy.


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## Bribie G (7/7/17)

Ordered.


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## Aus_Rider_22 (7/7/17)

RdeVjun said:


> +1 for the Cask Widge floating pickup.
> I am fairly time poor and also loathe excessive process tinkering but brewing much Eurolager (its quite popular with the family & friends), so I've been using BrewBrite in the boil and the floating pickup in the cornie, results in brilliantly clear pale lager well within a fortnight of going into the keggerator, it's actually quite astounding. I leave it CCing for up a week before kegging too, no racking or any such nonsense though.
> Anyway, as usual, there are many ways to tackle this particular issue or achieve certain ends, it's fair to say though that few folks can be arsed with filtering, I'm one of them.



Unless I am missing something, wouldn't 20-30ml of Biofine at kegging result in the same clarity, minus the parts and sanitising for each brew?

If you are leaving the beer cold in the keg for 2 weeks before drinking, it should have dropped clear, except for the first glass or two.

Adding biofine before transfer of beer to keg would less in process tinkering than adding/removing and sanitising the widget float line thingo.

All IMO, and look forward to further results as I would join the widget train if clarity happens before biofine works.


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## TidalPete (7/7/17)

Sucked in also.
Just got back with the Bifofine (amongst other things) in my hot little hands.
This had better work to expectations.


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## Coodgee (7/7/17)

Aus_Rider_22 said:


> Unless I am missing something, wouldn't 20-30ml of Biofine at kegging result in the same clarity, minus the parts and sanitising for each brew?
> 
> If you are leaving the beer cold in the keg for 2 weeks before drinking, it should have dropped clear, except for the first glass or two.
> 
> ...



I think the idea is that the biofine drops all the haze, tannin, protein etc to the bottom and the widge draws the beer from as far away from that shit as possible. Yes you are probably right that you would just as good clarity from using the dip tube and fining in the fermentation vessel. But the widge is bright red and fun to say!


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## RdeVjun (7/7/17)

Good point Aus, but I don't remove the widge, treat it just the same as a dip tube and I only occasionally run sanitiser though a keg too, so all in all not much different.
I should also add that the method above has delivered the most startling results consistently, I've tried pretty much the whole spectrum of clearing agents and techniques, except for biofine.


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## Batz (7/7/17)

TidalPete said:


> Sucked in also.
> Just got back with the Bifofine (amongst other things) in my hot little hands.
> This had better work to expectations.



Cheers Pete, please post your finings


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## Patrick_BCB (10/7/17)

Thanks for all the input. I have kept the cold crash but reduced how long it's cold for to a day. I brew weekly, on Saturday and exclusively ales. So am kegging the second Saturday after I mash my grains. But I have considered doing a weeknight brew to double my output and hence the original question.
I get a good result with this process. Not aiming for commercial clarity but want the yeast to stay away and never to have another stray hop plug up my dip tube poppet.


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