Beer Filter?

[SunDrifter]

Hey Guys and Gals,

I'm a frustrated with my last few batches of beer due to them being fairly cloudy. I'm just doing the kits and bits, but since introducing a lot of hops to my brews, i'm getting less clear beer and more sediment in my bottles. Once primary fermentation is complete, I rack the wort off into another fermenter and chill it for a couple of days, before racking again to bulk prime and bottle, but I'd still like to get my beer a little clearer.

Can anybody recommend me a filtration system that can be gravity fed and allows for bottle conditioning?

I see Craftbrewer has a setup that might work, but is out of stock atm :unsure: http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=720

Fleabay has some as well: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/HOME-BREW-GRAVITY-B...=item5d276b8289

And I called a local water filter store, who have a generic in-line water sediment reducer with a 1 micron filter for about $45.

Help?

 

[rclemmett]

Before you rush out and buy a filter, have you tried finings?

 

[litre_o_cola]

The filter you have found on ebay is like what I have made up but I also set it up with some ball locks for the same price.

With the $45 dollar option did they specify whether the filter was pleated or woven polypropelene? Also just be wary as the in-line may not be a cartridge style that you can wash.

 

[SunDrifter]

Before you rush out and buy a filter, have you tried finings?

I um, err, I didn't, um, yeah, ah, err.... Yeah, didn't really think about Finings actually.... h34r: I haven't tried Finings as yet, i'll have to give it a crack... Though to be honest, the idea of running beer through a filter rather then adding yet more crap into my wort appeals.

The filter you have found on ebay is like what I have made up but I also set it up with some ball locks for the same price.

With the $45 dollar option did they specify whether the filter was pleated or woven polypropelene? Also just be wary as the in-line may not be a cartridge style that you can wash.

I didn't really ask too much about the filters stocked locally, but I can always ask, all i know is that it's a sediment filter, it is replaceable, and the cartridge is about $3. To be honest, the guy at the store hasn't had any queries about beer filtering before. Which setup is better, pleated, or woven polypropelene?

 

[rclemmett]

Finings and crash chilling gets my beers very clear, and I don't need to clean a filter. F*(&^$ I hate cleaning.

 

[samhighley]

Finings and crash chilling gets my beers very clear, and I don't need to clean a filter. F*(&^$ I hate cleaning.

It very much depends on the beer for me. I'm more than happy with the results I achieve on, say, an APA fermented with US-05 (which is a medium flocculating yeast) using just cold chill, gelatin, and keg. A beer like this will be pouring clear enough within a few days, and pretty much crystal clear (visually) within a week.

However, a beer fermented with Kolsch yeast, and processed in the same way, will still be noticeably cloudy after a week or two, and will likely not clear to what I would consider crystal clear for many months at cold temperatures. For this type of beer i'll consider using a filter.

Filtering is a pain in the arse though, as you lose beer, and you've got more crap to clean up. Therefore, I only use mine in limited circumstances.

 

[samhighley]

Though to be honest, the idea of running beer through a filter rather then adding yet more crap into my wort appeals.

Finings adds something to the beer, but filtering takes things out, and not just the stuff you want to take out. Beers that I filter taste noticeably different after filtering, and not always for the better.