Finally Used My Beer Filter!

[Smashin]

If this is the case I assume this would render the filter useless?? Stupid me if this is what has happened...will have to fork out for a new cartridge...bloody $70 they are, so I hope this is not the case.

:icon_offtopic: but try these guys, same filter unit, best price i've found so far.

http://www.clarencewaterfilters.com.au/sho...p;productId=389

 

[kram]

Yeah got my filter and housing from Clarence. Haven't had a beer to filter through it yet though

 

[pokolbinguy]

Are you turning the filter upside down after bleeding all the Air/C02 out (in the photos it is the wrong way around....compared to when I use to use mine)?

Why does it have to be upside down? Does this make a crucial difference?

hi Pok,

If the beer is chilled when you are filtering then let the filtered sample warm up, - if it goes clear then it is chill haze, if it doesn't then it is yeast and the filter is not working properly.
FWIW I only filter with gravity now, as I found when I transfered with co2 pressure it allways forced a bit of yeast thru the cartridge.

Cheers and clear beers

Beer was at around 12 deg c when it came out of the fermenter so would have been around 15 deg I would assume when filtering.

:icon_offtopic: but try these guys, same filter unit, best price i've found so far.

http://www.clarencewaterfilters.com.au/sho...p;productId=389

Wow $46 is heaps better...I know where to look now!!

 

[lobo]

pok, be careful. i used mine a few times and blew thru the membrane

Lobo

 

[Steve]

Sorry to here about your disappointment Pok. I had a chance to buy the exact same one from Sammy (on here) a month or two back. I gravity filtered with room temp beer. I did one keg with the filter and one with gelatine. After 4 days the gelatine won hands down so I didnt buy it. Maybe I was doing something wrong too. But I had the method down pat (so I thought) after reading different methods on here. The only difference with my filtering compared to others was they filtered cold. Hope you can work it out?
Cheers
Steve

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Pok, I had terrible trouble with incosistent filtering results when I first started doing it - the filters were in fact (despite looking like they were) not seating properly and they were allowing some bypass. The beers would often be "less cloudy" but they were only occasionally crystal clear.

Problem... A filter case off e-bay which didn't quite match my filter cartridge from Ross. I ended up throwing that cartridge away because I thought I had buggered it.... two new ones from Clarence water filters. Same issue. New filter case... same issue AND the filter cartridges from Clarence were much less robust than the ones from Ross, some sort of paper really and only recommended to be cleaned three or four times - I ripped one of them on teh second clean and the other lasted about 8 brews before it ripped.

Finally, a new cartridge from Ross - slightly different than the previous one.... and viola - it works every time now. On the other filter case too...

So these things are slightly different - and it just might turn out that your doesn't mesh together all that well. I strongly suggest that you buy ALL the components from the one retailer so you can be assured that they work together.

Show us a picture of the ends of your filter cartridge - I can tell you if its the same design that was giving me trouble. Also, smear some keg lube on the end plates of the filter cartridge and then put in your filter and tighten it up... if you undo it and look at the marks made by the casing on the filter rubbers..... you might be able to identify if there is a spot where things aren't sealing properly.

Post that pick.

TB

 

[pokolbinguy]

TB,

All parts were purchased from craftbrewer...in seperate orders though. I had another dual filter housing that I was going to use but the filter cartridge that I bought from Ross did not fit so I ended up buying the rest of the kit (housing etc) from him.

The cartridge looks like This



Pok

EDIT: Ok so I went and had a look at the filter cartridge a bit closer after TB's comments and have the following to report back..

In the top of the filter cartridge there is a preformed groove, now is this groove meant to be EXACTLY the same size as the male part on the inside of the filter housing? So that they line up? This would seem logical to me. But surely if it is done up tight then it would not leak....well one would hope.

Now the photos:





If this is the problem then that is really frustrating considering I bought both the parts from the same supplier withing 3 weeks of each other...surely they are meant to go together???

Any comments on this would be great.

Thanks so far folks.

Pok

 

[pokolbinguy]

Added new photos above.

 

[Doogiechap]

Added new photos above.

Pok if you ran the beer through at 30 - 40 PSI then I would suspect that you permanently trashed the filter by forcing larger particles through it. As Thirsty and Dicko mentioned, gravity or a low application of pressure is the go. I feel that some higher pressure on my filter has compromised it's filtering ability somewhat but not enough to justify a replacement yet. The piccy's you posted of the seal look pretty normal (although is the bottom the same ?). I still use mine occasionally but perhaps for the beers that are going to be consumed prior to what can be achieved with a longer CC process.
Sorry for the possible bad news :-(
Cheers
Doug

 

[pokolbinguy]

Pok if you ran the beer through at 30 - 40 PSI then I would suspect that you permanently trashed the filter by forcing larger particles through it.

Wasn't that fast.....

would take a punt that it was running at about 20-40 kpa

Which is about 3-6 psi...the only thing I can think of though is that I did put it up too high at one point...but from memory I had it now where near 1/2 way to 100 kpa...so even if I pushed it to 50-60kpa (7.5-9psi) would this be enough to blast the crap out of it?

The piccy's you posted of the seal look pretty normal (although is the bottom the same ?).

Bottom is the same....I have no idea what is causing the problem then...maybe I scored a dodgey filter...but I doubt that...there has to be a logical explanation to why this didnt work.

 

[hoohaaman]

I had similar problems when I first started filtering also.I blew the filter by applying to much pressure.

Upon receiving my next filter I only used gravity and applied keg lube to top and bottom of cartridge.30 mins later bright beer

I still have the occasional issue will chill haze,which polyclar negates, if I could be buggered.The megaswill drinkers don't notice it so who am I to make extra work for myself

 

[pokolbinguy]

I had similar problems when I first started filtering also.I blew the filter by applying to much pressure.

Upon receiving my next filter I only used gravity and applied keg lube to top and bottom of cartridge.30 mins later bright beer

I still have the occasional issue will chill haze,which polyclar negates, if I could be buggered.The megaswill drinkers don't notice it so who am I to make extra work for myself

Its sounds more and more like I may have stuffed my filter on the 1st go....not a happy chappy!!!

Could my problem be protein haze? What ever the heck that is....off to research that...

 

[hoohaaman]

I know it's a costly mistake,but I just wore it and moved on.

On the up side using gravity will save co2 costs.

You also just may have pushed yeast through a bad seal,being your first time and all.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I'm leaning towards the filter stuffing idea now - when I had my problems, it was because my filter housing had a bigger "male" ridge and it was edging out over the step in teh filter (and some of the filters I had had bigger grooves too) yours looks very much like its sealing properly at the ends... which means the haze must be going through.

Check it for holes - sometimes the seam comes unglued - and have another shot - just dissolve some yeast in water so you aren't mucking about with your beer and wasting it - if you cant get it to turn clear ever - filter is buggered. If it goes clear sometimes - filter is OK and you are having a sealing issue.

You seem to be doing everything right - perhaps its time to start corresponding directly with craftbrewer to see if you can work out a solution if you just cant make it work.

Hope you work it out

TB

 

[yardy]

can be achieved with a longer CC process.

who am I to make extra work for myself

gday pok,

I realise you've bought & paid for the unit but imo these two comments say it all, i don't filter, rack to a secondary, or use gelatine/polyclar and still consistently get good clarity.
crash chill at the end of ferment to around 2 or 3 degrees and leave it for 10 to 14 days, a gentle transfer to the keg and a day or two to settle.
obviously the biggy here is instant clear beer compared to a wait of over 2 weeks but if all the serving kegs are full time isn't a factor.
i hope you get sorted either way, just my 2 bobs.

cheers
Yard

btw, i have used gelatine once to clear a 2575 Kolsch, i couldn't wait the 3 to 4 weeks for it to drop :icon_cheers:

 

[Back Yard Brewer]

Hmmm doesnt seem to be any better at all. I interrupted it and got myself a sample....

View attachment 28017

No idea what I am doing / have done wrong. Only thing I can think of is that the cloudiness is a haze due to some part of my AG process. Chill haze from no chill maybe? (cant say I really know what that is though so could be completely wrong).


Pok

+1
I have been reading this thread with interest. Not that I bother to filter my beer since gel is all I use and I am a kegger. But with beer and the same as wine CHILL HAZE could be your problem or a loose fitting cartridge. As long as the filter is sealing there should not be a problem if the internal diameter is bigger that the sealing lid as in your photo. Back to gelatine, I can't fault that stuff one bit. I get near on crystal clear bear in no time. Then CPBF when I need some take aways.

Well thats my 10c worth. CYA

BYB

 

[Tony]

Hey Poc.

Without reading both pages of posts..... forgive me it this has been said before.

I had problems with my filter..... identical to yours, leaking.

I found that when i thightened up the top, it squeezed down on the filter, causing the rigid plastic support inside the filter cartridge to pop out one end.

Its done this from the first time i used it and doesnt affect the filters performance.

It always pops out at one end of the cartridge and i found that if i had this end where it pops out at the bottom of the filter housing, it leaked because there wasnt clearance for the inner support to poke out. If the end it pops out of is at the top (or at the white screw on top end) there is clearance and the filter seals.

Also some food grace lube on the pink ends of the filter cartridge wher the sealing ribs in the housing contact it is a good idea. I also smear some on the white cap surface that contacts the filter housing o ring.

will take some pictures if you need them

cheers

 

[pokolbinguy]

Hmm this has all got me thinking more and more. Flicked Ross an email and he said to ring him....so will try and get to that today.

Thanks for all the help so far folks.

Pok

 

[Tony]

Which is about 3-6 psi...the only thing I can think of though is that I did put it up too high at one point...but from memory I had it now where near 1/2 way to 100 kpa...so even if I pushed it to 50-60kpa (7.5-9psi) would this be enough to blast the crap out of it?

It got the better of me mate and i read it all.

I filter at 20kpa and have pushed well over 1000 liters of beer through it. Still brings them up shinny clean.

If the filter was leaking past a seal...... which i really think may be the case here, then there would have been vertually no pressure "across" the filter cartridge (difference in pressure between the in and out side). If it was sealing then you would find you would have bugger all differential pressure across the filter while its clean anyway.

If they block up and flow stops..... which i have experienced, you have to take them out and clean them as aposed to upping the pressure. If there blocked then the pressure you have applied th the housing will be the difference between in and out of the filter and may dammage it if it gets too high.

cheers

 

[Batz]

Those results are shocking !

Even with way to much C02 pressure a new filter would give you clear beer the first time.
Either, as said before your cartrage is not seated in the housing or are you putting the beer in the wrong side?


Batz