Sterilizing The Filter

[paul d]

i have recieved my new filter today and am going to use to tomorrow do i need to sterilize the filter element,i normally use bleech is this ok

 

[grinder]

i have recieved my new filter today and am going to use to tomorrow do i need to sterilize the filter element,i normally use bleech is this ok

I would sterilize it for your first use, diluted bleach should be fine. Run a couple of litres through the filter. Once you have used it though, don't worry about sterilizing every subsequent time. All I do is back-flush mine for 5-10 mins with warm water then shove it in the freezer. When your ready to use it again thaw it out in warm water or better still, warm sanitizing solution then your away again. I've never had a problem doing it this way and have filtered many brews.

 

[paul d]

thanks for that does the filter ever get so blocked that you have to clean it

 

[grinder]

t

thanks for that does the filter ever get so blocked that you have to clean it

I clean mine after every brew that I filter. Just hook it up to your tap in reverse and run warm water through it for 10 minutes.
If you do this after every batch you will get the most life out of your filter and you shouldn't have any blockages during filtering. If you do just back-flush it and continue filtering again.
however, when your filter gets too old it will become blocked very quickly and no matter how many times you back-flush, clean it etc it it just won't make any difference and it will just stop working eventually. At this point you need to invest in a new filter cartridge.

 

[paul d]

roughly how many kegs will the filter last

 

[grinder]

roughly how many kegs will the filter last

I go through approx 2-3 filters a year so around 20-25 x 23 ltr brews per filter = a fair bit of beer. But keep in mind also, that filters do lose their effectivness the more times they are used. So you will get a beautiful bright clear beer the very first time you use it but over time your filter will let more haze causing particles through.
I think filters are well worth the cost though if you want to get your beer perfect :super:

 

[paul d]

grinder do you use a ball vavle to control the flow though the filter

 

[grinder]

grinder do you use a ball vavle to control the flow though the filter

All I do is connect the filter up directly from the liquid "out" valve of the the keg ( with a stanadard liquid disconnect hose fitting) then run the beer through the filter then out into another clean keg (or fermenter if you don't have a spare keg). Start running it through at around 5-10kpa, if it starts slowing down after a while just bump up the pressure a bit.
If you don't have a spare keg, run it into a clean fermenter then syphon back into the primary keg MAKING SURE YOU WASH THE KEG OUT BEFORE SYPHONING TO REMOVE ANY LEFT OVER SEDIMENT that has dropped to the bottom of the keg.

 

[paul d]

good onya grinder sounds easy thanks