Sanitizing a filter

[Speyedr]

Sadly, it says "make sure the beer is uncarbonated, as this will affect the filtering process." Well, crap, my beer is always cabonated by the time I would want to be filtering it.

..>Damn Spunding Valve!!

[DannyW]

..>Damn Spunding Valve!!

Yeah, that's been my plan all along. Just wondering if anyone can report that it actually works before I fill the valve with foam or blow apart the filter housing or something.

[Speyedr]

In Dave Miller's book he says that it's easier to filter flat beer, but not that it is the only way to do it. I don't know why at the moment though and the book is at home. As for the foaming, if you're using the Spunding Valve on the serving tank side I would think that as long as you set the relief pressure just under the "push" pressure you should be able to minimize the foam.

Unless someone with experience chimes in though, you may either want to call B3 (I sometimes get Chris Graham on the phone) or try it and see. Keep the dog nearby to clean up the spillage.

[Homegrown Hops]

I think that Doc has one of these filters, lets see if we can get him to chime in here. I am sending him a pm.

HH

[Dr Scott]

OK.... where to start...

The pads can give an off flavor that comes through w/ your very light beers (too bad these are the ones that benefit the most from filtering) Several sources say to soak the pads in a dilute citric acid solution first. ( this does help) To one litre of cold water add 3.5 g (one tsp.) of citric acid.

There is a lot of O2 in the pads and the lines/housing of the filter which will cause premature staling of the beer if it's not dealt with.

Here's what I do:

I soak the housing and tubing in sanitizer and assemble everything

Then I push starsan (or citric acid solution) through the filter before the beer. (I don't like to soak the pads first b/c they're hard to get into the housing after they swell). then I force through CO2 to get rid of the sanitizer and the oxygen. You don't want to oxidize your beer at this point.

Cold crash you beer and/or use finings. you will get cleaner beer and the pads will last longer.

I don't filter carbonated beer, but I have had several conversations w/ Colin Kaminski about it. You can do it. Use the spunding valve on the receiving tank set just above your feed pressure and filter cold.

[DannyW]

thanks, Doc, that's the kind of real-world stuff that helps a ton.

I'm pretty sure I heard in the Finings and Filtering show last April that you said to put the filters in with the smooth sides facing each other, but the instructions say to put them in with the rough sides facing each other. Which is correct?

Oh, I thought more about putting hops inbetween the plates and can't see any benefit. Seems like the cold temperatures and the short contact time would make and contribution pretty minimal.

[Dr Scott]

thanks, Doc, that's the kind of real-world stuff that helps a ton.

I'm pretty sure I heard in the Finings and Filtering show last April that you said to put the filters in with the smooth sides facing each other, but the instructions say to put them in with the rough sides facing each other. Which is correct?

Oh, I thought more about putting hops inbetween the plates and can't see any benefit. Seems like the cold temperatures and the short contact time would make and contribution pretty minimal.

Rough sides facing each other.

I think putting hops in between would just foul the filter, though the concept is cool. It would work like a "Randall" Albeit in theory...