Filtering using a pump
Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 2:38 pm
Well I cant say it was a disaster but I tried a new out a new process for filtering my beer this weekend.
Background:
Equipment: Morebeer plate filter, Blichmann 14 gallon conical, new diaphragm pump H305 (from a deal of the day)
Old process
Push fermented beer from conical to 2 sanitized corny kegs. Then setup plate filter and filter into 2 more sanitized corny kegs. This process always worked, but was very time consuming and required cleaning and sanitizing 2 storage kegs and multiple beer transfers.
New process:
I wanted to try filtering my beer directly from my conical thru the plate filter and into the kegs. Although Blichmann says their conicals can be pressurized, I have always had problems getting a good seal on the lid and CO2 would always leak out between the lid and conical and I probably end up 10x times the amount of CO2 needed to push the beer out of my chest freezer to my sanitized kegs. So along come the Morebeer deal of the day and I pick up a diaphragm pump H305. I thought I could use this pump to pump beer from my conical to my plate filter and into my kegs. Sounded like a good plan.
Problems:
Well this past weekend I decided to try this on a new batch of Tasty's APA. I got every thing setup and ready to go. I had a ball valve connected to the output side of the pump to regulate the flow. As soon as I turned on the pump my troubles began. The beer started flowing from pump into the plate filter and I could begin to see the plate filter begin to bulge and then beer started leaking out of the o-rings. I tried tightening up the plate filter to stop the leaking and closed the ball valve to decrease the flow but this didn't help. The pump has a cut off that will shut the pump down if the ball valve is closed too much. I opened the valve just enough to get the pump working again, but beer started leaking out of my plate filter and then, finally one of the o-rings gave way and beer started streaming out of my plate filter. I was soaked and was pissed that so much Tasty (and costly) APA was all over my garage floor.
I had to abandon the filtering and just ended up pumping the remaining beer to my kegs and had to remove my filter setup. Hopefully I didn't oxidize the beer too much with all the plumbing fixes I was performing on the fly.
I still want to make this setup work, but the higher pressure the diaphragm pump generates is too much for the plate filter. I have an old cartridge filter housing and may try getting a 3 micron poly cartridge and give it one more try. I think the cartridge filter should be able to handle the higher pressures since these are designed to be used with house hold water pressure. It may turn out to be a mess again, but I thought I should give it another try.
Anyone else figure out a way to use a pump with home brew style filters? Please don't reply with you shouldn't filter, or I don't filter and my beer is crystal clear, I do, and like to try new processes... its the engineer in me..
Background:
Equipment: Morebeer plate filter, Blichmann 14 gallon conical, new diaphragm pump H305 (from a deal of the day)
Old process
Push fermented beer from conical to 2 sanitized corny kegs. Then setup plate filter and filter into 2 more sanitized corny kegs. This process always worked, but was very time consuming and required cleaning and sanitizing 2 storage kegs and multiple beer transfers.
New process:
I wanted to try filtering my beer directly from my conical thru the plate filter and into the kegs. Although Blichmann says their conicals can be pressurized, I have always had problems getting a good seal on the lid and CO2 would always leak out between the lid and conical and I probably end up 10x times the amount of CO2 needed to push the beer out of my chest freezer to my sanitized kegs. So along come the Morebeer deal of the day and I pick up a diaphragm pump H305. I thought I could use this pump to pump beer from my conical to my plate filter and into my kegs. Sounded like a good plan.
Problems:
Well this past weekend I decided to try this on a new batch of Tasty's APA. I got every thing setup and ready to go. I had a ball valve connected to the output side of the pump to regulate the flow. As soon as I turned on the pump my troubles began. The beer started flowing from pump into the plate filter and I could begin to see the plate filter begin to bulge and then beer started leaking out of the o-rings. I tried tightening up the plate filter to stop the leaking and closed the ball valve to decrease the flow but this didn't help. The pump has a cut off that will shut the pump down if the ball valve is closed too much. I opened the valve just enough to get the pump working again, but beer started leaking out of my plate filter and then, finally one of the o-rings gave way and beer started streaming out of my plate filter. I was soaked and was pissed that so much Tasty (and costly) APA was all over my garage floor.
I had to abandon the filtering and just ended up pumping the remaining beer to my kegs and had to remove my filter setup. Hopefully I didn't oxidize the beer too much with all the plumbing fixes I was performing on the fly.
I still want to make this setup work, but the higher pressure the diaphragm pump generates is too much for the plate filter. I have an old cartridge filter housing and may try getting a 3 micron poly cartridge and give it one more try. I think the cartridge filter should be able to handle the higher pressures since these are designed to be used with house hold water pressure. It may turn out to be a mess again, but I thought I should give it another try.
Anyone else figure out a way to use a pump with home brew style filters? Please don't reply with you shouldn't filter, or I don't filter and my beer is crystal clear, I do, and like to try new processes... its the engineer in me..