What Can I Use To Filter My Beer?

Larry, is there a specific reason why you think you need to filter your homebrewed beer?

There are a number of measures that can be taken to clarify homebrewed beer. The only clarification aid I use is adding rehydrated Irish Moss flakes for the last 15 minutes of the boil.

There are other fining methods like:

· Biofine

· Isinglass

· Gelatin

· Polyclar

There are filters that homebrewers can purchase. Below is a link to one example:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/beer-wine-plate-filter-kit.html

I personally would never consider filtering my homebrewed beers for a variety of reasons but I will state one reason: I would be concerned about oxidation of the beer.

Another tried and true method for clarifying beer is time & gravity; beer will clarify with time as particulates settle out.

Cheers!

 

I totally agree. I never filter my beer either. Many friends have asked if I filter, because they generally end up being so clear. I lager all my beers (including ales) at very low temperatures for at least two or three weeks. Another issue is that some filters contain chemicals which I don't want in my beer.

I also use Irish Moss during the last 15 minutes of boil, and have been doing that since I started brewing more than 25 years ago. I've only had a few cloudy beers, mostly because of the type of yeast I used. Some take a LONG time to clarify and may require the addition of gelatin.

 

Larry, I just re-read your message, and I may not have understood your question correctly. My reply focused on the final filtering or 'fining' of the beer, but I think you may instead be asking about filtering out the trub from the beer when it goes into the fermenter.

I use a large stainless steel hop filter (fine mesh). I place it in the sterilized fermentation bucket after I have sterilized it with StarSan. After the boil, wort chilling, and whirpool stirring, I then insert the end of the tube from the boiling vessel into the hop filter and let the wort drain through that and into the bucket. It removes all but the finest particles.

Before I purchased the hop filter, I used to use a sterlized large fine kitchen sieve in the same way. It removed most of the larger particles.

 

I just used that beer/wine filter to see what flavor impact it has. Works good but it took a hour to filter 5 gals and putting it together can be a nuisance.

 

As others have stated, filtering your beer can be simple or involved depending on what you want.

If you have not tried gelatin in your secondary, try that. Magical clear beer.

Cheers.

 

Gravity and time, Larry. Gravity and time.

Don't pour the last quarter inch of your bottle into a glass and pour your beer past a light. Stop when your pour starts to get murky.

If you like the sediment from the bottle then there's absolutely no reason to filter your beer.

 

Hey there Larry

Just curious...Are you considering filtering for aesthetics? Or do you have concerns about flavor problems?

Cheers!