How do you clean your filter? (plate and frame)

[paintz55]

Just wondering how you guys clean your plate and frame filters with pads between filtrations. Every place I've worked at does it a bit differently.

The last brewery I worked at ran acid through pads during CIP, but the filter was a secondary after the DE filter. The place I work at now uses plate and frame as the primary filter. We only backflush with hot water, cool, and pack with PAA. I am toying with the idea of running acid through them (phosphoric/nitric blend).

Of course when the pads get changed we do a full caustic cycle.

The first brewery I worked at ran caustic and acid through the pads and they lasted about a week, roughly 300 BBLs or so. This was also the primary filter.

[Ted Briggs]

At some point the plates should be scrubbed well with a brush with foaming caustic, TSP etc., paying special attention to the 'pass though site'. (Periodic inspection here by removing the screws and opening is advised.) I would then spray with foaming sani and not rise. Let stand dry until next use.

[paintz55]

Yeah we do a fairly thorough cleaning of the plates when we rip out the pads, and about every 2-3 months we take out the donuts and give them a good soak.

I'm trying to prolong the life of the actual pads and looking for some feedback for cleanings with used pads in.