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Cartridge filter or lenticular filter? Advantages and/or disadvantages.

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  • Cartridge filter or lenticular filter? Advantages and/or disadvantages.

    Hi all,

    I'm setting up a micro with 17bbl unitanks and I'm beginning to look at beer filtration. I have a question;

    What are the main advantages and/or disadvantages of a lenticular filter over a cartridge filter for filtering beer?

    Once I've worked this out I'll begin sizing up a filter for my set-up. Although I have read that a 16" 3 module lenticular filter would be great for 17bbl volume.

    Any info greatly appreciated.

    Cheers,

  • #2
    Originally posted by Dale I View Post
    What are the main advantages and/or disadvantages of a lenticular filter over a cartridge filter for filtering beer?

    Cheers,
    surface area.

    A lenticular has a large surface area for the size of the housing. it is like a big pad filter that is packed together inside a bell.

    The real comparison is pad filter vs lenticular:

    The lenticular is designed with supports between its internal pads so you can backflush the filter and regenerate it. You can backflush a pad filter but to a lesser extent. Some people will put the pad filter in a cooler between uses, but it is probably not a great idea. Lenticular modules are more expensive than pads but if you take care of them you can make this up. lenticulars are less messy to replace modules than pad filters.

    If you keep the flow rates and the differential pressure within the rated levels or lower it should last a long time. If you run it hard until it stops, it will not backflush as well and performance will rapidly degrade.

    After use, we backflush the filter and then sterilize with hot water and gradually bring it up to 80C. We leave it overnight packed hot with the top valve open and a hose to a bucket of sanitizer. As the bell cools it will otherwise create a vaccuum and break something. this way the vaccuum sucks dilute peracetic acid solution in.

    The next day we flush it and pack it with dilute peracetic unless we need it right away. Pall literature says not to use caustic or peracetic and recommends acetic acid and metabisulfate. if you ask the rep, they will acknowledge that dilute peracetic acid is often used by breweries. because of pharmaceutical liability they will not officially recommend their use.


    check with your sales rep, and maybe ask to borrow a loaner. we have had great success with a pall supradisc2.
    Last edited by beerme; 06-05-2017, 05:58 AM. Reason: because

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    • #3
      Thanks for the info!

      Looks like I'm on the right path for filtration. Now just to size the filter.

      Would a 16" 3 module be a good size to run 17bbl through? What sort of transfer time could I expect with this sort of set-up?

      There will be minimal dry hopping, and I'll be fining, cold crashing to clear as much yeast out as possible prior to filtering.

      Also, is it possible to run carbonated beer through a lenticular?

      Cheers,

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      • #4
        i don't know what manufacturer you are looking at. ask what their specifications are in terms of flowrate/ module or /square meter.

        We use a bag filter upstream of the lenticular to keep hop crud out of the actual filter.

        The key for filtering or processing carbonated beer of any kind is: keep the top pressure greater than the equilibrium pressure of the carbonation. if the top pressure is below equilibrium, gas will tend to come out of solution and probably collect in the top of the filter or cause foaming problems.

        We pressurize the sending and receiving tank to above this and connect their headspaces with a braided vinyl hose. That way when beer moves from the fermenter to the brite, then the gas displaced by the beer entering the brite is pushed over to the fermenter to make up for the beer that has been removed.

        Also, after you have rinsed your filter, push out the water with CO2. On the last rinse pressurize the filter to just more than the equillibrium but less than in the fermenter. When you open the valve to let beer from the fermenter to the filter it will flow slowly due to pressure differential and maybe height too. Gently release the head pressure in the filter to allow the beer to fill the filter, always keeping pressure above the equilibrium. when the beer fills the filter, push out any foam and close the valve. then you can send the beer to the fermenter, pushing out the interface water that is trapped in the pads. If you are using non- deaerated water, it will be full of Dissolved oxygen.

        it's that easy.

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