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  • Emptying the filter bell

    Which is the best way to emptying the filter bell on a 2 sq horisontal DE filter. As a small brewer we have not have deaerated water and someone has told me that it is not adviseable to use co2 to puch the final beer out of the bell.

  • #2
    Since we use CO2 top pressure on 400 hl / hr horizontal leaf filters, I don't think there is much problem providing you don't over pressurise the filter.

    If you were to use water, you will have large quantities of diluted beer. One of the advantages of horizontal leaf filters is their ability to produce small interfaces, albeit with the potential for large losses due to the residues left below the bottom filter leaf.

    Cheers
    dick

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    • #3
      I used both techniques on both syles of filters with no relative problems, however there may complications unique to your set-up.
      Pushing with c02 is safer sanitary-wise and more effecant but as stated above can be a problem inlarger scales, with horizonal leafs. You'll also go through alot of c02.
      If your leafs are vertical...there's the danger of blowing seals or even the lid through the ceiling.(I've seen it happen..clipping the brewer on the chin).
      Some elastic seals age much faster with alot of dry c02 contact.

      Chasing with water works fine but, the water must be steral, or at least boiled. You'll just have to rapidly taste the outgoing product as you chase to gauge dilution and when to stop the flow, leaving most of the diluted beer in the hoses.. A little water won't hurt the quanity or quality if it's being served from a serving tank at a pub right away but if your packaging the product,...I can't reccomend that technique...as you'd be adding unacceptable levels of ox2.

      Hope this helps.

      I used to work with one of the nicest brewers alive....the only harsh words I ever heard him whisper was..."I really dislike this f**kin' DE filter!".

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      • #4
        emptying bell w/CO2

        I have the same size DE filter and it isn't a problem at all to push with CO2. With such a small filter you don't really use much CO2 and as long as you stay under the max pressure you will be fine. If you kept the pressure low through the entire filtration run it will purge quickly, but if you maxed out your pressure towards the end of the run it will take signifigantly longer. I wouldn't waste my time pushing with water. On such a small scale it's not worth it. Also your filter should have a pressure relief valve as a safety feature so you dont blow it up!
        Big Willey
        "You are what you is." FZ

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        • #5
          Another small brewer chiming in on the CO2 issue. It works and is a hell of a lot easier, but you have to be careful. My head brewer just this morning caught the clamp that holds the bell on with a hose. The bell flew up about 6 feet, landed, and was out of round. I was able to fix it, luckily. The bell only had .2 bar in it, too. I agree with BigWilley completely on the issue. We use a 2 m2 filter, too, even.

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          • #6
            Blown Bell

            On my filter the clamp that holds on the bell is about 1 1/2 to 2 feet in diameter. I tighten it, as well as any clamp in the brewery to the point that there is no way they could be caught by a hose or anything else and open. Valves can be opened by accident but what kinds of clamps are you using that open so easily? Just curious.
            Big Willey
            "You are what you is." FZ

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            • #7
              Its the stock clamp, Velo style. Yeah its big and round, but the actual handle for the clamp was what was caught. Everything is really tight, but it was just hit in the wrong spot, ie the handle. Sorry, should have said that. You can smack the actual clamp around all you like and nothing will happen, but get the handle...

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              • #8
                My filter is also a Velo 2 filter and it has a nut that you have to twist of with a wrench. On the top of the bell there is two valves, one which goes to atomsphere, I use it to vent out residual air/co2 of the bell during initial filtration/precoating, on the other valve I have welded on a connection for co2. So if sleeping (not open the valve on the top of the bell) when disconnecting the bell anything could happen. But it is impossible to disconnect the clamp by accident.

                Thanks all for your help.

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