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Troubleshooting Filtration

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  • Troubleshooting Filtration

    I currently use a dual stage plate filtration with 5 and 7 micron pads. When transferring from the 5 bbl FV I am fine, done it about 20 minutes. Then when I duplicate the process using a 10 bbl FV it goes tremendously slow to the point of not moving at all. The pads do not show signs of yeast build up so I believe my pressure points are wrong.

    Any one know where to find material to read more about the filtering process?
    Keegan Malone
    Pinglehead Brewery

  • #2
    What are your pressures on the filter inlet and outlet and both tanks?
    Andrew Godley
    Parish Brewing Co.
    Broussard, Louisiana

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    • #3
      Both tanks around 10 psi with an balancing line. Pressure in on filter 1.5, out .4; running the pump at 60%.
      Keegan Malone
      Pinglehead Brewery

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      • #4
        That's a significant pressure drop across the filter. I think your units are bar on the filter, correct? If so that's a pressure drop from about 22 to 6 psi.

        If I had to bet, it sounds like you're just dealing with more yeast from the larger tank. I bet your 10 bbl tank is just more turbid with yeast. Is the 5 bbl more clear than the 10 bbl when you're filtering typically?
        Andrew Godley
        Parish Brewing Co.
        Broussard, Louisiana

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        • #5
          When the beer does filter through I see the same clarification from a 5 and 10 bbl tank. My inclination is the pressure from in and out from the filter pads is incorrect causing it not to flow out.
          Keegan Malone
          Pinglehead Brewery

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          • #6
            Just out of curiosity, what do your pads look like after the 10 bbl filter when compared to the 5 bbl filter? That would be a clear indicator of wether the pads are picking up more proteins and such. I know Becopad has a set of sheets you can backflush if they get clogged. They worked well for us before we switched to a lenticular filter, it would a least cut down your filter times.

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            • #7
              How many pads for each stage and what size are you using? I have never done double stage filtration but have done a lot of single stage with 5 micron filter. I use 24 40cmx40cm pads. The pump I usually use puts about 2 bar of pressure on the input of the filter. The output of the filter starts out with about 1.7 bar.

              With this set up the ideal filtering rate is between 5 and 10 barrels per hour. on a bad day I might have to backflush every 7 to 8 barrels. On a good days I can 20 to 30 barrels without backflushing. I usually start out filtering at a rate of 5 barrels/hour and if things are goingwell I will speed it up to 10 barrels per hour. The clarification of the beer dictates how fast I go.

              I have learned that filtering too fast is most often the cause of a bad filter day. If you have less or even the same amount of pads, than what I am using, you are filtering way too fast. The problem with filtering too fast is that the yeast and solids will slam onto the surface of the pad and coat the pad. That is when you get clogged. What you want to happen is for yeast and solids to penetrate into the pad and when the pad becomes saturated it will start to pile up behind the filter pad.

              Also I believe that you might do better with a single stage 5 micron filtration than with a two stage setup. A 7 micron filtration is really pretty darn clear. A 5 micron is brilliant. When beer leaves the 7 micron stage and goes to the secondary 5 micron it would probably barely put any load on the 5 micron pads. I hope almost all your pads are used in the primary stage because the less pads you have in the primary stage the faster you will get clogged up.

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              • #8
                Thanks for all the help!

                I use 5 micron for primary (10 plates) and 7 micron for secondary (6 plates). I am going to try adding more up front and less in the back.
                Keegan Malone
                Pinglehead Brewery

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                • #9
                  You have that backwards. In fact I would think you should have that about 12 -7 microns and 4- 5 microns. Also I don't know the terms of two stage filtration but I would think that the 7 microns would be your primary (since the beer flows through it first) and the 5 microns would be your secondary (since the beer flows it second). Well anyway with a 12/4 setup you have 12 pads to filter out yeast and 4 pads to remove what is left (what I consider to be the equilavent to a very slight chill haze). The beer in the final stage of filtration will travelling 3 times as fast through each pad as in the first stage of the fil betration. I think that should be alright because you should have a very small amount of solids to filter out during that stage. I may be wrong, however, because there might be some problems with beer travelling through filter pads at the higher velocity.

                  I believe the 12 pads that you use for the first stage should dictate how fast you filter. It should be about 1/2 the speed of our single stage 24 plate setup(I am assuming that your plates are 40x40). In our setup 5 bbls per hour (recommend) to 10 bbls per hour (max). Your setup would be half that rate 2/1/2 bbls to 5 bbls per hour. I would very much reccomend going the slower rate.

                  Scott Labs helped me about about 10 years ago with filtration. They may have someone there that might help you. They are an excellent company to do business with. Excellent product (Seitz Filter pads), great price, fast delivery, and technical help if needed.

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                  • #10
                    Just filtered 32 bbls of Kolsch using a single stage 24 plate (40cm) setup. Did it in 4 hrs without a single back flush. A great filtration day indeed.

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