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Bag filtration for small brewpub

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  • Bag filtration for small brewpub

    Looking into adding a bag filter to a small (7 bbl) brewpub to augment biofine and deal with things like fruit beers. What kind of clarity can I expect to get using this method?

  • #2
    Bag filters work great for removing large volumes of particulates like fruit and hops. They are not for clarification. I think the smallest micron bag I have seen is only a 2 micron. Which is way to large for removing yeast and other haze creating things. With that said, I use a bag filter quite often and they work great for what they are. I have defenatly seen an increase in yeald with heavily fruits beers and ipa's. They can double as a hop back on hot side as well.

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    • #3
      Clog easily

      The finer the "filtration", the easier to clog. Might be good for very large particles, but not for pelletized hops or anything of that scale. And they tend to hold very large volumes--wasting beer/wort. I've used basket strainers for whole hops before with good luck. Set up with CO2 push to evacuate the retained wort. For finished beer you'll need a real filtration system to clarify. Biofine Clear works without need for "filtration". Unless you've dry-hopped or otherwise muddied up the conditioning beer.
      Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

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      • #4
        Good points above, but your typical Saccharomyces cerevisiae is 3-5 micron in size, so a 2 micron screen would be sufficient to remove all but the smallest (petite mutants) yeast cells. A lot of people are filtering bright beer with a 4 micron depth filter. If memory serves correct, you need 0.45 micron for a sterile filtration, which usually requires membrane filtration, or at least multiple stage filtration because of load.

        The key here is depth filter. If you are trying to just pass through a screen, it will “blind” quickly, preventing the liquid from passing. Popular filtration methods often use a depth media that will actually “trap” the yeast as opposed to blocking it. This is why differential pressure is so important in filtering.

        If your goal is clear beer in less time, skip fining all together and get a smaller lenticular unit. At your size it is porobably the most economical, and least labor intensive. A “sheet” filter would be another economical option, but has some disadvantages. Size to 4 micron nominal in order to remove most yeast and suspended solids. Protein based haze is going to be much smaller in particle size, and may require second stage filtration, or improved brewing techniques.

        Bag your fruit in the FV, just my $0.02!

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