Filtering A Home Brew

[PakDat]

I have been wondering, what if I filter my home brew. Would it make the taste be different? What about the color? Will the color be lighter or the same? What about if I make a stout? Will that change the color drastically? Will the alcohol be less? Is it worth filtering a home brew?

 

[drthrob]

I have not found it to make a difference whatsoever and it just adds another piece of equipment that is unnecessary. If you want clear beer, use Irish moss or whirlfloc tabs. My advice might be different if you were a professional brewer but for a homebrewer, it doesn't make much sense.


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[jhoneycutt]

About the only difference I could see is getting more of the yeast out for people who are a little more sensitive to it. As far as clarity goes I brewed a hefeweizen a little while back obviously with no finings I swear it was clearer than any bmc out there. I prolly wouldn't do it on a stout though, I could see that pulling a little from the color and flavor. Never tried it though soooo....

 

[Natdavis777]

Alcohol will stay the same. I really wouldn't worry about filtering a stout, but to each their own. I bought a filter and never used it because I was able to perfect my clearing with gelatin. If it's clarity you are looking for, look into fining agents and techniques. If you are doing to to enhance taste/flavor, I don't think filtering is the outlet to pursue.


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[hunter_le five]

I have been wondering, what if I filter my home brew. Would it make the taste be different? What about the color? Will the color be lighter or the same? What about if I make a stout? Will that change the color drastically? Will the alcohol be less? Is it worth filtering a home brew?

Filtering just makes clear beer faster.

Taste different? Not if you're doing things properly.

Color? No difference.

Alcohol? No difference.

Worth it? I don't think so, personally.

I used to filter my beers. Honestly, the whole process is a big PITA, and just gives you more opportunity to screw something up.

I have replaced filtering with a combination of Irish moss, extended primary, cold crash, gelatin, and lagering, and my beers are just as clear. Crystal clear. It takes longer, but to me, it's worth it. Much easier.

Your mileage may vary.


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[CanadianBacon]

Racking helps get rid of yeast

 

[zoonose]

...

 

[eaglerisingbrew]

I built a filter using PVC pipe and a 2 micron water filter from Lowe's. I used it a couple times and gave up on it as it was really just a pain to work with.

www.eagle-rising-brewery.com (I don't have any pictures of the filter but I can get some up there if you are interested in seeing how I built the filter...)

 

[PakDat]

If I did use the filter to take the yeast out and any other impurities. Wouldn't that ruin the head retention? Isn't the purpose of the yeast floating around suppose to create a nice foam head?


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[drthrob]

Not if you force carbonate the beer, which you would have to do if you were filtering out all the yeast. So, if you are strictly a bottle brewer and don't use kegs, then a filter is probably not what you want.


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[browder]

Best thing to use for beer haze is an 18oz. Red Solo Cup

 

[Yooper]

If I did use the filter to take the yeast out and any other impurities. Wouldn't that ruin the head retention? Isn't the purpose of the yeast floating around suppose to create a nice foam head?


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No. Yeast ferment sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. They are microscopic. They don't float around and create foam.

Ingredients in the beer (flaked barley, carapils, crystal malt) create foam and impact head retention.

 

[bigken462]

I sometimes filter if time is not on my side, but I quickly determined that everything the mentors on this list says about giving beer time is true. I consider the ability to filter another tool I can pull from the toolbox when needed. But that said, patience and a pack of Knox goes a long way to producing crystal clear beer.

So would you rather spend a few hours of your time and several hundred bucks to do this:

Or spend a couple minutes and 10 cents on:

For the most part, I just use my filters to make brew water with now.

Happy brewing!