Filter Types
Haze might be king, but that doesn’t mean that breweries have abandoned filtration. It’s a necessary part of the brewing process for many styles, and even many of your favorite New England–style IPAS get passed through some kind of filter. Here’s a quick look at some you might encounter.
Plate and frame filter Visit a lot of breweries and you’re likely to encounter this kind of filter often. Long and rectangular, this filter has plate inserts that can have different types of media that aid in the particulate removal from and general clarity of beer. The plates can be removed to be cleaned or replaced and can be configured for a brewery’s specific needs for any style of beer.
Horizontal leaf filter According to the Filtration Group, the horizontal pressure leaf filter is an enclosed filtration system and can be fully automated. This filter produces a high filtrate clarity after the clarification run and is also suitable for all kinds of filter aids. “The pressure leaf filter itself has no rotating parts, keeping maintenance to a minimum. These advantages result in an economical filtration solution. The regeneration time between the filtration cycles is short.”
Candle-type DE filter The candle filter is a tall, slim filter with low turbidity values. The design helps minimize beer losses and is generally easy to work with and provides breweries with low operating costs. “To achieve excellent filtration results, stainless-steel filter candles are used as the carrier for diatomaceous earth (DE) filter aids. The candles are first covered with coarse and subsequently with finer DE precoat,” says Corosys Kellerworks, a Colorado company that manufacturers the filters.
Lenticular filter The lenticular filter “is as versatile as filter sheets in a plate and frame filter but sanitary, easy to use, and easy to change out with minimal product loss and air exposure,” says GW Kent, a filter manufacturer. The tall, wide, and circular filter cartridge has multiple grooves to capture particulates, removing them from beer before it’s packaged.
Cartridge filter A cartridge filter works for a set period of time or uses and has a membrane that can remove microorganisms and particulates from beer. It’s durable for multiple uses and, as the name implies, the main component in this filtration method is replaceable cartridges that insert into a filter. Think of it as a Brita for beer.