Cheap man's filter

[Greta's Brew]

I read something awhile back about using coffee filters as a way to filter the beer. I was thinking you could take a stack of a couple and soak them in santizing solution and than pour the beer through it. Has anybody tried this before or have any experience with it?

 

[The Brew Mentor]

Bad idea.
You'll likely oxidize your beer.
Finings that work quite well are;
Irish moss
Whirlfloc
Gelatin
Isinglass
Biofine.
They are all inexpensive and work well.
Make sure your process is solid before anything else.
Good luck,
Brian

 

[LevanteJim]

Let's revisit this. Are you trying to filter the wort from your kettle to your fermentation vessel?
The previous response is correct if your trying to get a clear beer during fermentation or late additions in your boil.

However, if you are getting a load of trub in your fermentation vessel, you can boil your hops in a bag, look up "hop spider" and you can dump your kettle into your fermentation vessel but use a 5 gallon paint strainer bag.

 

[Head First]

I actually experimented with this and agree with both prior replys but would like to add coffee filters suck! They plug with slime or pellet hop residual quickly and fall apart easily. I attached one to the end of the transfer hose so it was setting in the bottom of the fermenter and it plugged and tore. I figured yeast would plug it quickly also so never tried it from primary to secondary.

 

[The Brew Mentor]

When I do a 5 gallon batch, I'll sometimes strain the wort but I don't go out of my way. I whirlpool during the chill and most everything settles out to the center of the pot. If I do a crappy job, sometimes I'll pour the balance through a sanitized bag.
I never bag my hops in the BK or secondary. I'll bag them in the keg if I dry hop in the keg and never have a problem with that.
I think getting a good hot break, keeping a vigorous boil throughout the boil and then getting a quick chill is important and helps in the clarity of the finished product.
The fining agents I listed above will help as well but I don't get crazy about them.
Good Luck
Brian

 

[Greta's Brew]

Thanks guys. I had a feeling the coffee filters were not going to work. I'll stick to the finning agents and the good hot break, cold break, and whirlpooling.