The importance of beer filtration process| Membrane Solutions

Beer filtration is one of the most important production processes in beer production, which will affect the appearance, taste and shelf life of beer. We usually use filter cartridges for beer filtration to separate the fine particles suspended in the beer from the liquor. After filtration, the beer will become clear and transparent without suspended solids.

The selection of raw materials, the design of the winery and the technological process used play an important role in ensuring the quality of the final product, but the intrusion of particulate impurities and destructive microorganisms is difficult to avoid. Thus, strict and precise microbial control, safe and reliable filtration solutions are required to ensure beer’s taste, flavor and freshness.

Purpose Of Beer Filtration

Beer is a beverage containing carbon dioxide and low alcohol content, which is made of malt, rice, hops and water as the main raw materials and fermented by brewer's yeast. Beer filtration removes impurities and microorganisms from the beer that affect the taste and quality of the beer. During the brewing process, there are some sediment, if these sediments are not removed, the beer will become cloudy and taste worse. Consumers prefer clean, clear beers, so unfiltered beers are not suitable to sell.

Also, more important than the appearance and taste of the beer is the quality of the beer. Beer filtration removes yeast and other microorganisms, preventing contamination of the beer. We all know that yeast is essential for beer brewing, but if there is yeast in the sold beer, the beer is easy to spoil, and consumers will be prone to health problems if they drink such beer. Filtered beer has no off-flavors from bacteria, and has a long shelf life.

According to the requirements of most consumers for finished beer, beer filtration should meet the following requirements:

Remove the turbidity that has been precipitated in the beer to be filtered: such as the precipitated hop resin, protein and polyphenol compound, glucan, calcium oxalate particles, yeast, etc.;
Removal or reduction can cause turbid substances in the finished beer, such as high molecular proteins, polyphenols, and glucans. Remove or reduce yeast and other microorganisms (such as: Lactobacillus, Synechococcus, Pectinobacter, Pasteurella, etc.) in beer. Removing microbes from beer is effective
Improve the taste of beer, make the beer clear, transparent and shiny. Filtering the beer can make the color of the beer more conspicuous and the liquor more clarified, which can perfectly meet the requirements of consumers for beer.

Beer Filtration Process

The filtration of beer brew is generally divided into four filtration processes. They are: ultrafiltration filtration, activated carbon filtration, alkaline neutralization, and precision filtration.

Firstly, the ultrafiltration membrane is used as the filter element to carry out ultrafiltration filtration of beer to filter large particles of impurities in beer.

Secondly, the functions of activated carbon such as high adsorption, deodorization, decolorization, and organic matter removal are used to filter and remove peculiar smells in wine.

The third filtration is alkaline neutralization. Since the water used for brewing beer is too acidic, it is necessary to use alkaline particles to neutralize the acidity in the water to balance the acidity and alkalinity.Fine impurities are removed. After filtering by 4 complete processes, the beer can meet the standard of brewing beer.

The relationship between beer filtration precision and beer quality

According to the viscosity of the material and the content of suspended solids, membranes with different pore sizes can be selected to achieve the purpose of clarification and separation. The high filtration precision of beer can only indicate that the abiotic stability and biological stability of the finished beer are high. Abiotic and biological stability of the finished beer is only part of the quality of the beer.

The higher the beer filtration accuracy, the greater the damage to the taste and mellowness of the finished beer and the quality of the foam. Therefore, the filtration precision of beer cannot be pursued excessively. The filtration accuracy of beer should be adapted to the consumer market.

Filter selections for beer filtration

Station	Application	Recommended filter
Raw material filtration	Removal of particles in high viscosity 1-5 micron liquids such as syrup, liquid sugar, additives	1-5um GF, PPG, PPC
Respirator	Balance tank pressure, prevent contamination	0.2um FSG
Gas sterile filtration	Compressed air, N2 and CO2, etc. remove moisture and particles from the gas to achieve Bacterial grade	0.2um FSG, FDG
Gas sterile pre-filtration	Remove most of the moisture particles and some bacteria in the gas, protect the downstream sterilization filter	1-5um GF, PPG, FG
Catcher	Intercepts diatomaceous earth shedding and particles in beer	10-100um PPC, GF, FB, MPP
Sterile pre-filtration	Remove impurities such as particles, protect the life of downstream sterilization filtration, and remove yeast to ensure beer quality	0.45-1.2μm PPA, PPG
Sterile Filtration	Completely remove microorganisms such as yeast, spores, bacteria, etc. to ensure the long-term preservation quality of beer and prevent contamination	0.2-1.2um SP, SPB, SPP
Pre-filtration	Raw water tap water filtration to remove upstream activated carbon and other particles	5-50um MPP, PPC
Steam filtration	Remove impurities such as particles and rust in steam to meet sanitary steam quality standards	2-5um Stainless steel sintering

Membrane Solutions are able to call on our food and beverage process specialists to support your plant. At your disposal is the widest range of filtration and separations technology in the world, providing unique, cost-effective solutions to your processing challenges. If you want to order MS filters or if you need any support please contact us here:

https://www.membrane-solutions.com/contact_us.htm