I just want to share an experience with new filter I have.
It is Pall housing with SupraDiskII Cartridges.
It was easy to set up, run and clean.
Cartridges (they call them modules) are reusable and housing does not need to be dis-assembled after each run.
Here are a few pictures:
and
Nice! I’ve been looking into DE filters recently. Not sure if we will actually filter our beer, but I’d like to know more about it.
Stay away from DE.
That is my opinion.
Any particular reason? Is it too costly? Too difficult to maintain?
Thanks for the post, I was looking at that exact model. Where did you get it from?
I’ve never used a lenticular filter, but I’d choose DE (well, Perlite, obviously) over plate-and-frame.
I bought it from Enpro a “local supplier”. Well they are in IL but have a office in Minneapolis.
Major pall had a sales rep on ProBrewer forum that was able to give a quote. If you want I could find it.
IMO DE is difficult to run and when you are done you still have filtering media to despise off.
As with all new equipment. It will take some time to get comfortable. The biggest concern is infection. Because modules are washable and unit does not break down after use. This is also the biggest advantage.
Close by brewery is able to run 1500 BBL thru one set of modules before replacement.
I have never used a DE filter but the other local brewery in Huntssville which is a quite a bit bigger than us had 2 plate filters before the acquired their DE filter and they sold both of their plate filters so I don’t doubt you are right.
We acquired one of their plate filters but I have not used it yet. But I just hired a guy who has a lot of winery experience and is used to working with plate filters and so he’ll be doing the filtering. 
I was deciding between plate and frame and lenticular.
It boils down to this:
Plate and frame you constantly change filter media.
With diverted plate you can do two stage filtering.
lenticular modules are cleanable and reusable.
If you want to do do two stage filtering you need to have two filters.
If you already have plate and frame use it.
Just an update.
I was filtering the other day.
I filtered 10.5 BBL final in BT in about 35 minuted.
Easy to set up and easy to clean.
The only difference I noticed is that beer is just a little lighter in color and has worst head retention.
Flavor is about the same.
I might have to go with little corset modules.
So far LOVE it.
What sort of waste? Do you anticipate any sort of customer reaction to finding out you’re filtering? I have a fair number of people ask if we are (we don’t, we currently use a two-part fining regimen).
Not to hijack, but how many of you guys who aren’t filtering are using finings? And, for those using finings, are you adding them in addition to a cold conditioning period or in place of one?
I just use super moss. It’s good enough for our purposes.
I hope that filtering is another educational frontier, much like hops or sour/wild beers have been in the past.
I think marketing has convinced consumers that “unfiltered” is a true sign of an artisanal, local, and/or hand-crafted beer. The average craft beer drinker has been conditioned to think of filtering as industrial or artificial. In truth, filtering is an expensive and labor-intensive choice the brewer makes to ensure their beer’s quality, consistency, and shelf life.
Hopefully craft brewers can help shed some light on this subject. Bravo to those of you taking on the financial and labor burden of filtering!
I personally think you lose a good bit of flavor when you filter. It’s just a fast way to condition beer IMO.certain beers like Kolsch may be better for it but others like pales and iPas suffer.
My preferred SOP:
It’s a very time-intensive process (8 days from crashing to serving) but this will yield beer brighter than coarse filtration. If time is critical I won’t repeat steps 4 and 6, or will skip the conical finings entirely.
I just fine once in the conical after dumping and once in BBT, twice if needed. But yeah, Sean’s method is mostly what I do. I go higher dosage on the bio fine.
Thanks for the responses, Gentlemen!
Filtering is a personal preference.
When I filtered too rough someone told me:
Your hefewaisen is too bitter. I said it was Czech pilsner.
Presentation is a large portion of perception.
My yeast is pretty powdery. I tried to do all the findings. In Different stages of the process and it was not working. Sometimes it was current equipment limitation and sometimes it was lack of knowlage working with 10 BBL a time.
My beers are usually consumed pretty quick. I filter for presentation, beer stability and streamlining of my process.
As with every new equipment it is trial and error. It might take a few runs to learn it.
So far, I like it.
I hadn’t considered dosing twice with Biofine. Right now I crash in conical, dump yeast/trub, harvest yeast, and then dump again before transferring to bright where I have 30ml/bbl Biofine waiting. Then after 10-12 hours, I add gelatin, hook up the carbonation stone + flow meter, unhook after 6-8 hours, then wait a couple of days for reasonably clear beer. It would be more clear if I dumped a few more times from the bright tank.