Filtration: Plate style vs. canister?

[pornstache]

Anyone have advice in choosing between the plate versus canister type filters?
(Or any other options)

http://morebeer.com/view_product/16769//Beer_and_Wine_Filtering_Kit
or
http://morebeer.com/view_product/5759//Beer_and_Wine_Plate_Filter_Kit_

Thanks for your help!

[Bugeater]

I don't think you will find much difference in how well they filter. The replacement filter cost per filtering session is the same, so you can toss that out as the deciding factor.

I would lean towards the canister filter myself. It will probably leave a little more beer behind at the end of the filtering session. However it is $18 cheaper and replacement filter elements are available all sorts of places other than home brew shops (and probably for less money). This is a standard drinking water filter cartridge.

Wayne

[pornstache]

Cool, that's pretty much what I was thinking. Thought about making it do double duty as a water filter too, but for the amount of effort required to swap the fittings back and forth I'd rather just buy another canister..

Thanks, cheers!

[BeerPal]

Tasty uses the plate-type and I believe it's because it does a better job of filtering. Plus, he uses a 7-micron filter from Williams Brewing. Neither the canister or the plate filter elements that MoreBeer carries come in this grade.

[Thirsty Boy]

I use a canister filter with a washable pleated polyester filter. 1 Micron absolute. They cost a lot to buy, but you should get 50+ batches (5G) out of each filter.

One of the advantages I see in this sort of filter (apart from cost) is that they have big enough surface area, that you can filter entirely by gravity if you want. no real need to push through with C02. I filter directly out of my primary into a corny keg - but I do have a tap in the bottom of my primary. It would be much harder to manage if you were siphoning out of a carboy.

The canisters can also take a fair bit of pressure - so if it happens that you decide you want to filter a beer that you have already carbonated... that can be done. I'm not sure that the plate filters can take the required pressure.

Apart from that - they will both do the job and do it well. You are really on a no lose proposition. Either choice is a good one.

TB

[TheDarkSide]

Couldn't the canister double as a randall...

[pornstache]

with some quick disconnects maybe it could be the trifecta; water filter, beer filter, and randall....

[Thirsty Boy]

yep, I've used mine as both water filter and beer filter - and seen one used as a randal, also used mine as a hop back once.

You would need a pretty porous filter cartridge for randall or hopback purposes though... maybe a metal mesh one wouldn't be too hard to whip up??