In beer production, filtration is more than just a technical step—it’s a cornerstone of quality. From enhancing clarity and stability to ensuring microbiological safety, every stage of the filtration process is designed to refine and protect the beer’s integrity.
Primary filtration is a key step in the beer production process, which is mainly responsible for the removal of large solld particles and suspended solds in the beer, laying the foundation for subsequent fine filtration.
It not only ensures the clarity of the beer, but also improves the visual appeal and quality of the beer by removing substances that may cause turbidity and precipitation.
In addition, primary filtration also helps to reduce microbial contamination, providing a guarantee for the long-term preservation and distribution of beer. The main filtration methods include sheet filter, cross flow fiter and diatomite(DE) filter.
The main purpose of Trap filtration is to trap tiny particles and microorganisms that may pass through the prefiltration step. General beer after DE filtration will have some 2-100um particles; With an average particle size of 30μm, filtration typically requires two steps to remove these impurities.
This usually includes the capture of diatomaceous earth particle leakage and harmful yeast that may occur when the filtration effect is unstable after filtration from diatomaceous earth or after adsorption by PVPP (cross-linked polyethylene pyrrolidone) to prevent them from entering the downstream wine body and affecting the wine body quality.
In addition, Trap filtration also helps to further polish the body, reduce the turbidity of the body, enhance the clarity, improve the sensory quality of the beer, and maintain the consistency of the taste.
Microbial filtration is a key step in beer production to ensure the microbial stability and food safety of beer. Microbial filtration works by removing yeast cells, bacteria, and other microorganisms from beer.
Microbial filtration in beer usually uses microfiltration membrane technology, which can remove microorganisms without heating. Microfiltration membranes typically have a pore size of 0.2 to 1.3 um and are effective at trapping yeast cells and other microorganisms because their size is usually in the 5 to 10 um.
Water filtration is a crucial part of the beer production process, ensuring the purity of the water used for brewing, which directly affects the quality of the final product. In beer production, aseptic water preparation filtration systems are used for tank farm process water, yeast washing, CIP (Clean In Place). bottle washingfilling machine cleaning, etc.
In the beer production process, gas filtration is a key step, which ensures the quality and stability of the beer in all stages of brewing, fermentation, packaging and so on. Gas filtration is mainly used to remove microorganisms, particles and other pollutants from the air to prevent them from entering the beer, thus ensuring the purity and safety of the beer.
The beer industry has very strict requirements on water use because water quality directly affects the taste, quality and safety of beer. Beer production water can be divided into five aspects, namely brewing water, cooling water, washing water, boiler water, and wheat water.
For pale beer production, soft water is preferred, as it contributes to the desired flavor profile. In contrast, strong beer production can temporarily utilize water with higher hardness. Boiler water should be soft to prevent scale buildup, while cooling water must also be soft, with minimal metal salts, to avoid corrosion. Water used for soaking wheat should have medium hardness. Additionally, washing water should be free of microorganisms to maintain hygiene and quality.
According to the requirements of different production water, the filter element we provide can effectively remove particles, impurities and microorganisms in the raw water to ensure the flavor of beer.
SANITEK offers high-performance filtration solutions that are ideal for the food and beverage industry. Our high solid loading Diatomaceous Earth (DE) filters and premium filter housings with superior surface finishes are excellent choices for primary filtration in beer production.
SANITEK’s bag filters and PP pleated cartridge filters help clarify and remove impurities in beer production. Bag filters are used for clarifying beer and beverages, while PP pleated cartridges are suited for higher filtration needs, like water pre-filtration or alcohol clarification.
SANITEK also offers a variety of antibacterial filtration media, including PES, Nylon 6,6, and PVDF. These materials effectively remove excess microorganisms, ensuring that beer remains microbiologically stable and safe for consumption.
| Filtration process | Impurity | Filter product |
| Primary filtration | Resiresidue after malt fermentation, yeast | DIEdisc® Ⅰ 5-10um |
| Trap filtration | Upstream DE filter filtered diatomite, yeast, beer stone, protein precipitation | Polymempure® PP1/PP2/PP3 5um；
Polymempure® GFS 5um； |
| Microbiological filtration | Lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, mutbacteria, coliform and other wild yeast | Polymempore® series 0.45um/0.65 um |
| Water filtration | Suspended impurities in the water, Escherichia coli, and bacteria | Polymempure® PP1/PP2/PP3 5um； |
| Gas filtration | Solid impurities, aerosol, and bacteria | Polymempore® TFEG |
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