Problems on this page:
Filtered beer hazy
Hits OEE: Quality
Symptoms: Haze measurements after the filter are above the target.
Filter aid dosing too low or wrong grade
Check the dosing rate and the filter aid grade for the beer.
Precoat layer uneven or broken
Check the precoat procedure and the flow during precoating.
Beer temperature too high at filtration
Check the beer temperature at the filter inlet.
Membrane or sheet damaged on membrane or sheet filters
Run the integrity test and replace damaged elements.
Prevention: Haze measured continuously or on samples during filtration.
Pressure rising too fast
Hits OEE: Performance
Symptoms: Differential pressure rises quickly and runs are short.
Beer with high yeast or solids load
Check the yeast count in the beer coming to the filter.
Filter aid dosing too low
Increase the body feed dosing for that beer and compare the pressure rise.
Flow rate too high
Reduce the flow to the design rate for the filter area.
Membranes fouled and not regenerated
Run the regeneration cleaning the membrane supplier specifies.
Prevention: Run length and pressure rise recorded per run.
Oxygen pick-up during filtration
Hits OEE: Quality
Symptoms: Dissolved oxygen in the filtered beer is above the limit.
Filter not purged with deaerated water or CO2 before start
Purge the filter and lines with deaerated water or CO2 before beer enters.
Air drawn in at seals on the suction side
Check pump seals and fittings on the suction side for leaks.
Dosing water not deaerated
Check the deaerator output used for filter aid dosing.
Start and end phases mixing beer with water
Check the switching points between water and beer.
Prevention: Dissolved oxygen measured during every run.
Filter aid handling problems
Hits OEE: Availability
Symptoms: Filter aid dust spreads in the area, or dosing lines block.
Dosing tank agitation weak, so filter aid settles
Check the dosing tank agitator.
Dust extraction at the bag tipping point weak
Check the extraction; filter aid dust must not be breathed in, so wear the specified respiratory protection.
Dosing lines blocked
Flush the dosing lines with water after every run.
Dosing pump worn
Check the dosing pump output against its setting.
Prevention: Dosing rate checked at each run start.
Cleaning or sterilising failing
Hits OEE: Availability
Symptoms: The filter is not clean or sterile after its cleaning cycle.
Hot water not reaching the sterilising temperature
Check the hot water temperature at the filter outlet.
Cleaning chemicals too weak
Measure the cleaning solution concentration during the cycle.
Steps cut short
Check that each step runs for its full time.
Filter cake not fully removed
Check the sluicing or cake discharge before cleaning.
Prevention: Cleaning records reviewed after every clean.
Beer losses high
Hits OEE: Performance
Symptoms: More beer is lost per run than planned.
Mixing phases at start and end too long
Set the switching points on a measured gravity or conductivity value.
Beer left in the filter cake
Blow out the filter with CO2 at the end of the run.
Leaks on the filter or lines
Fix leaking seals and valves.
Runs too short, so more start and end phases
Work through the causes of fast pressure rise.
Prevention: Beer losses per run recorded.
Membrane integrity failures
Hits OEE: Quality
Symptoms: The integrity test on a membrane or cartridge filter fails.
Membrane damaged
Replace the damaged module or cartridge.
O-ring leaking at a housing
Replace the O-rings and check the sealing faces.
Pressure shock from a fast-closing valve
Check valve closing times in the filter area.
Chemical attack during cleaning
Check the cleaning chemicals against the membrane limits.
Prevention: Integrity tested at the frequency the quality plan sets.
CO2 breaking out in the filter
Hits OEE: Quality
Symptoms: Foam and gas pockets form in the filter, and haze or flow becomes unstable.
Back pressure on the filter too low
Check the outlet back pressure setting for the beer CO2 content.
Beer warmer than planned
Cool the beer to the planned filtration temperature, since CO2 comes out of solution in warm beer.
Sudden pressure drops when switching
Switch valves slowly.
Air in the filter at start-up
Vent the filter fully before filtration.
Prevention: Back pressure and temperature recorded per run.
Guidance only. Always follow lockout/tagout and your site's safe-work procedures, and verify against OEM manuals before acting.
Related equipment guides: fermentation tank · filter press · deaerator · can filler · centrifugal pump
Stop the same fault coming back
Recurring beer filter stops usually trace to a cause you cannot see by hand. The partner we recommend is Fabrico: it tracks OEE and downtime live from PLCs, IoT sensors or AI cameras; where cameras are fitted, the video of a stop sits next to its machine data so the cause can be reviewed; and a technician opens the work order from the stop in the same system. Data is hosted in the AWS EU region, and Fabrico and the company behind it hold ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 20000-1 and ISO 9001.
Book a Fabrico demo
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Related tools: full troubleshooting directory · OEE calculator · downtime cost · MTBF / MTTR · glossary
Methods that cut recurring stops: the six big losses · root cause analysis · preventive vs predictive maintenance · TPM · SMED & changeover