Nathan Dias (1); (1) Imerys Filtration Minerals, San Jose, CA, U.S.A.

Finishing and Stability
Poster

With consumer habits driving demand for longer shelf life and better clarity of beer, chill haze reduction becomes critical. Haze reduction typically involves using diatomaceous earth (DE) in combination with silica gel. DE/silica gel systems typically require long hydration times and often result in reduced filtration efficiency due to fine silica gel particles clogging cake void spaces and ending filtration cycles. This reduced filtration performance issue can be overcome by combining the functions of diatomaceous earth (filtration) and silica gel (cold stabilization) into one material; a DE-based adsorbent. By engineering the nano-structure of this filter aid to selectively adsorb haze-forming proteins, post-centrifuged beer can be filtered and highly stabilized (reduced chill haze) without sacrificing filtration performance. This poster presents studies that show how the vast network of pore space within the DE-based adsorbent cake contributes to its unique permeability and how the combination of permeability and high surface area of this engineered material contributes to significant chill haze reduction and improved filtration performance.

Nathan Dias received a B.S. degree in 2014 from the University of California Santa Barbara in chemical engineering and environmental studies. He began employment at Imerys Filtration Minerals that same year and has been working as a research chemist since then, studying the material science properties of diatomaceous earth filter aids and developing new products for beer and biodiesel filtration applications.