[dllipe]

And are there any other benefits than having a nice pretty looking clear beer?

Thanks.

[denny]

None that I'm aware of.

[corkybstewart]

I have a filter setup, but I've only used a couple of times.  It seemed like more trouble than it's worth, and it wasted beer.  I let time and gravity clear my beer now.

[tankdeer]

I fine my beer pretty regularly, but don't filter. Personally I feel fining accomplishes the same thing without the hassle of using a filter.

[hopfenundmalz]

Time and gravity, along with some gelatin do the trick.  I do find that the beers taste better to me when they drop bright.  No yeast and hop tannins to give harsh flavors.

Edit - there will be some yeast and tannins, but the lower levels give a better tasting beer to me.  Always frustrating when the keg blows once a beer is bright and drinking the best, so the gelatin helps.

[Pinski]

A little whirlfloc and time seems to be working well for me.  Still haven't tried the gelatin technique.  Anyone aware of pros/cons for gelatin versus whirlfloc/irish moss?

[tankdeer]

Time and gravity, along with some gelatin do the trick.  I do find that the beers taste better to me when they drop bright.  No yeast and hop tannins to give harsh flavors.

Edit - there will be some yeast and tannins, but the lower levels give a better tasting beer to me.  Always frustrating when the keg blows once a beer is bright and drinking the best, so the gelatin helps.

Exactly. The beer loses some of the harsher, green beer flavors and tastes smoother when bright/clear.

A little whirlfloc and time seems to be working well for me.  Still haven't tried the gelatin technique.  Anyone aware of pros/cons for gelatin versus whirlfloc/irish moss?

I use both. (although I admit the gelatin gets used more when I forget kettle finings)

[The Professor]

I bought a filter setup 20 some odd years ago and I used it exactly once and I learned three things as a result: 
1) Filtered clarity adds nothing to the flavor of the beer (and in fact may take something away).
2) Filtering is a pain in the arse
3) Beer can get just as clear on its own when it's properly aged. 

Ever since then, all of my beers spend a few weeks in a carboy in a fridge held at 33°F,  and then they get transferred  to the keg for serving (and from which I can also  bottle as needed for gifting).  It's clear and bright from the first pour to the last...no sludge.

Commercial breweries (especially, it seems, many of the newer ones) rush their beer out and filter it for clarity.  Not being in a particular hurry myself, I just let nature do the work.   And it's one less piece of kit to clean afterwards.
After that first use, my filter housing became a simple carbon filter through which I run my municipal water for brewing.

[dimik]

I do not filter nor did I ever want to filter. In fact I don't even bother with whirlflock or gelatin most of the time. Gravity and time make it clear and I actually like my brew cloudy. Adds a little rustic vibe to it.

[dllipe]

Thanks everyone, the responses have been very helpful as always.

[Thirsty_Monk]

You all guys are wusies!!

I filter and I LOVE it.
I can not think of better spend time with my beer then filtering .

Now seriously.
In homebrew setup geletine will do what you need to do.
If you want to filter it can get quite involved.
You can filter carbonated or non carbonate beer but it would require different set up.
In Going Pro forum I described how to filter carbonated beer.

[malzig]

I've found that, once I had calcium, pH and conversion worked out, most every beer is bright by about 6 weeks from brewing without any further intervention.  I naturally carbonate most beers, so that is 1-2 weeks fermentation, 2-3 weeks warm conditioning, then 1-2 weeks cold conditioning.

[pikelakehomebrew]

In addition to Whirlfloc and Irish Moss, Clarity Ferm (a WYeast product) works pretty good to.  You pitch one vial (per five gallons) right before pitching the yeast and that helps quite a bit, too.  For s#its and giggles, I decided to pitch the Clarity Ferm to a test batch of witbier wort in the carboy, and holy crap did it clear out!  We're talking "read a newspaper through my three-gallon glass carboy" clear.  Obviously you don't want a crystal clear witbier (or any other style where clarity is not wanted), but the experiment illustrated just how well it works (for me — your mileage may vary).

I have also read from a couple sources that it even helps break down glutens and denatures them to a large extent, making beer more tolerable to those with mild to moderate issues with glutens.  But don't quote me on that.  WYeast hasn't released any studies on the denaturing of glutens with Clarity Ferm and to what degree of parts-per-million the gluten remains.

[weithman5]

all i do is pour my beer through a stainless steel wire collander when i am putting it from kettle to fermenter. i have a cap that i bottled a week ago.  one bottle is in a 1 liter plastic bottle so i can check conditioning. it is already crystal clear.

[euge]

I don't. Do use whirlflock tabs when I remember. Also have a couple year old box of gelatin that's never been used.

Not that big of a deal to me. I think there's a small difference in taste if the beer is young but time is the homebrewer's friend.

I just can't be bothered really.