StillSmart

Re: Air still, filtration speed.

2018-03-12T23:23:06+00:00

Firstly, welcome WEGGL.

Secondly, how nice to see an old thread brought kicking and screaming into the here and now.

There is much archived on this site that people don't bother to read, a sign of the 'here and now' browser mentality I guess.
So much repetition then results, our own version of Mornington Crescent.

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Mon Mar 12, 2018 11:23 pm

Re: Air still, filtration speed.

2018-03-12T05:21:05+00:00

I have the large EZ Filter 2 pot system. The trouble I had was a vacuum was forming in the top container and caused the flow to stop. Fixed it I drilled a 1/8' hole in the lid, problem solved. Maybe the small 2 pot system has the same problem. To find out try it with no lid.
Warren

Statistics: Posted by WEGGL — Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:21 am

Air still, filtration speed.

2010-03-26T16:19:25+00:00

Interesting thread!

I just got my Air Still and am working through the process.

I too found that I got zero flow through the filter and tried the \"block the hole and blow through it\" and, just like the rest of you found it was solid!

I worked through all the carbon rings I have and found that those that came with the still were all the same - solid, couldn\'t blow through them, no flow - even with grooves cut in the bolt.

However, the new fresh packet of filters seems OK, well at least the first one is so I am hoping the rest will be too.

Thanks for all the information

Statistics: Posted by lyonacre — Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:19 pm

Air still, filtration speed.

2009-10-02T01:35:15+00:00

I use alcotech carbon in my z filter too. Given what the z filter is, it\'s very expensive but it does work very good.

Statistics: Posted by umpa — Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:35 am

Air still, filtration speed.

2009-09-18T01:05:14+00:00

I got some new carbon for mine still thought it was crap,got a Z filter now have run 20ltrs through it three times,quicker,cleaner spirit,and cheap to run if you buy alcotec carbon,if you get one Maverick50 you wont regret it!

Statistics: Posted by optic — Fri Sep 18, 2009 1:05 am

Air still, filtration speed.

2009-09-18T00:00:20+00:00

The ones that come with the still are c--p, block one end up with your finger and try an blow air through, just about impossible, do the same with the new ones and you will notice the difference, they probably filter to quick after cutting the grove in the screw!!!!

So how about running it through more than once ?
It\'s one of the reasons why it\'s handy to have read through Gert Strands free ebook about carbon filtration. Yes it tells you how to make your own filter, but if you\'ve come up with a slightly different method, it also tells you how to "clean" or re-activate it. It reduced carbon wastage to a minimum.

Statistics: Posted by Phantom — Fri Sep 18, 2009 12:00 am

Air still, filtration speed.

2009-09-17T18:01:00+00:00

Just thought I would get this one giong again.
I had the same problem, done all mods an no better, purchased a new ss multi pack and all sorted.
The ones that come with the still are c--p, block one end up with your finger and try an blow air through, just about impossible, do the same with the new ones and you will notice the difference, they probably filter to quick after cutting the grove in the screw!!!!

Statistics: Posted by maverick50 — Thu Sep 17, 2009 6:01 pm

Air still, filtration speed.

2009-05-20T23:13:29+00:00

I still had the same problem with the Still Spirits Multi Pack. I think you will find they are just a very slow throughput. Considering the available surface area you can\'t expect much else.
Opus

Statistics: Posted by Opus 27 — Wed May 20, 2009 11:13 pm

Air still, filtration speed.

2009-05-20T02:21:54+00:00

I have just used one of the cartridges from a new Still Spirits multipack box. They work brilliantly, the distillate flows through them very quickly rather than drips.
It would appear that my initial problem with no flow was down to the cartridges that came loose in a bag, with my complete still kit. I wonder where Wineworks sourced them from? porous they ain\'t!

Statistics: Posted by Balmoral — Wed May 20, 2009 2:21 am

Air still, filtration speed.

2009-05-04T19:03:48+00:00

I had the same problem with the kit filter. I also cut a grove along the thread which helped a bit but I\'m not convinced about the compressed carbon cartridge either.

In the the end I coughed up for a Z Filter, this works well. I also pass my cut spirit through twice.
Opus

Statistics: Posted by Opus 27 — Mon May 04, 2009 7:03 pm

Air still, filtration speed.

2009-05-04T18:31:12+00:00

Hmmm, so would there be a way of knocking up a kind of filter using activated carbon powder with coffee filters and cotton wool in a pipe or funnel? Or does it need to be granular carbon, powder being too fine. Carbon powder is something else I can nick from work see! Just asking because I have the same Air Still filter as Balmoral and if it\'s s**te, which I\'ll be finding out soon, I\'d like to have something else to hand.

Statistics: Posted by Rich — Mon May 04, 2009 6:31 pm

Air still, filtration speed.

2009-05-02T18:52:36+00:00

The \"small white carbon tea bag holder\" and the collector can work fine for me, with the \"smart still\" and yes it does take a long time to run water in it - but it\'s handy for cutting/letting down the distillate to 40%.
The \"Z\" filter kit is basically 2 buckets (10 litre capacity), one bucket has a solid lid and a tap, the other has no tap but a hole cut in the lid to take the pipe from the Z filter.
The Z filter itself is basically a piece of 2 inch pipe that\'s been moulded into a Z or S shape, with the appropriate caps and pipe connections, and a small mesh screen to keep the carbon granules/pellets in place.
I tend to run it at about 2 litres an hour - by adjusting how far open the tap on the top bucket is......
It wouldn\'t take much effort to make something up using domestic waste pipe (2 inch plastic) and something like coffee filters to retain the carbon. Some sort of \"Heath Robinson\" system of funnels etc to run the spirit through it to achieve the same results - at vastly less cost (the full Z filter kit is about Â£50 or so).
Hell, if you\'ve got a spare bucket with a lid you could even just put the distillate in it and add the carbon granules/pellets and swirl it a couple of times and then filter the whole lot through a coffee filter system to separate the carbon out.
Don\'t forget, using sugar turbo wash does create very clean ethyl alcohol - which might not be the case if you\'re trying something like tomato paste wash, or grain mash or.....etc etc etc!

Statistics: Posted by Phantom — Sat May 02, 2009 6:52 pm

Air still, filtration speed.

2009-05-01T10:41:33+00:00

Sorry for the deley, I would not distill water in that, it\'s not made for it. It will take an age, I have the exact same still but it\'s called a Smart Sill, as as the others have said, we get a small White top and a plastic jug to catch the produce. Instead of tee bags I use a coffee filter chopped in half and fill it with activated carbon, wash it in ro, put the top on and use that.
I distill the full 5 gallons over a week, and only take the heads/ forshots out on the very last pass, about 20ml, and we have all been fine on it. Mind you I only got the thing at christmas, so it\'s early days yet.
If I were you, I would perhaps try another carbon filter, some ppl on here have made them out of copper pipe, full of carbon, others use a \'Z\' filter. The benefit of making your own is that you can put lots of carbon in so should filter out more nasty tastes.
Jimmy & Phantom are the resident experts on here I bet they have loads of ideas.

Statistics: Posted by umpa — Fri May 01, 2009 10:41 am

Air still, filtration speed.

2009-04-30T23:20:42+00:00

Tell you what - take off the first 50ml into an empty, clean bottle - a small whiskey bottle is ideal, you can put 50ml of water in and mark it up beforehand - take that off, put the cap on it, shake it up for a while and then open the cap and take a sniff. Then decide for yourself!

Statistics: Posted by Jimmy — Thu Apr 30, 2009 11:20 pm

Air still, filtration speed.

2009-04-30T20:49:42+00:00

I would stick with your large jug and tea bags, this \'newer\' design is rubbish IMO. The exit hole in the base of the collector is effectively blocked by screwing the bolt into it. I can\'t see how it could work unless the bolt was a very loose fit, but it isn\'t. It works fine with the groove cut into it though.
Hopefully my first mash might be done by the weekend, it went on last Saturday. Then I can get my first run done.
I notice that the instructions say that discarding the first part of the run is not required? Yet a browse through these forums and it is apparent that folks are discarding anything between 20-100ml at the start.

Statistics: Posted by Balmoral — Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:49 pm