Filtering with Carbon

by **Andy** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:01 am

I use one of these Fuselex filters:

It took about 24 hours to filter 7 liters of cut spirit.

Very impressed with it, the spirit going in had a smell (wife says like ripe banana)

But the spirit coming out was a clean smelling and tasting clear spirit.

I have read that the carbon is bad but cant find it again, can anybody elaborate ?

Cheers

Andy

by **Opus 27** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 5:12 pm

Now that looks like the Bee\'s Knee\'s. Not seen anything like it in the UK.

As for the carbon thing I think nearly everybody on this site carbon filters but there is divided opinion on using carbon in your fermentation as with the SS Turbo Carbon.
Opus

by **Opus 27** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 8:21 pm

If anyone in the UK is interested these filters sell in Aus for the equivelent of Â£105.

I\'m doing a bit of surfing to see if anyone would ship to UK, Purely out of interest and to keep the brain functioning.
Opus

by **Bottleofrum** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 10:01 pm

wow, that looks so cool, will have to read a few reviews before I get one

though.
BOR

by **optic** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 2:14 am

Should think Richard at wineworks would be worth asking about these filters?

by **Andy** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:16 am

A friend put me onto these filters.

I paid $179 AU for it, that equates to about Â£99.7052 GBP.

The shipping would be rather expensive but I wouldn\'t mind doing the run around if any of you guys would want one.
The only problem I see with this device is the fact it doesn\'t have a lid.

I have put a handkerchief over the top to stop anything falling in.

I have it mounted on a work bench (had to weld up a bracket)and place a demijohn under it to catch the dripping goodness.

http://www.homebrewbarn.com/fuselex.html

by **Opus 27** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:19 am

Searched the UK for these and they don\'t seem to be available or though their baby brother is at Â£40 but this only takes 100 grms of carbon thats half of a Z filter.

I\'ve emailed an Aus supplier to see if they ship to uk but it would be good toknow a bit more about it\'s performance etc.
Opus

by **Opus 27** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:17 pm

A bit more info on the Fuselex Filters. There made in China, There\'s a wide range of home distilling products in stainless steel from this manufacturer but not in the UK.

It\'s seems to be distibuted by \"China Direct\" to Western Europe.
Opus

by **HangOver** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:16 pm

andy, how long have you used the fuselex filter for?
i looked at them but the bloke in my local HB shop said the carbon pits the steel over time.
Dunno if this is right or wrong though and even if it does pit the steel i dont know if it really affects anything other than the steel. But if you could keep an eye on it and let us know it would be great.
I was toying with the idea of making a big filter from an old SS HB beer keg, (about 15L).

by **trelliS** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:18 pm

Hi Folks

I believe Leyland Home Brew have something similar or smaller version on their website.

http://www.leylandhomebrew.com/item2556.htm

by **HangOver** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:19 pm

BTW these filters are widely available in Australia

by **Phantom** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:27 pm

Well it looks like a very good looking piece of kit, but at Â£40 plus shipping from leylandhomebrew, I think I\'d rather stick with the Z filter i.e. if it holds half the carbon that a Z filter holds, then you\'d have to run your spirit twice to get the same amount of filtration on it.
Either that, or you\'d be better placed using a couple of buckets and something home made, like the one that Gert Strand shows in the \"Carbon Filtration\" book. Or, allowing for the cost of about Â£100 for the larger version, you could probably make one from copper pipe (large bore) for about the same. The only thing being that you\'d have to track down a valve for the bottom section.
For me, it\'s all about cost........ so I\'ll be sticking with plastic for the moment....

by **Opus 27** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 2:33 am

The Â£40 one is actualy the baby brother that Leyland are selling. The one in the image is $180 (Aus) about Â£100(GBP).
Opus

by **Andy** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 4:10 am

@ HangOver:

I have only used it to put 2 wash\'s through, both were very clean after filtering and I have been told its now time to replace the carbon (a bit soon for my liking)

My friend who put me onto these has had his for 2 years and it has no signs of pitting that I could see when I looked at it last week.

I ust followed the instructions found on the site, this is them:
First pack the flow control chamber with filter paper to prevent the carbon dust from entering the finished product. Then connect the flow control chamber to the treatment chamber and fill the treatment chamber with activated carbon, so that it flows into the lower flow control chamber. Place a collection bottle beneath the flow control chamber and your ready to add the cut spirit. Allow 45 mins for the carbon filter media to become saturated with spirit, then gently adjust the tap on the flow control chamber so that it passes 2 drips per second.

by **HangOver** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 10:10 pm

2 years, that sounds pretty good, I use a DIY filter made from copper pipe that is simmilar in principle.
I usually run about 4-5L of plain water through my pipe filter, firstly to clear the carbon powder.

Secondly, (this really is how tight I am :-) ) I noticed on the first run of spirits the carbon soaks up an amount of spirit until it becomes saturated so you essentially loose some spirit unless your carbon is wet first. Hence the water

Dunno if it helps or hinders the process but it works for me.
My filter holds about 250g, of carbon, (a guess) and i usually filter about 2 complete washes with that; I filter each double distilled bottle three times.
* Phantom, I didn\'t bother with a valve on my pipe filter i just bought an end cap and drilled a really small hole in, its maybe 1mm at most. Total cost was about $50-ish