StillSmart

So I have collected my 700ml.

It gave me a 53% reading on the alcohol hydrometer. The temperature of the booze was just over 20C, so no adjustment needed to be made to the reading. Not 60% but hey ho, first go!

I used the calculator and diluted with 227ml of filtered water (I have a water dispenser/ice maker on my fridge with an inline filter).

So I activated the carbon cartridge and filtered last night.

When I awoke this morning there was still maybe 10ml in the top bowl, and it was still dripping. The lower bowl had a much nicer smell. There were still those very slight 'off notes'. As the cartridge was still moist and 'active, I just dumped the lower filtered liquid back into the top bowl for a double filtering.

I have two questions.

Was this clever or stupid?

How much alcohol can you pass through a carbon cartridge (that is still activated)?

I know that the carbon is meant to hold the rubbish (fusel oils, and other stuff you don't want), so it must have a capacity. I would like to triple filter my booze on each batch, and if I could use the same active cartridge that would be great. If not the cost may become prohibitive, and I might have to look at other filtering solutions (Z Filter etc.).

Also, I have been reading the carbon filtering page on HD, and it talks about filtering using filter paper to catch the carbon particles, further cleaning up the booze.

Does anybody do this. If so what tools and technique do you apply?

Thanks,

Mozr.

The amount you can use the carbon depends on how dirty the spirit you filter is. The way I filter is to just use a few spoonfuls of carbon in a coffee filter and funnel, the reason being that the carbon does absorb some of the spirit so I try to keep the amount reasonably low but go through it several times to increase the overall effect. By far the best way is to keep the bad bits out by distilling well, if you've done pretty good then you should be OK to filter through a couple of times. What tends to happen is the bad bits get trapped at the top and gradually work their way down so if you find the stuff at the bottom smells the same as the stuff at the top, time to change the carbon!

Mozr said, "There were still those very slight 'off notes'" (after filtering) which prompts the question; Which type of filter are you using? Post a pic pls.

Some people don't filter at all and good luck to them.

Some people filter to try to remove the nasty by-products of not having distilled and cut their spirit properly.

Forget about triple filtering and try double distilling instead. If you distill twice those 'off-notes' or toxic waste by-products won't be there in the first place and with reasonably easy cuts you can enjoy safe spirits of a higher quality than many available in the shops today.

Unless you are a truly brilliant brewer and an expert at making exact cuts in your distillate you should always distill twice with an Airstill and then dilute as required and you'll only need to filter once to finish and polish your spirit and if you do this you'll never have a hangover again! Otherwise....no promises!!

AM

Pic from screen grab of carbon filter from youtube attached.

I am running the rest of the wash twice.

I don't know what I am doing though...

I am going get rid of the foreshots in whatever I do.

Collect 1.5 litres, or when 30% abv is reached.

When I collect 4 litres do run number 2.

Get rid of foreshots.

Collects 1.3 litres, dilute to 40%, and carbon filter.

And hopefully, my booze won't smell like vinegar anymore!

Cheers guys.

Mozr, that 'thing' is not a proper or even adequate filter - or more precisely it's a cheap crappy way of getting your money off you knowing you'll have to buy the real thing later.

A carbon filter it definitely a good thing but that 'thing' is no better than the tea-bag carbon filters that come with the Airstill - don't rely on it.

Even with the vastly cleaner product from second distilling that 'thing' would not make the slightest difference in terms of finishing and polishing your spirits.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but if I wasn't honest with a fellow distiller about something I know could be harmful to you I'd feel like I was conning you too.

Forget about mini cartridges, teabags and small in-line filters these are just ways of getting your hard earned cash off you and you'll end up having to get a 'real' filter later anyway.

There are a number of proper solutions out there that will do the job properly. The only cartridge system I have found to be totally efficient is the Essencia Filter system which uses a Ceramic filter and a Carbon filter and don't be put off by the price. Another type is the 'Z' filter which is excellent but you have fill it with carbon by hand which can be quite messy.

Have a look at the thread "Board Index/Filtering/Essencia Carbon Filter" read all and look at the pics - now that's a proper spirit filter. and there are a number of efficient DIY options available too.

At the end of the day you have to keep in mind that you will be drinking the final product of your work so you really need it to be clean so, if you're using an Airstill, distill twice filter once with a serious filter and be safe but above all that enjoy what you make - it's an achievement most people never experience!

Note to i don't drink: don't use that for filtering spirits - seriously! You'll do yourself serious harm in the long term. The materials that thing is made from are designed for filtering water and will not withstand the solvent properties of the ethanol you're putting through it!!!

Hard and Fast Rule: NEVER use plastics with alcohol over 20%ABV unless specifically designed for use with high strength alcohol.

AM

Better poor than poisoned my friend! The cheapest way to do it is something like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kitchen-Craft ... 3efb5d3e6d

+ coffee filters and carbon. Incidentally, the carbon from home brew shops is food grade, the carbon from aquarium suppliers isn't. Whether it's good enough/exactly the same stuff is a matter for debate but just in case anyone is curious!

Mozr first of all hiya, not gonna give you any advice as I am far from an expert being a newbie myself lol but here's what I have been doing!!

I am now running my third wash through my SS and thankfully because of the help and advice from the guys on here its been a quick learning curve for me!!

first wash I ran through I chucked the first 20mls, collected the next 750mls as per instructions with still, and chucked the rest down the sink, the result after dilution and filtering was what I thought a not too bad drinkable effort.
That was until I followed the advice given on here, second batch I stripped first then ran through still for a second time chucking first 50ml and collecting heads hearts and tails separate, diluted and filtered and the end result 100% better than the first run!!

I have tried the alcotech triple still turbo yeast with the liquid carbon and the vodkastar turbo which I heard about on here, and preferred the end result using the vodkastar. It took a wee bit longer to finish and was slightly lower % than the triplestill yeast but it has the added bonus of being easier to clean the fermenting bucket out afterwards!!)

I got the essencia filter system from the word go as and its great, well worth the money imo!!

Anyway enuf from me and happy distilling
Ali x

This forum is great.

Hi guys.

Thanks for all the input.

You are right Aiden. It is the same as the tea bag version. The difference being that you dilute to 40% before processing, whereas the tea bag/collection system was taking straight from the still.

I must say I am annoyed. Countless times Richard from Wineworks talks about 'alcohol that tastes of nothing' in his youtube videos.

Well I don't think that anyone ever has used the triple distilled/6kg sugar/21 litres of water/ turbo carbon/turbo clear recipe has managed that with one run using an airstill. I know adverts tell lies but this is quite a big one.

I am over £300 into wineworks at the moment, and am feeling a bit despondent.

There is light. My first run, taking 1.5litres came out at 30% ABV exactly last night. So I am going to get 4 litres together and do my second run/filtration.

The essencia does look great. Does it beat the z filter for quality, or is it just a much cleaner in terms of use, and a better designed system?

Thanks for the advice Ali. It is appreciated and give me hope. Stripped runs it is.

Can I ask some questions please.

Is my method for doing two runs a valid one?

Do we all have that yeasty/vinegar smell in our cleared wash when doing a sugar recipe?

Thanks,

Mozr

If your booze has off tastes and flavours, either your fermentation was iffy or else you have too much from the beginning of the run or too much from the end - there's not a lot else really to go wrong, but that doesn't mean it's easy! I've had excellent odorless spirit with no filtering out of my airstill, but I've also had iffy batches where I must have done something wrong.

Best way is to isolate and improve, so if it's not working out the way you're doing it, change something but make sure it's repeatable - take off 100ml more as heads or something, you don't have to bin it but just keep it separate. Keep trying stuff until you make it really nice - I promise you that even with an airstill there is a sweet spot. Double (and even triple) distillation does make it easier to get to though - if you're struggling to make up batches then add clean water up to 4l (if it helps to understand it, you're replacing what is left in the still with clean water, and you can sniff that to see the logic there!).

i dont drink wrote:my home made filter works perfectly but as you say.. better safe than sorry.

...shame though, looked like a good bit of DIY thinking other than the plastic issue!

Thanks for the encouragement guys.

I am wondering whether I had a bad ferment.

The wash smells yeasty/vinegary, and any part of a single run when collected smells too. I could not see any sweet spot.

I just don't know what went wrong, if that's the case.

I will persevere with the stripped run, and see if I can clean it up.

Thanks guys.

It tastes like cheap cider.

Dump?

Thanks Aidan.

I am still unsure as to whether it is infected.

But I have 4 litres of 30% distilled wash and purified water airing with kitchen roll covering it.

I will do run two tomorrow according to your measurements and report back.

If that smells is still as prominent do I have an infected wash?

My next wash is due for clearing on Thursday too.

So I will be able to compare smells with that.

I've got campden tablets.

How much should I be using per litre of wash?

I can see 1 crushed per gallon. Would that be right in 30% ABV alcohol?

Cheers Aidan.

I thought as much...

I have crushed two tablets and mixed them in 20ml of boiled water that had cooled.

I have chucked that in the remaining ten litres of wash, and given it a good stir.

I am doing the 2nd run of the already distilled 4litres of 30% abv now.

I have chucked 50ml foreshots, harvested 250ml heads and put aside, and am now collecting the 500ml hearts.

I will report back tonight.

Cheers, mozr.