StillSmart

I currently use Still Spirits Triple Distilled Turbo Yeast together with Turbo Carbon to make my sugar wash.

Question is, do I need to use the Turbo Carbon as it\'s a pain in the arse when it comes to syphoning of the cleared wash. I use a Z Filter after distlling.

you dont need to put any carbon in your wash at all.

from my experience I have found little to no difference what so ever.

The final filtering is where you make the difference.

IMO
Also its way cheaper not to buy the turbo/esssensia carbon just ask your local brew shop for high alcohol carbon and buy it buy the kg if you need it for filtering.

I havent used a z filter so not really sure how they work.
one more thing i dont want to bang on about but try the tomatoe wash recipe youll find you get less spirit but a much nicer spirit

Me too, I don’t use it at all now, I found it hard to clear and there was even a post on this forum somewhere that suggests that carbon erodes stainless steel.

Yes I read that post Umpa but as my son pointed out (He\'s a bit technical) stainless steel actualy contains carbon of one sort or another.

I think I\'ll try my next wash without the carbon.

As an aside I just bought 800 grms. of carbon granules from my local aquatic store about 60% of the Still spirits price.
Opus

So does a diamond! - Rubber and you!!! I\'m not that it means anything.
There is an interesting book doing the rounds that has some useful info on carbon - there are different grades for different uses. It does not recommend that type of carbon

Here’s a link to the one thread

http://www.stillsmart.co.uk/forum/topic.php?id=93
Here’s a link to the book

http://www.partyman.se/free-e-book-abou ... ed-carbon/

Thanks again Umpa. PDF now downloaded.

On the subject of carbon v stainless. how about stainless steel exhausts guaranteed for life, thats getting coated with a hell of a lot of carbon?
Opus

Hi Umpa

I\'m back having read your suggested litrature Wow! you really have given me a headache now. If I\'ve understood the mechanics correctly my Z Filter is about as usefull as a spare dick at a wedding. It has an ID of 25mm and a total length of 750mm.Less than half the minimum capacity recomended in the afore said document. As for the actual carbon I\'m still geting my head around that. It looks like I will be manufacturing a home made job in the near future.
Thanks again for the pointer

Opus

I\'m back having read your suggested litrature Wow! you really have given me a headache now. If I\'ve understood the mechanics correctly my Z Filter is about as usefull as a spare dick at a wedding. It has an ID of 25mm and a total length of 750mm.Less than half the minimum capacity recomended in the afore said document. As for the actual carbon I\'m still geting my head around that. It looks like I will be manufacturing a home made job in the near future.

No, I\'d disagree there. Yes Gert Strands book/paper might quote a pipe length longer than the total length of the Z filter, but it\'s still going to be removing any unwanted elements in the distilled spirit. The book (which is the same one I offered to email around a couple of months ago) explains about re-using carbon by rinsing it with boiling water 5 or 6 times (I\'m sure it\'s in the carbon book, rather than his distillers hand book which you have to pay for) - which is what I do, then you only need to put a bit more in every now and again.
Sure, if you feel happier, you can also go to Gert Strands website and buy yourself the exact same funnel that\'s designed to work with a "straight pipe" type carbon filter setup or you can make up any number of home brew drip feed setups etc. I haven\'t actually measured the total filtering length of my Z filter but I suspect it\'s about a metre of carbon that the distillate passes through......

Hi Phantom

I suppose a more accurate quote on the Z Filter is that it may not be as efficient as the optimum. The document was the free PDF download by Gert Strand. \"Activated Carbon For Purification of Alcohol\".

As for the funnel or any other components, I would think that the only critical thing is to be able to hold the suggested amount of carbon in a colum (I\'m looking at a tube 50mm dia by 1000mm long) and controlling the speed of outflow to 25% of the tube volume per hour. To quote the document \"very very slow\".

Having aquired a suitable tube it has to be worth a trial.

I would add that I have been quite happy with the few batches I\'ve put through the Z Filter, the question is could I do better?
Regards Opus

Yes this is the very same info that phantom offered via email.

Now remember this is one mans opininon from his experiance.

Take it as a guide and not a science fact, your milage may vary.