Filter

[Ebnat]

Hi all just a quick question.

Could I use the Britas filter system for alchol?
A daft question I know but if I don't ask I will never know

[Anavrin]

Hi Ebnat

I've got a Brita and I've thought the same as you but decided it was unsuitable as the liquid passes through it too quickly, I use it for all the water I use to water down the alc% with but no more than that.

I have an Essencia filter and it's slow, even when filled with 4 litres it only lets 500ml per hour through, the spirit needs to pass slowly to get the best results, I guess a Brita might have some effect, if you recycled a batch trough it several times but I guess the filters won't last long and they're expensive, also we don't know if the plastic it's made from is safe to use with high strength alcohol.

Hope this helps answer your question

[PieOPah]

I've been using a water filter. Pass everything through 3 times.
I have been considering getting the Essencia Carbon Filter though.

[Ebnat]

Thanks PoP.

[Easydrinker]

I have some reservations about using a Brita,passing spirit through it several times.
But I am not the most anti-plastic user here.
It would be nice to know,once and for all how the plastic make-up of the Brita compared to the Essencia.
It would also be nice to get a definitive answer as to how much plasticiser is;
a,contained
b,leeched
c,how it would affect a human,diluted in several litres of ethanol
d,how long before the plasticiser is all gone?

Food for thought maybe?

Robert.

[PieOPah]

I would imagine that it would have to be food grade plastic so should be safe....

[Almanac]

Plastic - If in doubt leave it out

Conventional wisdom says that plastics are generally a bad idea.

Some materials are designed for such use and can generally be trusted for short term contact. Other materials, such as the Britta system, are clearly not intended for use with solvent liquids like ethanol.

Of course there are 'some' plastic type materials that are useable and used with alcohol, you can buy Whisky in plastic bottles in some countries. However, unless a container comes with 40%ABV or above alcohol in it or has a label from a reputable manufacturer saying "Safe to use with high strength Ethanol/alcohol" it's safer for distillers like us to assume it's not suitable for such use.

The reason plastics are generally said to be unsuitable, for use with ethanol, is the fact that most people have no way of definitively identifying which plastics are safe to use with a serious solvent substance, such as ethanol.

It's not as if there are no alternatives

Ethanol, at any strength, is not a food substance, it has quite strong solvent properties and should always be handled and treated as such

Common Sense says if you're not completely certain don't do it.

AM

[Easydrinker]

This topic of plastics and ethanol intrigues me.
It may also be the first one where AM and myself disagreed,but we have done so,so many times now,it is hard to tell.
Plastics,there are I believe seven classes of them.
No-one,to my knowledge has ever cited proof of harm,the major issue seems to be perceived leeching of plasticisers.As warned on other distilling sites.
Certain distilling sites do horrible things if you talk plastic.
I agree with AM,you don't have to use it.
I did a Google thing,found this.
http://www.pvc.org/en/p/plasticisers
If you have an interest in plastic and ethanol,give it a whirl.
Especially some of the linked items on the page.
Happy Stilling.
Robert.