High %, and how do you know when it needs replacing

by **lyonacre** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 1:46 pm

Hey,
Having got the wash and the spirit working well I am now looking at the filtering side of things and considering what to do. Currently I am using the silly little disc thing that came with my air still.
Having looked at the forum and around the shops it strikes me that all the \"better\" filters around are quite expensive and I have been looking for alternatives - I am a poor and lonely person who can\'t afford these super things - but end up with a couple of questions that hopefully you guys will answer easily:
1. Why do you have to cut the spirit before putting it through the charcoal filter? What happens, or otherwise, if you don\'t and filter at say 60%
2. When using a higher volume filter how do you know when its exhausted and needs new charcoal?
3. Has anyone tried using a caravan water filter?
Many thanks

by **alan** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 3:38 pm

I have never cut mine befor filtering i just run it through a home made filter thats filled with charcoal granule\'s, i only cut when im ready to bottle

by **Jimmy** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 4:03 pm

Filtering works better at around 40%, and also doing it this way means you filter the water as well. You can still filter at higher percentages, it\'s just not so efficient.
You know when the charcoal is used up when the bad tastes/smells return to your spirit! Really it all depends on the quality of what you put through it, the quantity, the size and design of the filter... sadly it\'s just a matter of guesswork and testing.
The cheapest way to make a filter is to use coffee filter papers, charcoal and a large funnel. Or you can just put the charcoal into the bottle/demijohn, shake it around a lot, leave it a week or two and shake every day, then filter out through coffee filters. Next up would be a piece of pipe a couple of feet long, filled with charcoal and with maybe a coffee filter on the end. I have done this before with PVC pipe and it worked well, nowadays I\'d probably try to use metal wherever possible.
Pretty much anything works better than the standard filter!

by **Phantom** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 1:21 pm

@ alan and lyonacre,
If you have a dig around, and google for Gert Strand and carbon filter ebook, you'll find your way to a copy of his ebook that explains all about the why's and wherefores of carbon filtration.
Yes, he does use various examples and also explains how to make your own straight pipe carbon filter - plus why it's better to filter at 40% etc
He also explains how to keep your carbon usage to a minimum i.e. how to "clean" it up for reuse. Then you don't have to keep buying lots and lots, just another bag kept handy to top up the amount used in the filter that gets lost in the cleaning process......
It's a handy document to have to hand......
Here\'s the link for the ebook in \"website format\"........ I was going to offer to PM a copy but I\'ve just had a look at it and while it\'s \"printed\" in English, it was obviously prepared in a German edition of the Acrobat writer so I need to change that to English.....

by **Phantom** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 1:39 pm

Nope, my own stupid fault - I\'d installed the german version of acroread by mistake.....
So I\'ve binned that and re-installed the english version, so if anyone wants a copy, then PM me an email address and I\'ll forward you a copy of it i.e. the carbon ebook......

by **Phantom** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 2:25 am

On it\'s way if I were you, I\'d edit that post to remove the email address as you wouldn\'t want any of the spambots/spiders lifting it and spamming......

by **Jimmy** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 2:14 pm

Deleted it for you, sensible advice Phantom!