StillSmart

Emailed the folks at Essencia about their formula. Ie= 45 litres at 40% and the filter is done. And 33 litres at 54% and the filter is done..

Okay, so my better half wants everything going thru that at 20%, not at 40 and then dilute... Does not want it going thru at 40 and then watered down later. From start to finish..Has to be 20%..

That's okay with me.. But then why wouldn`t that carbon filter be good for 75-90 litres at that percentage.. Why shouldn`t that math work in reverse>??

Some of you have had this system for longer than me. Anyone experimented with this --putting thru less than 40abv and seeing how effective that carbon filter still is?

Thanks

Sonny

No,I have not tried what you are suggesting,but your logic seems good to me.
I am ready to be corrected but believe the longer lasting ceramic filter copes with the odd impurities in the water,while the shorter-lived carbon filter handled the alcohol impurities.
Maybe I have that wrong,and it is not that simple.
Looking forward to some definitive input,not opinion,on this one.

Robert.

Got to ask. .. Why 20%?

I recommend reading Gert Strand's book http://homedistiller.org/activated_book1.pdf

Carbon filtering works by adsorption (not that is not spelled wrong). Once the carbon is "full" it is no longer effective (unless you re-activate it). Impurities in the water the alcohol is diluted with (chlorine, chloramines, etc) will also be taken in by the carbon. So filtering at 20% could make the carbon inactive sooner than the same amount of alcohol at 40% as a greater volume of water is being filtered as well.

That said, I don't know that I would worry about it all that much. Try it, see how long the carbon lasts, then decide for yourself. You will find that the action of the carbon filter will tail off gradually over time, is does not magically turn off at 45L. When I prepare a fresh batch of carbon, I keep the first litres as my best vodka. The rest I use as base for gin, limoncello, JD chip whiskey, and my many other experiments.

Chuck

Without a chemical analysis of the filtered product it is impossible to tell if there is any actual difference in a batch of filtrate that was done within the manufacturers guidelines and another batch done well outside those guidelines.

I, and many others around here, routinely refill the lower carbon filter and it is very cost effective as long as you use the correct size carbon

As for the ceramic filter, I simply don't know, as a matter of fact. However, I have no idea how many litres have passed through the present ceramic filter in my Essencia but I've scrubbed the outer surface several times in the past two years and the product coming from it is as clean today as it's ever been. Believe me, SWMBO would let me know very quickly if it was otherwise

Having said all that, I only use the Essencia for Vodka and the distillate I use for Vodka is pretty damn clean off my hybrid and even off my older, but not forgotten, basic potstill.

At the end of the day your Essencia's performance depends a lot on what you put into it. If you're trying to get clean spirit by filtering awful smelling low wines, from a single run through an Airstill, your Essencia filters are going to have a very short life.

On the specific question of volumes at lower ABV, naturally you can extend the guidelines quite safely by application of common sense. i.e. If using a higher ABV means you get less throughput than at 40% then it is reasonable to extrapolate that at the lower ABV of 20% you can filter a greater volume and still remain within the manufacturers guidelines. Further example, 50 Litres of liquid at 40% ABV exactly the same amount of Ethanol as 100 Litres of liquid at 20% ABV.

AM

chill wrote: ...filtering at 20% could make the carbon inactive sooner than the same amount of alcohol at 40% as a greater volume of water is being filtered as well. Chuck

2nd that - you are effective filtering 80% water. I filter at 60% for that reason, using the Still Spirits EZ - bingo. They also regen v well.


I think the "queen of the castle" is a chemist and knows something we don't !

mashy wrote:I think the "queen of the castle" is a chemist and knows something we don't !

....queen of the castle????

I'm thinking I must have missed something. Who's this queen you're talking about?

AM

I caught the post this morning....

"Got to answer Marshy"

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3350

Who or what the hell is "Marshy"?

Anyway, when diluting spirits I always use RO water and had presumed others were using, at least, filtered water which would have a negligible effect on the performance of a carbon filter.

Many years in the military taught me not to complicate things with problems that only exist in your head. i.e. The only thing you need to worry about in filtering alcohol, through an Essencia filter, is the alcohol KISS!

AM

I think it could be a typo (mashy) It was a late post (or early depending on your view) and this is afterall an alcohol forum

With you 100% KISS (not to be confused with Kiss Kiss)

mashy wrote:...... and this is afterall an alcohol forum

Quite, but not supposed to be alcohol affected Hic!

AM

Now you see when I posted this I had about 6 drinks at 20%abv and still spelled Mashy as Marshy.. Had I had as many at 40% ABV likely would have spelled his name backwards.. And that is why the Queen of the Castle says, nothing going thru the filter stronger than 20%..

And we all know who rules the Castle..

Sonny

I think it rather good to have a guardian angel looking over you,so I am not going to criticise.
If you haven't said so already,your other half may appreciate being known as as such.

Robert.

Part-time Counselling at low rates.

LOL.

At last all is clear (pun intended)