How to filter an oil from the alcohol

[guymark]

Everything was going quite well and I had a modest collection of clean spirit at around 60% then as the rather grim "banana liquor" was going to be chucked (it really was quite dire), I thought I may as well get the alcohol out of it - some 28%. I added this and some other old liquers which had started to lose their flavour and ran them through the still. Foreshots removed but the main run SEEMED absolutely fine.

I can only assume I had a mild cold coming on and couldn't smell the banana oil that had come through. As such I cheerfully bunged it into the container with all the other spirit.

I now have about 6 litres of "banana scented alcohol. I am aware of how stupid I have been, I am just trying to find a way to filter out the banana flavour.

I have a carbone filter but thought I would check before using it as it seemed silly to wreck it bu putting the spirits through if I have to dilute them down with water, THEN filter and then re-distill. The difficulty is that the banana flavour does not seem to be confined to heads / tails - so I have to try and remove it some other way.

Any suggestions very much appreciated on the best way to filter out an oil / aroma that is not wanted.

Kind Regards
Mark

[splifi]

hi guymark i am a total novice at distilling but i have read on here or another forum, that some people use bicarbonate soda/baking powder to strip flavor out of spirit.It may be worth a google or if some one of more experience could cast there knowledge.

[chill]

If it is not essential oils floating on top, carbon filtering is probably your only option.

Chuck

[guymark]

Thank you Splifi & Chill.

I will try a small sample with the bicarb and then re-distill it to get ride of the bicarb. If this doesn't work or only partly works I will dilute down to about 30%, run it through a carbon filter and then re-still.

Will have a look on the board to see which filters folks recommend as the best. I have a "tea-bag" style carbon filter but I doubt that is going to be able to filter everything I have so will try to find one with a bit more capacity.

Again, thank you both for your thoughts.
Mark

[chill]

The teabags are useless. Before doing any filtering read this: http://homedistiller.org/activated_book1.pdf

The easiest and cheapest (in the short term) way is to add the carbon to the spirit and shake it every so often over 2-3 days. Then strain through cotton wool. I have been filtering at higher percentages lately, up to 50%. It may be less effective, but as you loose 2-4% from filtering it still leaves you with a drinkable strength result.

Chuck

[guymark]

Thanks Chuck, will go and read now
Mark

[Frank]

@guymark
on top of the good tips already mentioned may I add that
- the idea of bicard use, in my limited knowledge, is to assist in compressing tails (ie oils) in a stillrun
- if you are intending to redistill anyway, do this BEFORE carbon filtering.
- If you put activated carbon in spirit over (about) 40%abv it will work fine but it will fizz like crazy for a while too.
- an alternative filtering method is to tightly pack the narrow spout of a large copper/glass/ss funnel with cotton wool and put about 2cm of activated carbon 'on top' of this and pour the spirit gently into the funnel. If the spirit slowly drips through into your collection jar, this method should provide success too. Just remember to change the carbon (and maybe the cotton wool too) every litre or so. This 'method' has been detailed for me on this forum before.... its in the Smell from the Airstill thread (I think).

[guymark]

Thank you Frank, I will have a read of that thread too.

Chuck > I read the ebook - a really well written article with many things worth learning. I am going to make one of the pipe filters and use that. I did note one thing though - the book points out that the industry "Filters up" and not down - which automatically stops the column from running dry / airlocks etc and allows exact control over filtration rate by controlling input rather than limitng output.

If anyone is interested though, unless I am missing something, then making a rising filter is almost as easy as a falling filter. What I am going to try is to place a pushfit end cap on the BOTTOM of the pipe, drill a small hole into the pipe just above the end cap - and hot melt glue some flexible tube which can then be brought to just a little above the column and plonk a funnel on it.

The top part of the pipe, just having a T-piece - to prevent any chance of a syphon starting - and then a downwards facing elbow - so it looks a bit like an upside down snorkel with a hole in the very top with a very thin pipe (by comparison to the 40mm pipe) going down from a funnel ABOVE the 40mm pipe all the way to the bottom.

I think this should mean it is next to impossible to have the pipe run dry, the alcohole can still be pushed through at the end with more water - and then finally, the column can be drained, charcoal removed and regenerated.

As I say I might have missed something, but this seems EASIER to me than trying to jury-rig a pipe not to empty faster than you can fill while checking output, adjusting flow, topping up column - all at the same time.

I might have missed something but will build the filter in the next day or so and let folks know if it worked ok - or was a bit of a flop!

Mark

[chill]

I can't say that I have worried too much about it running dry, nor noticed any particularly bad effect from that happening.

Chuck

[RickyRasper]

Bin it!!!

[guymark]

Binning it seems a bit of an overreaction. At the very least it would be perfect for dishawasher additive, general cleaning use etc.

This is only a "banana oil", not exactly used engine oil here.

Filtering has made a considerable difference as has sodium bicarbonate before the final run through the still.

Have made some different liquor with it - which turned out extremely well - in fact now the only drink it would raise an eyebrow for would be vodka or possibly gin.

Still playing around with some of what is left to play around with other filtering mediums and methods.