Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Brendan wrote:
The actual column is a bit over a metre long. I buy my Granular Activated Carbon from Clarence water filters, however their spirit filter is basically entirely made of plastic...

I bought one of these clarence spirits filters a couple of years ago when I new about 1% of what I know now (mainly due to this forum) and using the good old turbo washes.

I thought this was actually a good unit as unlike the "z" filters this one never leaked.

It did make a big difference to the quality of the alcohol.

Makes me shudder thinking back to the quality of piss me and my mates used to drink. especially with the 5L store bought potstill we started with :puke-huge: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

Some 6 years after this question was posted, i thought to let contributors know you are still very helpful to newbies.

For what it is worth, I went on ebay bought a few kgs of food-grade activated carbon granulates ($20). I bought a 2m stainless steal exhaust pipe ($42). It needs another stainless steel jug to contain more spirit at the top because I was sick of having to add more in the top, so I've ordered a stainless steel bike muffler as a large funnel/container.

I've purified 8lts of bad gin, and it is now pure Russian vodka! The still spirits solution is too expensive and not necessary!

Before you use that much more, you should look into why we don't build stills out of exhaust tube, it has not been pervased when made. The inside of the weld may well be leeching chromium, a lovely heavy metal, into your product

mummymarshall wrote:Some 6 years after this question was posted, i thought to let contributors know you are still very helpful to newbies.

For what it is worth, I went on ebay bought a few kgs of food-grade activated carbon granulates ($20). I bought a 2m stainless steal exhaust pipe ($42). It needs another stainless steel jug to contain more spirit at the top because I was sick of having to add more in the top, so I've ordered a stainless steel bike muffler as a large funnel/container.

I've purified 8lts of bad gin, and it is now pure Russian vodka! The still spirits solution is too expensive and not necessary!

Gday mummymarshall, how about dropping into the welcome centre and introducing yourself?
Cheers :handgestures-thumbupleft:

How long a 2" pipe full of carbon is need filtering at couple drops a second? I have a 2x4/4x6 and 6" fitting I could put on top. 600mm be long enough with a valve on bottom?
I have some neutral 4.5l at 95 that has a very faint off taste. Its not tails just a dodgy wash turned to neutral. It was ran once with 4 plates to 89abv then watered back and re run with packed section 4 plates to 95abv. And there is still a faint smell taste..wondering if a filter would clean it up...or should ai put it in strip it and spirit run again with next lot. I just dont want this carrying over to other wash. Maybe it could be my first spirit run through boka.. :think:

I used to dilute my first distillation for neutral runs to 40% and add the carbon directly to the demi full of spirit and leave it for a week or so,shakeing it each day ,then fit the filter screen in a large plastic funnel(wich catchs all carbon) and pour it into the boiler for the second run,its the easiest way ta carbon filter ,without really filtering,they call it soaking carbon.cheers hillzabilly ;-)

Interesting..and it removes fussels and other off flavours?

Read the whole thread, I referenced contact reactive carbon as it was marketed at the time. It’s the same principle just a different way to do it.

Thanks Sam and hilzabilly :handgestures-thumbupleft:

RC Al wrote:Before you use that much more, you should look into why we don't build stills out of exhaust tube, it has not been pervased when made. The inside of the weld may well be leeching chromium, a lovely heavy metal, into your product

What is this "pervased" never heard of it and cant find anything on google?

bluc wrote:

RC Al wrote:Before you use that much more, you should look into why we don't build stills out of exhaust tube, it has not been pervased when made. The inside of the weld may well be leeching chromium, a lovely heavy metal, into your product

What is this "pervased" never heard of it and cant find anything on google?

I am assuming it was meant to be passivated

bluc wrote:

RC Al wrote:Before you use that much more, you should look into why we don't build stills out of exhaust tube, it has not been pervased when made. The inside of the weld may well be leeching chromium, a lovely heavy metal, into your product

What is this "pervased" never heard of it and cant find anything on google?

Yep sam has it right, the term is incorrect but the info is correct. when they make the exhaust tube it is seam welded from the outside with no purging gas on the inside and you have no way of grinding it back, you might get some pickling paste on to it for passivation, depending how handy you are and how long the pipe is. This is where a stainless car system will rot out but generally after the installers welding, so most ppl never get that far to find out

It may be usable as is, i doubt anyone has done alot of research into it, i personally wouldnt do it, ymmv

If your looking for useable ss pipe, seamless is the way to go, if your out scrounging, look for stuff without a line running down the inside - its still going to be a random grade though

ahh ok Yep now I understand. Happy to buy new do I just ask for passivated or seamless or something? just need 1m 2" :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Also exhaust pipe is gwnerally not made from 304 or 316 grades of stainless steel.
So even if you pickle (passivate) it i still wouldnt trust it.

Length is not important just how much time it interacts with the carbon.

Thanks scythe :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I'll also add that also the amount of carbon it interacts with is important.

How much do you want to filter at once?
Build you filter to hold 2x that volume (random number i just decided on) to allow for carbon.

Bought a pack carbon today was meant for 10l I had 9.5 washed it first then added diluted(40%) spirit. We will see... :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Fizzed like crazy when i added the spirit :shock:

Ifn ya not going ta re run it I would dilute to 45% as it is not unusual for it to loose a couple % or so with carbon filtering,as it has the added water from washing.cheers hillzabilly ;-)

Carbon filtering definitely improves the taste of neutral, regardless of what its made from (FFv, TPW, etc). I run mine through the filter a few times if i feel that way inclined. I probably wouldn't have run my brown spirits through it until I read the "malibu" thread today, but now I'm going to give it a go all in the name of research! :teasing-tease: