"Hi, I had always found the three-part carbon filter column to be an irritation. I hated how flexible it was, and that it often leaked at the joints. But replacing it with a solid piece of PVC is virtually impossible in the US as there are not metrically sized PVC pipes sold here. Finally I found a solution. I bought a piece of 1-1/2"" sized PVC pipe and cut it about three inches shorter then the length of the column. I then slid the three sections of the metric pipe into the PVC pipe. They fit perfectly! The extra few inches sticking out allow for fitting the funnel and the filter. I am so happy with this improvement that I wanted to share it.

Alan"

"There are certainly many ways you can filter with carbon. But the system from Brewhaus was carefully designed by the Swedish man that wrote the little black book they sell. The carbon packs that Brewhaus sells will exactly fill the 3-piece filtration setup that they sell. The volume of carbon is not the only factor of effective filtration. If it was, you could just dump the carbon in a sieve and poor the 50% solution through it. If you use a 1.5"" pipe your pipe will fill to a shorter length. To make it as effective as the carefully designed system you would have to add more carbon to achieve the same length. If you buy your carbon in bulk that is fine, but it would be a pain, and an unnecessary expense, if you buy your carbon pre-packaged. In addition, I like the plastic carbon screen/spout that they sell. I could not use it on 1.5"" pipe. Strapping on filter paper is a pain, and when I make my Tsunami I do between 12-24 filtrations. The plastic screen is a lot easier. Also, attaching the funnel is easier when done to a thinner walled pipe, and their system is designed for this attachment. So it is not that it can't be done without their system, is is just easier with their system. And it is now perfect with the modification I came up with.

Another trick: I attach my filter to the side of a six foot aluminum ladder. I drilled two holes in the side of the top ""step"" (the one you are not supposed to stand on). I then hold the filter tube/funnel against the ladder at the hight I want it to be at and mark it right at or a bit above the holes I drilled. I make several raps of electric tape around the tube at the mark. Then I put a couple of zip-ties hooked together through the holes and around the tube under the tape, and pull it tight. The tape keeps the tube from slipping through the tip-ties. Now when I need to put stuff into the filter I can just climb the ladder. Initially the tube was angled out due to the folding mechanism of the ladder, but I whacked the mechanism a few times with a hammer and that problem was solved. The ladder still folds, only a little less smoothly."