 Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/24/2008(UTC)
Posts: 22
|
Mtnwalker2,
You mentioned in a post that you set up a glass container with carbon in the bottom and let the spirits rest at the desired abv for a while and swirl occasionally, and at some point you refresh your carbon. This gives you the desired filter you are after.
I'm tired of babysitting a tube carbon filter so I am interested in more info. It sounds straight forward to me. But elaborate a bit for me/us please. As for me I rapid boil he carbon and reuse it several times - maybe 8 runs or so before tossing, using the tube filter.
As of now I simply collect and process hearts and throw fore-shots/heads and tails out, cutting deep in to the tails. Of coarse the beauty of a reflux is that the hearts are extremely clean. However, that takes about 3/4 to a Liter out of my product. If I don't bother carbon filtering and rely on a slow run to give me a clean vodka, it still blends and drinks better than anything I purchase from the store and its fine that way, but I can tell an ever so slight difference in the end product. People that drink it can't tell, but I can.
billybob
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/22/2005(UTC)
Posts: 817
|
"Howdy Billybob,
I bought a carbon filter when I first started and absolutely hated it. Then found it works just as good or better in the jug. 1 1/2 to 2 cups/ gal. I'll fill a 5 or 6 1/2 gal. glass carbouy up leaving a gal. of headspace. After diluting to at least 50%. I put a coffee filter over the top and swirl every convenient opportunity. After a week or more, I will just rack off what I need for a while and leave the rest with the carbon till about the last gal. then take all out.
Boiling breaks the carbond down much quicker, so I rinse in hot water, simmer once for a bit and rinse again. However, the most important part is the baking until totally dry at 350 F. Even after rinsing and a boil, and useing the cleanest of spirits, you will be surprised at the stink that comes off.
I keep all my foreshots in an old jug for use as charcoal lighter and other uses. The heads and tails are combined into a 6 1/2 gal carbouy diluted to 40% and baking soda added. When full I do a spirit run and get some fantastic hearts out of them. The heads and tails from that run makes great weed killer, ant killer, and higher parts as more charcoal lighter. This way, you can be extremely tight on your cuts and get the very best, but not waste anything.
HTH"
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/24/2008(UTC)
Posts: 22
|
"Thanks bud :)
Sorta the same here, I dump the used carbon in to a rapid boil water, quick stir right away and all the junk comes up to the top. Drain and a cool rinse and then in to the oven till its powder dry.
Just the oils that come out are enough to make you think.....
Anyway, that's what I needed to know. No carbouy's around here but a food service store down the street a bit has plenty of high grade food buckets that will suffice.
billybob"
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 8/17/2008(UTC)
Posts: 424
|
Food buckets may or may not be tolerant of alcohol - I'd stick with glass.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/24/2008(UTC)
Posts: 22
|
" Originally Posted by: ratflinger  Food buckets may or may not be tolerant of alcohol - I'd stick with glass. PE grade 2 is, I'd have to double check, but yes, if I can find a glass carboy I will use that. And reading between the lines here, be VERY careful using any plastics. Leeching chemicals from the plastics will make people very ill. billybob"
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/17/2007(UTC)
Posts: 167
|
I don't know if there is a Wholefoods near you. They have water in glass 2 gallon carboys. I found a 5 gallon glass carboy at a antique/flea market. it still had part of the water company label with a phone number that had letters and numbers with a tomahawk pattern in the bottom glass. 15 US dollars. I would advise against the plastic.
just me
The Lord gives our relatives,
Thank God we can choose our friends.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.
