"http://www.brewhausforum.com/showthread.php?t=1400
That was driving me crazy too. All filter products say to dilute but they never said why. I did research AND joined this forum.
Guess what? The carbon can not do it's job properly with high proof likker.
And most of the filter products are built with solvent resistant parts that do fine at 50% or below, but the high% does them harm and can leach (dissolve) some of the plastic into your product. Exponentially in fact.

So thoes two factors put together, or considered separately, say dilute, then filter.
Read the above if you want to handle high proof product."

"Poor horse.
As a rookie I can attest that the mind set is more, more, more.
And followed by now, now, now.

I stopped the turbo thing after my second batch. Too much baby sitting (for me anyhow) and they basiclly stink. The faster the ferment, the more highers. (Bad ju ju).

But I must say that my goals center around clean and pure. Thats my perspective. I will continue adding the filter to my process. Plus hey, it sounds kewl!! Ha!

I do not mix my likker. I like the taste of the product. The purer the better Ive found is my modum operandi. At cocktail hour, Id be the guy with the martini. Thats about as mix as I will go.

But you guys have also educated me to see that clean from the start, good honest cuts (post run) can produce very fine product. I sampled much from the heart of my last run. It's not done enough for me. But it will already stand head to head with medium vodkas. So there. And I think next time I can do a bunch better. If I do...perhaps the filter might be in jepardy....perhaps."

try masons mum hybrid.
7lbs sugar
1 6oz can tomato paste
2 womens multivitamins
5tsp Miracle Grow All Purpose Plant Food
4tsp Epsom salt
1 pack bread yeast.
melt the sugar in a gallon of hot water
add the tomato paste crushed vitamins and 3tsp plant food and 2tsp of epsom salt
top to 4 gallon mark
pitch yeast then 15 minutes later stir
after 36 hours add 1tsp each of plant food and Epsom salts
after 24 hours add 1tsp each of plant food and Epsom salts
let it settle. it will turn green. then it will turn a darker green. you can track the progress by the color separation.
this is easy and cheap.do a stripping run and add 1 tsp of baking soda(not baking powder) to the stripped product. when you have 3 stripped runs add 3 gallons of water and do a spirit run.let them air for a day and dilute your hearts and enjoy.

just me
Hurra for the humble yeast, It makes the poor man feel like a king, And harlots look like queens.stolen sig.

teaspoons. i reuse the lees also. it is cheaper and faster.
just me
Alcohol doesn't solve any problems, but then
again, neither does milk.

"OK.
Your not getting away that easy.
Whats with the vitamins and fertilizer?"

"Very cool.
Thanks for the info.
I have two fermenters ready to be put to good use now.
I have come to the conclusion that sveral strip runs would be in order.
As much work as it is to obtain Angel breath purity, might as well have a quantity to work with.

I had to work all weekend for the company so I did not get to my filter pass.
But I will update on that shortly. Got to build a stand for the monster. The Brewhaus unit is quite tall when assembled. Got to get er done real soon before Im tempted to do some more sampling!! Ha!

Thanks for all of your help."

"Hi 289, When I started, I used a tube filter from brewhaus also. I had a deck with steps leading to ground. I attached my filter to the handrail and set the jug on a step underneath it. If you have anything simular, its really easy.

Also, just me is correct. allowing spirit to air a bit with a coffee filter over it, and allowing the diluted spirit to marry with the water takes a bit of time, but makes a good difference. I have put some grain spirits on oak and stuck them in the freezer overnight at 100 proof, to fast age them. When I took them out the next day was filled with slush. After several days there was no longer any slush. Takes a while for the alchohol to absorb the water in bond. Its an exothermic reaction. Thats why when you dilute high strength it can get pretty hot. You will notice that in your filter if you follow directions using wet carbon and filter full of water to start. YOu can tell exactly where the water, alchohol slice is by the heat."

"Interesting.
It is too cold right now at night to do a filter pass out side.
The carbon manual says room temp. And that cold will often greatly hamper the carbon absorption process.
But the guest bedroom is vacant so....
Building a tripod with two bys. Has one foot diameter ply top with a hole in the center.
I did the filter paper over the jars thing for a 48 hour period. Yes, big diff. The hearts were very nice. Its doable like it is, but Im still gonna take it all the way so that I cant say I did.
I know you have abandoned the filter process, Mr. Walker, but could you share your experience. ie. filter paper, flow control, rate difference post filter ect....

Sincerly appreciated."

"I can appreciate that. I forsee a simpler future. But I'm on a mission to obtain the purest, cleanest, highest proof possible. At least this time.
Next pass I'm guessing that in the future, I will skip the filter part and just strip a couple batches and do a nice tight re run, collect the hearts and cure.

I bought all of the equipment to learn how to do the obtain the purest possible. The process has taught me a great deal. And Im learning from some knowlegable distillers. So it's all fun regardless.

Thanks a ton,"

i learned the same lesson.that was the last time i used the tube.you can also put a few cups in a gallon jug and let it sit for a week. it helps to give it a swirl every day.everyone starts out filtering their product. enjoy the hobby.don"t toss your heads and tails. put them in your next spirit run.