"I have been distilling for about a year and I have had a problem pop up recently. First the basics, I have a PSII HC that I use in reflux mode making Vodka. I do strip runs (pot still mode) and then a final run in re-flux mode.
Recipe is 10 pounds of sugar, 6 gallons of water (well water) 1 tsp DAP, Pinch of epsom salts, 1/4 cup distillers yeast. This recipe completes fermentation faithfully in 10 days. I do four pails of 6 gallon ferments at a time and combine them post strip run for the reflux run.
The only time I use well water is in the initial fermentation, then it is all distilled water.
I use Sparkaloid to clear once ferment is done.
Column is packed with just Rachig Rings for reflux run.
The last batch I completed was 185 proof.
I collect in 1/2 pint jars and allow to sit overnight. I make cuts in the morning.
I dillute to 85proof by pouring distillate into water.
Though I have a good product at this point I choose to charcoal filter. I have the brewhause stainless steel filter and follow the directions for filtering provided on homedistiller.com (including boiling charcoal, soaking charcoal overnight, priming with water (again distilled water), chasing vodka at end filtration with distilled water. I use a piece of filter paper purchased from brewhaus at the bottom of filter.

Now this is where I am having trouble, my vodka comes out of the filter clear but sometimes it develops what looks like crystals as it sits. The crystals are heavier than the water and eventually sink to the bottom. I am attaching a picture of what I am talking about. When I try to filter with another piece of paper it makes it through the paper but the ""crystals"" are broken into smaller pieces. One more odd point, on the last last run the first bottle had crystal but so far the other bottles have not developed any.
So are does anybody have a theory on what is happening?
Thank you.

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It is a longshot but it could be unfermented sugar recrystilizing as it settles to the bottom. I think unless it is converted to alcohol in the fermentation process it will stay sugar and make it through both distillation and filtering. 10 days is a pretty quick ferment time. I use a very similar recipe for my sugar washes and ferment time is closer to 20 days. Just a thought.
Maddawgs

Hi davidsonralph, I suggest it has something to do with the filtering process. Try holding back the first jar you would normaly run through the filter as a comparison jar. Then filter the rest. If it's only happening to the first jar out of the filter then I would say there is something contaminating the filter and is being flushed out in the first bottle.

You could try eliminateing pouring water through the filter before the alcohol as a first step in finding the culprit. Or pour the water through and wait for it to completely drain. Usually the process of elimination will find the problem.

It would also be interesting to see if already filtered product has the same problem when useing the original routine.

Thanks Bushy, I was kind of thinking on these lines myself. I do flush with distilled water but maybe the contaminate is soluble in the alcohol and not in water. So the water may not flush it out.

I thought I would post an update in case anyone has the same issue as I did. I changed one thing in my process of regenerating the charcoal. When filtering was complete I was boiling the charcoal in a stainless steel pot. When boiling was complete I would pour off excess water and allow the pot to sit on the burner to completely dry out charcoal before I put it in the oven. Inspection of the stainless steel pot showed that the charcoal was pitting the pot as it dried. My suspicion is that the pitting was causing some sort of contamination in the charcoal. So, new process was boil charcoal in pyrex dish in microwave. After boiling I pour off excess water and put it in the oven and let it cook off. Last two runs I have had no issues with the crystal debris. I don't know the science behind it but it appears the charcoal was picking something up from the stainless steel pot that was reacting with the distillate when I filtered. Last two runs have been perfect.

I filter the same way you are doing it, the only difference is that I use 2 coffee filters instead of the commercial filtering paper. I've never seen the crystals you are experiencing.