 Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/30/2008(UTC)
Posts: 8
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Do I really need to drop the spirits' percent down to 50% to run it through the carbon? It seemed to do alright the first time I filtered it (I didn't read the directions and poured 90% onto dry carbon). It cleaned it up well, but I guess if it will do a better job by cutting it, I'll try that. I like to keep it at 90%, because it takes up less space on my boat (less weight too).
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 6/24/2008(UTC)
Posts: 9
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I would make sure you boil and pour off the water a few times before you use the carbon. the carbon will work better if you use it the way the dicections say. run some warm water through it and follow it with your spirits. wet carbon is better. try the % ran through it a couple ways. i have read that for best results dont go over 65%. (i have ran it higher then that) but i re-run my spirits before i bottle at a lower %. i only make rum and whiskey so i use the coconut shell carbon so i dont strip the flavor. im starting to try out the suger maple charcoal process that jack danials and g. dickel do.
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 Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/8/2009(UTC)
Posts: 159
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Sugar Maple charcoals? Where do you get something like that or do you have to make it your self?
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 Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/20/2008(UTC)
Posts: 13
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"My experience (and it has become a full time passion) when filtering you need to first decide what you are after: Stripping all flavor you are best to cut to 50/50. If you are just after the small amounts of oils you can strip at 100%. I have used two types of carbon (coconut shell from Brewhaus) and (coal carbon) which can be purchased in bulk and is allot less expensive. I am now experimenting with cleaning the carbon. Put the carbon in a large metal cookie pan and put it on your gas grill. You won't believe the odors that come off as vapor. These odors would have been flavor in your final product. The heat will break down your carbon after a few times. I am now modifying a pressure cooker to put my carbon in and then hook it up to a vacume pump.  "
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/30/2008(UTC)
Posts: 8
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"After experimenting for another year, I"ve found that alcohol filters fine at 90%. I now pre-treat and post-treat the carbon. Pre-treating involves letting the carbon expand in water for 24 hours and pouring it into the 6 foot filter wet. It"s a bit tricky after pouring the alcohol in: determining when the water in the filter is out and the alcohol starts coming out. Once all the spirit has been put in the filter, more clean water will drive out the remaining alcohol; it"s tricky again: when does the spirit stop and the water start. I end up with different percentages of alcohol.
LocoMike has it right: when cleaning up the carbon it makes noxious odors. I first boil the carbon in water and stir, rinse with more hot water and plenty of stirring. I put the carbon on a cookie sheet and put it in the electric oven at 500 degrees F (I"m afraid to put it on the charcoal grill, because it could ignite). I need to take extra steps to clear the fumes out of my apartment, because I get a sore throat even when all the windows and doors are open.
The $20 in carbon should last for many years. It produces a superior product: no off odors or flavors."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/20/2008(UTC)
Posts: 13
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"Found the perfect way to reuse all my carbon. The heat was continually burning into a finer powder.
I now put it in a pressure cooker, seal it and draw a deep vacume with a HVAC vacume pump. EVERYTHING boils off in the presence of a low vacume :)"
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