SS carbon filter
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by samleeds » Thu Jan 28, 10:34 pm
You can find more information on our web, so please take a look.
I know filters are an emotive subject and using one seems to invoke the wrath and pleasure of a divided audience, but for the purpose of this thread, the info required is in relation to the new still spirits column active carbon filter. its a stainless steel jobbie with an 8-litre reservoir and a 4 foot by 2 inch (approx) carbon column and a feeder adjuster valve and its wall-mounted. Its not over here yet, but the question begs, if there are any uk equivalent ones for sale over here. Before I get asked, yes I do have a great wash and yes I probably am in overkill but I must have my toys, lol.
Re: SS carbon filter
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by Windoe » Thu Jan 28, 11:17 pm
I don’t use it much but I made one with 54mm stainless steel exhaust pipe, and compression end caps with copper pipe soldered in, a plastic funnel siliconed onto the top and a needle valve at the bottom. If I was doing it again I would feed it from the bottom with the collection point at the top to avoid trapping air and draining the alcohol off the carbon.
Gert Strands ebook is the bible for carbon filtering as far as I am aware, it’s somewhere on here.
Re: SS carbon filter
Post
by Easydrinker » Fri Jan 29, 2:31 am
I have a much mended Essencia HDPE filter that I continue to use.
And a stock of filters.
If there was an SS equivalent, for sure, I would buy it.
Belt, braces and bailer twine.
A farming term, around these parts.
Robert.
There is no ONE way.
"Everyone's happy. Everyone's smiling. No-One here is sad anymore"
Re: SS carbon filter
Post
by Mash » Fri Jan 29, 6:47 am
samleeds wrote: ↑Thu Jan 28, 10:34 pm
I know filters are an emotive subject and using one seems to invoke the wrath and pleasure of a divided audience, but for the purpose of this thread, the info required is in relation to the new still spirits column active carbon filter. its a stainless steel jobbie with an 8-litre reservoir and a 4 foot by 2 inch (approx) carbon column and a feeder adjuster valve and its wall-mounted. Its not over here yet, but the question begs, if there are any uk equivalent ones for sale over here. Before I get asked, yes I do have a great wash and yes I probably am in overkill but I must have my toys, lol.
Do you have a link or pictures?
To Gin-finity and beyond !
Re: SS carbon filter
Post
by phantom » Fri Jan 29, 9:27 am
Mash wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 6:47 am
samleeds wrote: ↑Thu Jan 28, 10:34 pm
I know filters are an emotive subject and using one seems to invoke the wrath and pleasure of a divided audience, but for the purpose of this thread, the info required is in relation to the new still spirits column active carbon filter. its a stainless steel jobbie with an 8-litre reservoir and a 4 foot by 2 inch (approx) carbon column and a feeder adjuster valve and its wall-mounted. Its not over here yet, but the question begs, if there are any uk equivalent ones for sale over here. Before I get asked, yes I do have a great wash and yes I probably am in overkill but I must have my toys, lol.
Do you have a link or pictures?
There was a video clip of Richard over at Love Brewing demonstrating it.
But it's basically a less compact version of the discontinued "Z filter". Which I've had for some years. It works well and does a fine job at cleaning up neutral of any residual off flavours (I'd rather use my Z filter, than using liquid carbon in the ferment).
Actually, I'd guess that for a few quid, you could make your own Z shaped filter out of copper if you so desired. The only faff, would be making the end connectors - the "top" one is just the connector to the pipe (as with a Z filter) or the reservoir for the spirit waiting to go through, but the bottom end of the genuine Z filter has a mesh that also holds a small felt pad to collect any carbon "dust" that might come off the pellets/shreds of carbon.
And yes, It (the original Z filter) has 2 buckets (about 10 litres volume), the upper has a tap fitted, the lower one just a hole in the lid for the outlet pipe to run into - of course, you could just run that into a DJ or something like that.
Seems that now Richard is selling this model by "Spirit Works".......
https://www.lovebrewing.co.uk/videos/th ... on-filter/
"What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away." Tom Waites
Re: SS carbon filter
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by phantom » Fri Jan 29, 9:38 am
Oh, and the only differences between the original Z filter and the Spirit Works one, is that the Z is made from HDPE and is the shape of a long S or Z shape and it has the little felt pad at the bottom of the filter housing. Whereas the Spirit Works one looks like it's aluminium, a single column/longer.
"What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away." Tom Waites
Re: SS carbon filter
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by samleeds » Fri Jan 29, 10:52 am
You are all on the wrong track, look at this video, it shows the SS Pro hat isnt in Europe yet. Im looking for one like the one in the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaTekiWo4QI
Re: SS carbon filter
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by Mash » Fri Jan 29, 1:56 pm
Its gonna be £125+ when it is......... Is there a better way? TBH it doesn't look to complex?
To Gin-finity and beyond !
Re: SS carbon filter
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by gaza the instructor » Fri Jan 29, 4:25 pm
I like that because its stainless and it looks the part.
Not two buckets joined by luck good will and bullshit!!
£125 ish , Yep that's the way to go. Stainless not a bucket
I would not even wash the Porsche with.
Well done Still Spirits this looks good and having read the
destructions , I think will do a fine job.
Now only two problems. Firstly DON'T get greedy when you
price it up S.S. Two I don't use one because more than half
my product is flavoured so no good to me!!
Mirror-signal-manoeuvre.
Re: SS carbon filter
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by phantom » Fri Jan 29, 4:49 pm
My Z filter was about £50 (and holds 10 litres), the Still Works one shown in the vid at Love Brewing is what? £50-£60.
The only thing that the one in Gaza's link that makes it different is the stainless hopper and door clamp - so not cheap.
If you want one and have the money, great, all power to whoever.
I can't see any improvement for the money - if my Z starts to fail, I'll just be making one from commercial sized copper pipe.........
"What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away." Tom Waites
Re: SS carbon filter
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by samleeds » Fri Jan 29, 5:35 pm
Ive taken a leap of faith and commissioned one from a recognised still builder. It will have a 12-litre reservoir and a 2-inch stainless steel tube with a screw in both ends, I hate those bloody clamps, and a ball valve on the top and a needle valve on the bottom as well. Wall-mounted and 2 separating fine meshed internal discs to retain the carbon. Should be ready next week and ill post pictures.
Re: SS carbon filter
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by gaza the instructor » Fri Jan 29, 5:39 pm
Mr P plastic buckets or Stainless?
The problem will come if people get greedy and price it at say £175.
Then I would say tell 'em to park it where the sun don't shine!!
Mirror-signal-manoeuvre.
Re: SS carbon filter
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by gaza the instructor » Fri Jan 29, 5:53 pm
Mr P its not £50 but £85 I have just watched the video!!
It's not a polished product and very expensive for what it is!!
Mirror-signal-manoeuvre.
Re: SS carbon filter
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by samleeds » Fri Jan 29, 10:26 pm
Its crap I've got one. The washers need to be replaced nearly every run and the carbon cartridges are so crap they just dont work at all because your polishing 10 litres with a piece of carbon smaller than a turd
Re: SS carbon filter
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by phantom » Sat Jan 30, 5:36 am
You will get efficient and thoughtful service from Grace.
gaza the instructor wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 5:39 pm
Mr P plastic buckets or Stainless?
The problem will come if people get greedy and price it at say £175.
Then I would say tell 'em to park it where the sun don't shine!!
Well the spirit doesn't stay in the plastic long enough to worry (presume that's what you're alluding to?)
But I can see that stainless one being expensive - we'll have to wait and see.......
"What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away." Tom Waites
Re: SS carbon filter
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by phantom » Sat Jan 30, 5:44 am
samleeds wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 10:26 pm
Its crap I've got one. The washers need to be replaced nearly every run and the carbon cartridges are so crap they just dont work at all because your polishing 10 litres with a piece of carbon smaller than a turd
Which model you referring to Sam?
Cos I never liked the "carbon cartridge" ones (we used to have a thread that told of all sorts of issues with the cartridge model filters + from memory, the issues were with both the SS and Essencia models).
If my Z was a straigh tube it'd be about a metre long. The only faffing around is reusing the carbon as per Gert Strands e-book.
"What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away." Tom Waites
Re: SS carbon filter
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by Mash » Sat Jan 30, 7:03 am
Yup it's a meter long!
To Gin-finity and beyond !
Re: SS carbon filter
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by Mash » Sat Jan 30, 7:06 am
https://stillspirits.com/products/filter-pro
The video shows it on back of a door. Nuff said.
To Gin-finity and beyond !
Re: SS carbon filter
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by samleeds » Sat Jan 30, 11:46 am
phantom wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 5:44 am
samleeds wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 10:26 pm
Its crap I've got one. The washers need to be replaced nearly every run and the carbon cartridges are so crap they just dont work at all because your polishing 10 litres with a piece of carbon smaller than a turd
Which model you referring to Sam?
Cos I never liked the "carbon cartridge" ones (we used to have a thread that told of all sorts of issues with the cartridge model filters + from memory, the issues were with both the SS and Essencia models).
If my Z was a straigh tube it'd be about a metre long. The only faffing around is reusing the carbon as per Gert Strands e-book.
Ive reused carbon as per instructions and to be fair, it does work, but not to any degree that the faffing around makes it worth it. Id say it cleans it up maybe 50 to 60%. I boil the granules for 1 hr constantly stirring, then it goes in a baking tray but you must take it out of the oven every 15 mins and under the extractor fan stir it to let the steam come off it otherwise the vapour from the cooking builds up in the oven and if you leave the door open the heat goes away. Ive cooked mine with 10 stirs till completely dry and reintroduced it to the bucket then soaked it in ro water and thats it, but for what carbon costs, its not worth it.
Re: SS carbon filter
Post
by phantom » Sat Jan 30, 3:38 pm
samleeds wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 11:46 am
Ive reused carbon as per instructions and to be fair, it does work, but not to any degree that the faffing around makes it worth it. Id say it cleans it up maybe 50 to 60%. I boil the granules for 1 hr constantly stirring, then it goes in a baking tray but you must take it out of the oven every 15 mins and under the extractor fan stir it to let the steam come off it otherwise the vapour from the cooking builds up in the oven and if you leave the door open the heat goes away. Ive cooked mine with 10 stirs till completely dry and reintroduced it to the bucket then soaked it in ro water and thats it, but for what carbon costs, its not worth it.
I'm too tight fisted not to . I seem to get good enough filtering for about 3 or 4 batches from 1 charge of fresh carbon. I also simmer it until there's no alcohol smell coming up from the steam.
But I just set the oven on about 60C as that seems to work well enough to dry it out after a couple of hours (but I also appreciate that many don't have an oven that will go that low).
That way I only get through about a bag per annum as I just put the dried stuff back into the bag for the next time I need to refill my Z (actually I ordered this years bag yesterday as Love Brewing seem to have it back in stock).
And I've got to empty my Z as it's due for a change before I do my next spirit run.........
"What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away." Tom Waites
Re: SS carbon filter
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by Windoe » Sat Jan 30, 6:33 pm
54F7CB04-3FFA-43C8-A1EA-22C7FC17E819.jpeg BDDA---84EA-8CC563F579C9.jpeg AB-E1DD-4D84-8B56-FA4B89E.jpegFor anyone wanting to make their own (forgive all the crap in the background) I used 1m x 54mm stainless exhaust tube from eBay some 54 mm compression end caps, drilled out to take 15mm copper fittings which were soldered in. It holds 1 kg carbon. Cotton wool filter and ss mesh in the bottom. Needle valve and funnel that holds 1ltr siliconed onto the tube as I wanted a quick fix.
Munsen fittings (48mm work better than 54mm) to fix it. Be aware the tube has a seam so it needs sanding smooth and a bit of ptfe tape to make a good leak free seal.
After using this a few times I will most likely rework this by feeding in the bottom to avoid having to make sure it does not run dry. When I have used it I tend to take 24hrs to run 5ltrs.
Feel free to ask questions if you are interested in any more info.
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