There are many ways to filter spirits. These are just a few options . The most important thing is filtering in order to finish, polish and make your spirits taste clean and fresh.
Some very good clear info of filters. Great job. I started with the small one it came with my air still and your rite it’s an amazing little filter but as I upgraded to the T500 and turned into a part time distiller I went up and got the ez it’s pretty much the same but on a bigger scale. Ether way you can’t go wrong with any of the still spirits products!
George, You have taught me so much thank you. I make whiskey from a pot still. Should I filter or am I lowering the flavor? I have the diy filter ready to go.
How do you feel about straining through a cotton ball stuffed into the spout of a copper funnel? any concerns? I've been having magnificent results. Spirits are super clear, and no fussel oils floating on top of the finished product.
I'm new to this. And have had so many questions answered thanks to this amazing channel. And a couple others I've been watching. Because of this. I've managed to, I guess, probably, maybe... fluked a really nice clean tasting drink both times from my 8kg sugar wash. Got myself absolutely hammered drunk from it. And no hangover! I set myself a very high standard to achieve not expecting to succeed at all. And was very surprised when I tasted my final product to be actually very very clean spirit. Diluted to 40% and mixed with a little fruit juice and cold filtered water. Very happy. Even taking shots is very satisfying. My point is though. Thank you all for helping be better at this than I ever expected. I'm totally hooked on this fantastic hobby. And my alcohol budget is no more. Cheers all. From New Zealand
@@TheGreatest1974 do lots of research. Write down good clear notes of your runs. Times, temps, volumes and alcohol percentages. For later reference and comparison. Eventually you'll get used to it all and it'll be as if your just making a nice cup of tea. Don't get drunk when doing runs! Have fun bro. Good luck
Actually,We tested commercial "hash" extraction bags by immersion in ethanol for 7 days,no apparent physical harm done,stress testing done,no harm,,and no "off" taste. 5 Gallon sets are under $20. We found 120 and larger most usefull for straining flotsam from a wash.
......you got to be careful with your choice of stainless steel too. There are many different grades for various uses..I once made a fruit salad with vodka in stainless steel bowl , after several hours the alcohol was converted to acetone.
Hi ! I v ear about adding salt in the boiler to move the water boiling point and use of baking soda to clean the taste during the 2nd pass.. Can You confirm this use? Best regards. Nicolas
How would you recommend I filter out spirits aged on wood? I’ve tried coffee filters but I still get a hazy thin film on the bottom of the bottle if let sit for a while. I don’t want to strip any flavor though. Recommendations? Thanks again George.
Those longer carbon filters are £12.50 plus postage in Britain. But we are used to being robbed blind for everything we buy so that is okay eh. (Sarcasm!)
Question, George. Considering buying a filter system, like zero water or ez filter. I read some articles that say I shouldn’t use one for whiskey? I make a corn shine. Am I ok do filter this without losing flavor? Thanks in advance. Great videos!
I use a zero water filter and have no issues with flavor. When I talked with Ray he convinced me that starting off with clean, filtered water was beneficial and he is the water guru (formerly owned and operated a water purification store) so I trust his knowledge and experience. George
I suppose you'd want to filter before adding any wood chips or glycerin and prior aging? Please confirm as I'm thinking the filter would remove the great "oakiness" added.
Hi George, I was under the assumption that the zero water filtration system is so good that it actually removes a substantial amount of your alcohol content when you filter using the 5 stage filter. Almost taking it back to water tasting.. Can you comment of on the starting ABV prior to filtering vs post-filtration ABV using the 5-stage Zero filter system? Obviously we all want a great tasting product but we do not want to waste any of the effort we have invested in making our "fuel" by using too good of a filter system.
In my experience the zero water filter is excellent. Always filter clear spirits (that's number 1). 2. Cut to below 110 proof before filtering (I cut to 100) 3. you lose about 10 prof points so be prepared for this. 4. seal the filter after use or it will oxidize. 5. enjoy a clean spirit. now it is time for flavoring and aging
Great videos. I've watched all of the distilling videos at least 3 times. I want to make my own filter similar to the pvc tube. I want to use charcoal and let it filter threw it. My question is can I or should I use cherrywood or other fruit wood?
+shovelheadshawn You should use the charcoal that is designed for filtering and no other substance. Aquarium charcoal will not do it and other woods are a hit and miss option. All I know is that the proper charcoal does what it is designed to do. It filters spirits. George
@John Brita is made and engineered for water. Apparently there may be something in the filter that might not be safe for alcohol. Id do research on the components and if theyre safe.
i'm wondering about when to filter, and how many times i should run my spirits thru my brita filter. what i have been doing is filtering before diluting 5 runs thru, diluting and aging in gallon jars with charred white oak till i get the color i want, filtering the finished product one more time and bottling in wine bottles with a cork. am i missing anything? any suggestions?
+Douglas Reynolds Sounds like you have a good process. I have not filtered after aging yet. Have you noticed any difference by doing this. It sounds like a good idea and I'd really like to know. Your taste buds are your best indicator for how many times to run it. I use a Zero water filter (same as Brita) and normally only run it once right after distilling and before cutting. Hope to hear from you soon George
+Douglas Reynolds Oh, I see. Thanks a bunch. I noticed a few flakes in my stuff coming out of the barrel but was a little hesitant to filter it again so I just drank it up (smile). Will keep that in mind for future runs. George
thank you george for your helpful info on sugar mash and your temp chart i followed your guides and pulled 1.4 gallons at 170 proof on my first distill. you are the man keep up the helpful videos.
Great video George, only reservation I have is the ethanol coming into contact with PVC, when I did my apprenticeship we did a tour of a cable making factory and we we’re told they sometimes add lead to pvc cable sheath to give it flexibility, which made us all cringe as guys sometimes chewed on a piece of sheath while working 😫😫😫 I know waste water grade pvc type A I think is ok for contact with drinking water but not sure I’d trust it in contact with ethanol.
Separating the solids from the mash is straight forward and can be done many different ways. After that I clarify by using turbo clear or by letting it sit for a week or two for gravity to settle all the small solids that are floating around. George
@@BarleyandHopsBrewing I am running a T 500. Do you see a problem with copper at the top of the re flux and ceramic in the center. I am running an apple sugar wash as a base for my brandy. Do you feel that this set up running around 137 fht. Will retain the apple flavor. Then I'm filtering through an ez charcoal filter. But before I filter should I taper back with water or run straight spirit through filter then taper. I am using fine well water for everything. Also my first time with a charcoal filter. THANK YOU
Hey gents, about to carbon filter some gin. Has anybody compared before and after effects? I am also worried about losing some flavor, but the benefits outweigh the risks since this it's coming off a bit hot and covering the botanicals. This is the third run using a reflux still so it was good neutral spirits.
Will filtering take any of the desired flavor out as well as the undesired flavors? Also can you filter a whiskey after aging, or do you have to do it before?
The Lincoln County process is a charcoal filtering process used for all Tennessee whiskies. But its not pure activated carbon, its more half cooked wood with much of its own flavours that are imparted to the spirit. As a general rule, filtering removes flavours both desired and not from the tail portion of your blend and leave the heads portion relatively untouched. You'll notice Tennessee whiskey is light and heady for this reason, especially since their blend is uncut, heads, hearts and tails. I feel they get away with making no cuts due to leeching of compounds during the "filtering" step and barrel aging, leading to much ester development and I suspect if they used activated carbon instead their product would be awful. My advice to you is to learn how make fractions, determine cuts, and develop the skill of blending to control what flavours you add and what you omit. This removes the need for filtering, unless you are making a particular style of refined vodka. Also, barrel aging is ALWAYS done last to not weaken desirable flavours. That said, nothing is set in stone, maybe you love the light taste of filtered whiskey? Or your wife perhaps? Maybe you love the taste of filtered barrel aged whiskey? You'll never know unless you try, don't be afraid to have fun and play against the rules, chemistry is fun like that. Its a great feeling to screw around and stumble into something truly unique and wonderful that goes against conventional wisdom and accepted tastes. Hope this helps.
Hi mate, thanks for the reviews! Question; is the EZ filter as good as the PVC pipe with granular carbon in it? Cheers mate! Great work I love the channel
Did you wet the carbon first ? Dry carbon will suck up the ethanol until carbon is wet enough to function as a pass over filter. Run one volume of pure water through before doing your spirits through carbon.
I really would like to active-carbon-filter some aged spirits to make them white again (or off white). I guess these filters are not enough to achieve this?! How does Bacardi (and other spirit companies) do this?
All spirits start off clear - they are colored by the company anywhere from a light haze like some Bacardi brands to a dark brown like some Kentucky bourbons. So it is actually the reverse of what you are thinking about. They don't filter to a lighter color at all. George
Barley and Hops Brewing LLC Dear George, thank you for replying. But it is really true - it was one of the main innovation Facundo Bacardi brought to the rum world. Most commercial (pretty much all Caribbean) rums are aged in oak barrels (usually Bourbon barrels) for between half year and more than 4 years. They are definitely starting out as gold rum (and to call a rum "rum" needs oak ageing according to the spirit regulations of most countries - and depending on the country it can fare from 6 month to 4 years). The rum is then active carbon filtered to regain a "light" hue. I would really like to try this, but I guess the proprietary methods of active charcoal filtering of the big companies are far more complex than just letting it run through a normal carbon filter. Nowadays, even one Cognac (Godet Antarctica) and several *aged* tequilas (e.g. Gran Patron Platino) are filtered to clear... and I thought it would be a neat trick to use in the bar...
Barley and Hops Brewing LLC Indeed it is really interesting. However due to the fact, that these are kinda proprietary methods, you cannot really find anything online, how they do it - and I would really love to know, if that works (in small scale) and how it works...
I started using the zero water filter for my vodka. Is it normal for the proof to drop after running the vodka through the zero water filter? I don't know how that it is possible but I have had multiple 180 proof runs drop to about 170 after going through the filter.
What % does the spirits need to be before you run it through the EZ-filter. I have heard it needs to be cut down to around 40-50%.Is this true.Thank you in advance.
Gday George,I see a lot of negativity towards PVC in the filtering process but after checking several local manufacturers websites they were mostly fine for alcohol contact.Our standards certification process is enough to convince me smarter people know more about this than I do.Does anyone use pvc cement?
Hi great.... probably a silly question...... can the carbon filter that tapers from a 3inch to a 1.5 pvc pipe filter real ales and larger? Does this alter the flavour too much or are beer/s not to be filtered this way? Cheers, Brad from Bishop Auckland England
We have always strayed away form filtering beer aside from settling. The clear Ales are filtered sometimes to get that crystal clear beer some people like. George
will high abv spirits leach plastics during filtering? or the process of filtering should be done only with low abv and then redistitled again to high abv? TIA
+Dmitry Dubinsky Not usually a problem but I would avoid softer plastics. Water filtering vessels are safe as well as several other plastics. The harder the plastic the better and food grade is completely safe for filtering. So, you don't need to dilute your spirits before filtering. George
jacobr1991 if you filter after adding the water, your filter is filtering more liquid and shortening your usage. I would do it before lowering the abv. But then again their is many ways to do something. Happy Distilling
@@Invictus13666 If popcorn was still alive I would happily put my white dawg against his any day! Filtering is for people that have no clue what the fuck they are doing! Good yeast and making good cuts is what makes great likker! Your probably one of those idiots that runs turbo yeast and bottles in plastic jugs!
I want to run one of my 'lazy mans' ideas past you. Provided you dedicate a mains pressure, diatomic cartridge, water filter (the type you have plumbed into a sink to give filtered drinking water) to only distillate filtering, could this be used instead of carbon? Head pressure might be an issue but a tank at ceiling height and filter setup at bench level should be sufficient. Your thoughts appreciated.
This sounds like it may have some merit. I would also imagine that you could pressurize the spirit in a small keg to run it through the filter. I may give this a try.
George. Wouldn't the carbon filters or any filter for that matter take away most or all the flavor of the sprit? I have seen people making cuts in their distillation trying to keep some of the tails and then mix it to get a particular taste. Would that be a lot of effort for nothing if you filter it? Or do you think it will retain some of the flavor and character anyway?
The goal is to run your still so that filtering is not necessary but in the event that you do need to filter the majority of the flavor and character remains in your distillate. Mixing tails to a batch to improve taste is not a good practice. remember that tails are full of conegers and left over byproducts of the distillation process and they are tails because we don't consume them. They truly are terrible tasting and not a good source of alcohol. Better to leave them out of a finished product. If this were not true we wouldn't separate them in the first place. Hope this hleps George
I have the large EZ Filter... would you filter the basic sugar wash after you run it through the T500 and then filter it again after it is aged in wood chips/cubes? Just wait until aged and run it once? Run it through before aging and don't do anything after that? Very curious on the best way to do this. Thanks! Very helpful videos.
Not all runs require filtering. When it does, make sure you are proofed to below 110 or else filtering is useless. Always filter before aging and never after aging. George
Hello. Not sure if this is a silly question but, would filtering unaged fruit distillates (brandy, in essence) negatively affect the tastes of a final brandy product? You mentioned that the filters strip out certain unwanted aspects, but I was under the impression that some of that stuff was used to build the final flavor profile for brandies.
Barley and Hops How early in the process would filtering a fruit brandy make sense, or would it simply not make much sense to filter a brandy? to me, it'd seem as if filtration would only make sense in getting as neutral a spirit as possible before moving on (vodkas, grain alcohols heading to barrel, etc). The help understanding this stuff is greatly appreciated.
+scipio2009 I actually filtered my brand immediately after distilling without any degradation to the spirit at all. I know it may sound odd but filtering does not clear out the base flavor as one would think. It does however clear out the undesirable fusil oils and by products that can easily ruin a good batch. Hope this helps George
Some very good clear info of filters. Great job. I started with the small one it came with my air still and your rite it’s an amazing little filter but as I upgraded to the T500 and turned into a part time distiller I went up and got the ez it’s pretty much the same but on a bigger scale. Ether way you can’t go wrong with any of the still spirits products!
Amazingly comprehensible
4:00 “if you’re distilling 3 gallons you’re not making fuel” HILARIOUS (and true)
Miss you, dude. Hope life is good.
George,
You have taught me so much thank you.
I make whiskey from a pot still.
Should I filter or am I lowering the flavor?
I have the diy filter ready to go.
Will carbon take the flavor from your wash out
Yes
How do you feel about straining through a cotton ball stuffed into the spout of a copper funnel? any concerns? I've been having magnificent results. Spirits are super clear, and no fussel oils floating on top of the finished product.
What is the highest proof you can run through the ez filter?
I'm new to this.
And have had so many questions answered thanks to this amazing channel.
And a couple others I've been watching.
Because of this. I've managed to, I guess, probably, maybe... fluked a really nice clean tasting drink both times from my 8kg sugar wash.
Got myself absolutely hammered drunk from it. And no hangover!
I set myself a very high standard to achieve not expecting to succeed at all. And was very surprised when I tasted my final product to be actually very very clean spirit.
Diluted to 40% and mixed with a little fruit juice and cold filtered water. Very happy. Even taking shots is very satisfying.
My point is though. Thank you all for helping be better at this than I ever expected.
I'm totally hooked on this fantastic hobby.
And my alcohol budget is no more.
Cheers all.
From New Zealand
I’m getting an air still and all the equipment for Christmas from my wife. Any tips for me?👍🇬🇧
@@TheGreatest1974 do lots of research. Write down good clear notes of your runs. Times, temps, volumes and alcohol percentages. For later reference and comparison.
Eventually you'll get used to it all and it'll be as if your just making a nice cup of tea.
Don't get drunk when doing runs!
Have fun bro.
Good luck
@@dysturbdnevryway951 I will! Thanks 👍
Actually,We tested commercial "hash" extraction bags by immersion in ethanol for 7 days,no apparent physical harm done,stress testing done,no harm,,and no "off" taste. 5 Gallon sets are under $20. We found 120 and larger most usefull for straining flotsam from a wash.
I don't think carbon filters work well with any spirit above 50%ABV, that's the thinking in the UK, we always dilute down to between 40/50%
what about applejack?
so don't use old cigarette filters?
......you got to be careful with your choice of stainless steel too. There are many different grades for various uses..I once made a fruit salad with vodka in stainless steel bowl , after several hours the alcohol was converted to acetone.
Hi ! I v ear about adding salt in the boiler to move the water boiling point and use of baking soda to clean the taste during the 2nd pass.. Can You confirm this use? Best regards. Nicolas
How would you recommend I filter out spirits aged on wood? I’ve tried coffee filters but I still get a hazy thin film on the bottom of the bottle if let sit for a while. I don’t want to strip any flavor though. Recommendations? Thanks again George.
Those longer carbon filters are £12.50 plus postage in Britain. But we are used to being robbed blind for everything we buy so that is okay eh. (Sarcasm!)
If you bake that used charcoal filter on broil would it burn off any oil and contaminants?
Question, George. Considering buying a filter system, like zero water or ez filter. I read some articles that say I shouldn’t use one for whiskey? I make a corn shine. Am I ok do filter this without losing flavor? Thanks in advance. Great videos!
I use a zero water filter and have no issues with flavor.
When I talked with Ray he convinced me that starting off with clean, filtered water was beneficial and he is the water guru (formerly owned and operated a water purification store) so I trust his knowledge and experience.
George
Bought the zero water filter …works great!
I suppose you'd want to filter before adding any wood chips or glycerin and prior aging? Please confirm as I'm thinking the filter would remove the great "oakiness" added.
Yes, it totally will. This is what I’m trying to figure out.
Hi George, I was under the assumption that the zero water filtration system is so good that it actually removes a substantial amount of your alcohol content when you filter using the 5 stage filter. Almost taking it back to water tasting.. Can you comment of on the starting ABV prior to filtering vs post-filtration ABV using the 5-stage Zero filter system? Obviously we all want a great tasting product but we do not want to waste any of the effort we have invested in making our "fuel" by using too good of a filter system.
In my experience the zero water filter is excellent. Always filter clear spirits (that's number 1).
2. Cut to below 110 proof before filtering (I cut to 100)
3. you lose about 10 prof points so be prepared for this.
4. seal the filter after use or it will oxidize.
5. enjoy a clean spirit. now it is time for flavoring and aging
@@BarleyandHopsBrewing Have you ever attempted filtering a higher proof? for example 150+?
Also how would you recommend sealing it?
Great videos. I've watched all of the distilling videos at least 3 times.
I want to make my own filter similar to the pvc tube. I want to use charcoal and let it filter threw it. My question is can I or should I use cherrywood or other fruit wood?
+shovelheadshawn You should use the charcoal that is designed for filtering and no other substance. Aquarium charcoal will not do it and other woods are a hit and miss option. All I know is that the proper charcoal does what it is designed to do. It filters spirits.
George
Anybody use the Brita filter? How many times do you filter it?
When I started this craft (back in the day) ,the fellas on home distiller weren't crazy about using a brita for filtering.
..i agree w you of course
@John Brita is made and engineered for water. Apparently there may be something in the filter that might not be safe for alcohol. Id do research on the components and if theyre safe.
Can’t you just boil tapwater from your sink?
you can filter out fusel oils, good to know
10+ hours you’ve got to be kidding!
Instead of collecting my spirit from my still and then pouring it through a filter, could I go straight from my still and let it drip into the filter?
potentially, I've read that you shouldn't filter anything below 50% ABV though, not sure why. Maybe the filter doesn't work as well?
Actually you shouldnt filter ABOVE 50ABV. 🙂
Always bring abv to 50 or lower before filtering! Actually shocked he didn’t mention this...
i'm wondering about when to filter, and how many times i should run my spirits thru my brita filter. what i have been doing is filtering before diluting 5 runs thru, diluting and aging in gallon jars with charred white oak till i get the color i want, filtering the finished product one more time and bottling in wine bottles with a cork. am i missing anything? any suggestions?
+Douglas Reynolds Sounds like you have a good process. I have not filtered after aging yet. Have you noticed any difference by doing this. It sounds like a good idea and I'd really like to know.
Your taste buds are your best indicator for how many times to run it. I use a Zero water filter (same as Brita) and normally only run it once right after distilling and before cutting.
Hope to hear from you soon
George
Barley and Hops I didn't notice a difference in flavor, filter to get the charcoal from the charred white oak out of the whisky.
+Douglas Reynolds Oh, I see. Thanks a bunch. I noticed a few flakes in my stuff coming out of the barrel but was a little hesitant to filter it again so I just drank it up (smile). Will keep that in mind for future runs.
George
thank you george for your helpful info on sugar mash and your temp chart i followed your guides and pulled 1.4 gallons at 170 proof on my first distill. you are the man keep up the helpful videos.
WOW! Great success. Hearing about this make these videos worth the time and effort and I am very happy you found it helpful.
Happy distilling.
George
Great video George, only reservation I have is the ethanol coming into contact with PVC, when I did my apprenticeship we did a tour of a cable making factory and we we’re told they sometimes add lead to pvc cable sheath to give it flexibility, which made us all cringe as guys sometimes chewed on a piece of sheath while working 😫😫😫 I know waste water grade pvc type A I think is ok for contact with drinking water but not sure I’d trust it in contact with ethanol.
Show us how u filter mash ,for the still
Separating the solids from the mash is straight forward and can be done many different ways. After that I clarify by using turbo clear or by letting it sit for a week or two for gravity to settle all the small solids that are floating around.
George
Does the ez filter smooth out the spirit. Also if you have a fruit brandy do you loose the flavor of the fruit.
Flavor loss is not normal.
@@BarleyandHopsBrewing I am running a T 500. Do you see a problem with copper at the top of the re flux and ceramic in the center. I am running an apple sugar wash as a base for my brandy. Do you feel that this set up running around 137 fht. Will retain the apple flavor. Then I'm filtering through an ez charcoal filter. But before I filter should I taper back with water or run straight spirit through filter then taper. I am using fine well water for everything. Also my first time with a charcoal filter. THANK YOU
Best to cut the proof below 130 to filter.
George
Hey gents, about to carbon filter some gin. Has anybody compared before and after effects? I am also worried about losing some flavor, but the benefits outweigh the risks since this it's coming off a bit hot and covering the botanicals. This is the third run using a reflux still so it was good neutral spirits.
Does filtering through activated carbon reduce flavor?
Yes
Great video-Lot’s of options for different needs-Thanks for sharing!🥃
Will filtering take any of the desired flavor out as well as the undesired flavors? Also can you filter a whiskey after aging, or do you have to do it before?
The Lincoln County process is a charcoal filtering process used for all Tennessee whiskies. But its not pure activated carbon, its more half cooked wood with much of its own flavours that are imparted to the spirit. As a general rule, filtering removes flavours both desired and not from the tail portion of your blend and leave the heads portion relatively untouched. You'll notice Tennessee whiskey is light and heady for this reason, especially since their blend is uncut, heads, hearts and tails. I feel they get away with making no cuts due to leeching of compounds during the "filtering" step and barrel aging, leading to much ester development and I suspect if they used activated carbon instead their product would be awful. My advice to you is to learn how make fractions, determine cuts, and develop the skill of blending to control what flavours you add and what you omit. This removes the need for filtering, unless you are making a particular style of refined vodka. Also, barrel aging is ALWAYS done last to not weaken desirable flavours. That said, nothing is set in stone, maybe you love the light taste of filtered whiskey? Or your wife perhaps? Maybe you love the taste of filtered barrel aged whiskey? You'll never know unless you try, don't be afraid to have fun and play against the rules, chemistry is fun like that. Its a great feeling to screw around and stumble into something truly unique and wonderful that goes against conventional wisdom and accepted tastes. Hope this helps.
Thanks, that helps a lot
@@maxbenkard3455 No worries mate, enjoy!
Hey George do you recommend zerowater ?
Hi mate, thanks for the reviews! Question; is the EZ filter as good as the PVC pipe with granular carbon in it? Cheers mate! Great work I love the channel
does activated charcoal effects the alcohol percentage ?
Not that I've seen
I used Brita and it drops from 40% to 20.
Did you wet the carbon first ? Dry carbon will suck up the ethanol until carbon is wet enough to function as a pass over filter.
Run one volume of pure water through before doing your spirits through carbon.
I really would like to active-carbon-filter some aged spirits to make them white again (or off white). I guess these filters are not enough to achieve this?! How does Bacardi (and other spirit companies) do this?
All spirits start off clear - they are colored by the company anywhere from a light haze like some Bacardi brands to a dark brown like some Kentucky bourbons. So it is actually the reverse of what you are thinking about. They don't filter to a lighter color at all.
George
Also, rum is primarily made from molasses whereas other spirits are made from grains or sugars.
George
Barley and Hops Brewing LLC
Dear George, thank you for replying. But it is really true - it was one of the main innovation Facundo Bacardi brought to the rum world.
Most commercial (pretty much all Caribbean) rums are aged in oak barrels (usually Bourbon barrels) for between half year and more than 4 years. They are definitely starting out as gold rum (and to call a rum "rum" needs oak ageing according to the spirit regulations of most countries - and depending on the country it can fare from 6 month to 4 years).
The rum is then active carbon filtered to regain a "light" hue.
I would really like to try this, but I guess the proprietary methods of active charcoal filtering of the big companies are far more complex than just letting it run through a normal carbon filter.
Nowadays, even one Cognac (Godet Antarctica) and several *aged* tequilas (e.g. Gran Patron Platino) are filtered to clear... and I thought it would be a neat trick to use in the bar...
All sounds plausible. I appreciate the information.
George
Barley and Hops Brewing LLC
Indeed it is really interesting. However due to the fact, that these are kinda proprietary methods, you cannot really find anything online, how they do it - and I would really love to know, if that works (in small scale) and how it works...
Hi George! Am I wasting my time filtering through a Brita and then through a Still Spirits filter?
I started using the zero water filter for my vodka. Is it normal for the proof to drop after running the vodka through the zero water filter? I don't know how that it is possible but I have had multiple 180 proof runs drop to about 170 after going through the filter.
That is normal. 10 points is a usual loss. I did mention this in several videos.
What % does the spirits need to be before you run it through the EZ-filter. I have heard it needs to be cut down to around 40-50%.Is this true.Thank you in advance.
This is accurate. Anywhere near 110-120 proof
Gday George,I see a lot of negativity towards PVC in the filtering process but after checking several local manufacturers websites they were mostly fine for alcohol contact.Our standards certification process is enough to convince me smarter people know more about this than I do.Does anyone use pvc cement?
Not sure and I haven't heard anything about this.
Hi great.... probably a silly question...... can the carbon filter that tapers from a 3inch to a 1.5 pvc pipe filter real ales and larger? Does this alter the flavour too much or are beer/s not to be filtered this way? Cheers, Brad from Bishop Auckland England
We have always strayed away form filtering beer aside from settling. The clear Ales are filtered sometimes to get that crystal clear beer some people like.
George
Could you not just add to end of distiller before you collection the spirit
No very dangerous to cause any backpressure on the still. Basically it'll go boom or just blow the top
@@94GSR I think he has dripping it right out of the condenser in mind
Ah yeah that'll be fine popcorn sutton used to use the same method. Just used charred wood planks inside cheesecloth
will high abv spirits leach plastics during filtering? or the process of filtering should be done only with low abv and then redistitled again to high abv? TIA
+Dmitry Dubinsky Not usually a problem but I would avoid softer plastics. Water filtering vessels are safe as well as several other plastics. The harder the plastic the better and food grade is completely safe for filtering. So, you don't need to dilute your spirits before filtering.
George
Any suggestions for larger volumes?
A vat
PJ K
🤣🤣🤣🤣👍🥃
Hi George, hope you're well, quick question, is this done after distilling the wash or is it done after redistilling into gin?
It’s done after distilling the wash.
What is the nozzle you use at the end of the PVC filter?
Hi mate n long time watcher here .wan bottling shine and it foams up a bit and it stays a while what can this be iv never had this before?? Cheers
Just air unless you had soap in the bottles or something that would cause the foaming.
great vids ,hey what about infusing spirits? can it be done at home?
+Nakia Herron All depends on what you want to infuse into the spirit. But yes this is very possible.
George
Hi George will a Dafi Astra 3L work for filtering "fuel"?
Not sure.
what makes you not sure?
PVC is safe for spirit filter ?
also when is the best time to filter your spirit, after the first run or when you have finish the distillations ?
+Chris A Always at the end of distillation. PVC is fine but of course stainless steel would be better.
George
Chris A filter after adding water
jacobr1991 if you filter after adding the water, your filter is filtering more liquid and shortening your usage. I would do it before lowering the abv. But then again their is many ways to do something. Happy Distilling
@@hectorlambaren570 but if you filter before adding water, the 60% won’t filter properly through the charcoal. It needs to be below 50%. ?
I know this is a couple years old but what about a carbon aquarium filter with a cloth in the funnel like my grandfather used to make "medicine"?
If you have to filter, you need to go back and learn how to run a still and make wash!!
Bullshit.
@@Invictus13666 no bullshit!! If you have to filter you don't any fucking idea what the hell your doing! Your a piss poor distiller!!
@@chuckcomstock4747 oh fuck off. Even popcorn filtered.
@@Invictus13666 lol your a fuckin moron!!
@@Invictus13666 If popcorn was still alive I would happily put my white dawg against his any day! Filtering is for people that have no clue what the fuck they are doing! Good yeast and making good cuts is what makes great likker! Your probably one of those idiots that runs turbo yeast and bottles in plastic jugs!
I want to run one of my 'lazy mans' ideas past you.
Provided you dedicate a mains pressure, diatomic cartridge, water filter (the type you have plumbed into a sink to give filtered drinking water) to only distillate filtering, could this be used instead of carbon?
Head pressure might be an issue but a tank at ceiling height and filter setup at bench level should be sufficient.
Your thoughts appreciated.
This sounds like it may have some merit. I would also imagine that you could pressurize the spirit in a small keg to run it through the filter. I may give this a try.
George. Wouldn't the carbon filters or any filter for that matter take away most or all the flavor of the sprit? I have seen people making cuts in their distillation trying to keep some of the tails and then mix it to get a particular taste. Would that be a lot of effort for nothing if you filter it? Or do you think it will retain some of the flavor and character anyway?
The goal is to run your still so that filtering is not necessary but in the event that you do need to filter the majority of the flavor and character remains in your distillate. Mixing tails to a batch to improve taste is not a good practice. remember that tails are full of conegers and left over byproducts of the distillation process and they are tails because we don't consume them. They truly are terrible tasting and not a good source of alcohol. Better to leave them out of a finished product. If this were not true we wouldn't separate them in the first place.
Hope this hleps
George
Thank you, it does make perfect sense!
I have the large EZ Filter... would you filter the basic sugar wash after you run it through the T500 and then filter it again after it is aged in wood chips/cubes? Just wait until aged and run it once? Run it through before aging and don't do anything after that? Very curious on the best way to do this. Thanks! Very helpful videos.
Not all runs require filtering. When it does, make sure you are proofed to below 110 or else filtering is useless.
Always filter before aging and never after aging.
George
@@BarleyandHopsBrewing : Thanks for the help!
Wish i could get such filters here in Germany :/
Its not that hard to find just pricey depending on where you buy
10 liters of water. 3 kg sugar
How many grams of yeast I need ?
60 grams will do.
Hello. Not sure if this is a silly question but, would filtering unaged fruit distillates (brandy, in essence) negatively affect the tastes of a final brandy product? You mentioned that the filters strip out certain unwanted aspects, but I was under the impression that some of that stuff was used to build the final flavor profile for brandies.
+scipio2009 I wouldn't filter a finished brandy or any finished spirit. Filtering is the first step, even for brandy.
George
Barley and Hops How early in the process would filtering a fruit brandy make sense, or would it simply not make much sense to filter a brandy? to me, it'd seem as if filtration would only make sense in getting as neutral a spirit as possible before moving on (vodkas, grain alcohols heading to barrel, etc).
The help understanding this stuff is greatly appreciated.
+scipio2009 I actually filtered my brand immediately after distilling without any degradation to the spirit at all. I know it may sound odd but filtering does not clear out the base flavor as one would think. It does however clear out the undesirable fusil oils and by products that can easily ruin a good batch. Hope this helps
George
Barley and Hops much appreciated.
Great vid