I've always been frustrated using coffee filters for filtering anything other than coffee. I guess that's why they're called coffee filters
My first batch of "Apple Pie" required some cleansing due to the spice floaties. I don't have a vacuum pump, yet, so I improvised with my wine keeper. Two holes with o-rings in a one piece lid, a funnel, a filter basket, a filter and a length of vinyl tubing. A couple of strokes every so often and that apple pie was easily coaxed into it's resting place.
Yet another invention... So, the wine keeper removes air from the jar - that is, creates a partial vacuum. I can see a lot of possibilities for this. Maybe a new method of force aging - one hole in the lid, some white dog in the jar with a few JD chips, and a few pumps of the wine keeper. Move over nuke aging.
Just sayin',
S-C
Every new member should read this before doing anything else:
I'm glad I'm not the only one who has considered vacuum to solve the inadequacy of coffee filters... I have an evacuation vacuum pump that would work for filtering or even vacuum distillation... Hmmm...
I got curious and did a search on ebay for the wine savers. They're not terribly expensive - anywhere from 10 to 35 dollars and come with the bottle stoppers to use with them. I'm thinking of getting one of these to try with the forced aging process and also Maxx's filtering process.
Just sayin',
S-C
Every new member should read this before doing anything else:
S-Cackalacky wrote:I got curious and did a search on ebay for the wine savers. They're not terribly expensive - anywhere from 10 to 35 dollars and come with the bottle stoppers to use with them. I'm thinking of getting one of these to try with the forced aging process and also Maxx's filtering process.
Just sayin',
S-C
I did use the bottle stopper. You can see it on the second photo. It fit snugly over the vinyl tube and works as a check valve.
S-Cackalacky wrote:I got curious and did a search on ebay for the wine savers. They're not terribly expensive - anywhere from 10 to 35 dollars and come with the bottle stoppers to use with them. I'm thinking of getting one of these to try with the forced aging process and also Maxx's filtering process.
Just sayin',
S-C
I did use the bottle stopper. You can see it on the second photo. It fit snugly over the vinyl tube and works as a check valve.
Yes, I can see that now. And, tell me more about what look like rubber gromets on the jar lid.
Thanks,
S-C
Every new member should read this before doing anything else:
I may be wrong but the grommets and the tubing would be fine for short term no liquid exposure. As long as you just used it to suck it down and put it in another container. I was only ragging on the funnel as it does see liquid. Or should I say booze?
"yeah? yeah? the maple flavored kind?" A dog on you tube.
No synthetics should be coming into contact with spirits much above 100 proof unless they are specifically approved for use with all of the various components produced during the distillation process and subject to contact with said synthetics... This is a health and safety concern...
Richard7 wrote:I may be wrong but the grommets and the tubing would be fine for short term no liquid exposure. As long as you just used it to suck it down and put it in another container. I was only ragging on the funnel as it does see liquid. Or should I say booze?
Correct, the funnel is the only plastic in the liquid path. Everything else is air transfer. In this application I was filtering a 15% solution. Would I store Apple Pie in plastic? Probably not. But then you can buy wines close to that percentage in plastic. Hmmm.
I didn't know how well it would work so I used what I had. If I had a reason to use this with high %'s, I would source a SS funnel.
Sort of off topic but just throwing it out there... I have had great luck with cotton balls. Take one and "defluff" it, saving about half and pushing it lightly into the neck of my funnel. It's still a tad slow but way way faster than any filter paper or material I've tried and still manages to catch even the small spice or charcoal particles from my flavored or oaked spirits.
rad14701 wrote:What about the synthetic coffee filter basket...???
Yeah, that too. It was late and a long day at work. Twas a brain f**t. But, as I said previously, I have no issue with doing this with diliuted solutions. A SS sink strainer and funnel and some teflon tape can work just as well. In fact, stay tuned...
Great potential for an easy way to filter. Couple other suggestions so you don't waste a lot of coffee filters. Store in the refrigerator for a couple days and syphon as much as possible out first, then filter through paper towels a few times as they are not as fine and won't clog as easily, then filter through a coffee filter.
A year or two ago I documented my build and take on a buchner type vacuum system. My concern was imploding the glass jar but since I add a collander between the funnel and the filter it has not been an issue plus it draws everything evenly. If you read through the whole thread I also have a short video of it in operation. I can actually get a pretty good filtration with only using one coffee filter.
Bushman wrote:Great potential for an easy way to filter. Couple other suggestions so you don't waste a lot of coffee filters. Store in the refrigerator for a couple days and syphon as much as possible out first, http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... l&start=12
I actually saw your thread on this topic. Kinda what give me the idea.
I did chill the Apple Pie overnight and most of the grunge went to the bottom.
And here's my video take...
Last edited by Maxximus Flavius on Fri Oct 11, 2013 7:43 am, edited 2 times in total.
There is so many ways to skin that "plastic" cat Stainless steel funnel and sink drain wrapped with 5 layers or so of Teflon tape. I had to form the mesh upwards so that the outside ring would fit flush.
If anything, the paper filter has more surface area. So it's a feature, not a mistake It fits nice when wetted.
I had plans at one time to make one similar. My thinking was to make a filter housing. That would except two mason jars. One on top and one on bottom. Screw the jars on. Flip it over so the full one is in top. And out some vacuum to it. Maybe one day I mite build it?
I recently bought a SS funnel at a kitchen supply store. I paid about $6 for it. They also had the ones with strainers, but they wanted more than twice the money for it. I use it sometimes to rack my wash and put a little piece of SS scrubbie inside to catch any stray grains. I'm guessing it would probably work just as well for this application - the goal being not to suck the coffee filter down the tube.
Just sayin',
S-C
Every new member should read this before doing anything else:
- that is, creates a partial vacuum. I can see a lot of possibilities for this. Maybe a new method of force aging 
- one hole in the lid, some white dog in the jar with a few JD chips, and a few pumps of the wine keeper. Move over nuke aging.
I have an evacuation vacuum pump that would work for filtering or even vacuum distillation... 
Hmmm... 
It fits nice when wetted.
