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How to make Charcoal and Charcoal filter

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 3:20 pm
by jammy3003
Having looked at the price of active charcoal sold in the shops I decided to make my own. Got a large chocolate tin with lid and fill with oak or any other wood offcuts. Now I use open fire in the house and once it well light i put my tin on it and every so often turn it and you can see the gases come out. no need to cut holes it the tin just don't put the lip to tight with in half an hour you have very clean charcoal. Nowthe for filter I use a 4 inch funnel a large 1x4 coffee filter and in it I put ground charcoal about 2 1/2 in to 3 in. Run hot water through it twice and it is ready. I have put cloudy distilliate through it and it has come out very clean. Funnel will sit safely on a bottle lip and you can fill it with almost half a bottle of stuff for clearing. Any feedback is wellcomed on how to improve this.

Re: How to make Charcoal and Charcoal filter

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 3:37 pm
by olddog
Any wash without the nasties of turbo yeast, fermented and distilled correctly does not need charcoal filtering.
I have a "Z" filter sitting here from the days where I did not know better, made of PLASTIC, its free to anyone wishing to pay for the postage, and wishing to put PLASTIC into their distilling process.

Re: How to make Charcoal and Charcoal filter

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 3:44 pm
by kiwistiller
Charcoal and activated carbon are a little different... You're making the carbon but not 'activating' it. it is the activation that creates the crazy surface properties of the activated carbon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_ ... Production" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

not that charcoal isn't useful... I use charcoal of Manuka to impart a manuka flavour to whiskies, just by pouring it through a coffee filter with charcoal in it. Jack Daniels uses charcoal in the lincoln county process. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_County_Process" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Re: How to make Charcoal and Charcoal filter

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 5:28 pm
by Barney Fife
Home made charcoal added directly into the product for aging is a great way to impart new and/or unique flavors. I make mine in one gallon paint cans. Go to an auto body shop and buy a one gallon, UNLINED paint can. Be sure it isn't lined! All hardware or other paint stores will usually only have lined cans.

Cut your wood of choice into 2-3 inch lengths, and chop them into smaller pieces. I say chop because the rough surfaces are better than the smooth surfaces of cuts. Fill the can halfway with loose wood chunks, tap the lid on tight, and punch a dozen holes in the lid with a screwdriver or scratch awl or something. You can use a propane heater, an electric hot plate(finally! A use for that hot plate you bought for your first still...) or simply toss it into an open fire. Give it a shake once in a while, and when you no longer get thick smoke from the vent holes, pull it out of the fire, or off the heater device, open the can, spill the contents on the ground, and douse it with COLD water to stop the burning, and to create the billions of tiny fissures that will increase the surface area many times(effectively making it activated charcoal). This helps clean your product, and transfers the flavors quickly. Or, you can let the charcoal cool in the closed can for 24 hours; this will not have the scrubbing effect of the activated charcoal, but it will have an even more woody, smoky flavor.

Re: How to make Charcoal and Charcoal filter

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 6:21 pm
by blanikdog
Interesting post barney. I've been thinking of doing just that using Australian Red Gum. Bundy rum has a new product that they clain is Red Gum filtered and gives it a different flavour. My wood shed is full of Red Gun so it's just a matter of 'getting around tuit' and they are scarce here. :D

Re: How to make Charcoal and Charcoal filter

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 8:43 pm
by blind drunk
Funny coincidence Barney. I was so fed up with my oak sticks last nite that I threw a bunch of maple pieces of firewood into the wood burning stove. Charred them real good, threw them into a stainless chafing dish and quickly ran outside with the smoking hunks of wood, my wife holding the door, coughing :wink: Then I doused them in water. When cool put some into my jug. I took the rest of it and submerged the pieces into a corny of stinky low wines - just to experiment until I have the time for a spirit run, which keeps getting pushed into the future :shock: Cheers, bd.

Re: How to make Charcoal and Charcoal filter

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 9:40 pm
by blind drunk
Interesting links Kiwi, thanks. Cheers, bd.

Re: How to make Charcoal and Charcoal filter

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 10:09 pm
by Barney Fife
By the way, the paint can can be reused countless times to make more charcoal, but you should have a separate can for each wood type, as they do get gummy.

Re: How to make Charcoal and Charcoal filter

Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 3:12 am
by jammy3003
Interesting I just read that argon gas is use to activate charcoal. Thats what they use in Mig welding to cool the nozzel. one can buy small bottles of it from most car part stockists. I may have go!

Re: How to make Charcoal and Charcoal filter

Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 3:16 am
by jammy3003
Sorry i think I got the wrong end of the stick. Its the steam at high temps that activates the charcoal

Re: How to make Charcoal and Charcoal filter

Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:22 am
by pumpman
Argon is actualy used to create an oxigen free environment for the weld. Oxigen and molten metal=porosity.