Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

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1RiverRunner
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Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

Post by 1RiverRunner »

If the coffee filter method still leaves fine sediment in your aged whiskey, what method (short of cold filtering) is effective to make a cleaner bottle?
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Kindafrench
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Re: Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

Post by Kindafrench »

You‘re not alone. Maybe this helps : https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... y#p7636454
1RiverRunner
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Re: Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

Post by 1RiverRunner »

Thank you. No haze though in distillate.The issue is the burnt oak sediment. Maybe filtering into storage and then siphoning is the best idea.. though it’s very fine and easily disturbed perhaps it will eventually cake.. then bottle.
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NZChris
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Re: Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

Post by NZChris »

Bottling pretty much ends the aging process, so I only bottle enough for my predicted needs and leave the rest on the wood. It's only when I decant off the last bottle that I have a problem and, by then, there isn't so much dirty likker that I'm not happy to filter it through my liver.
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Demy
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Re: Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

Post by Demy »

You could try the hydrophilic cotton (the one used for medications in general).
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Why does it bother you so much? I find that a few floaties in the bottle add to the "Artisan/Handmade/Craft Distilled " look.
In fact I often throw a stick of charred oak into bottles that I gift to people. Haven't had a complaint yet, in fact most people seem to like it.
OtisT
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Re: Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

Post by OtisT »

If a filter does not do the trick, you could let the spirit settle then siphon off the clear liquid.

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Not sure
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Re: Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

Post by Not sure »

I usually use 2 brown coffee filters to bottle my spirit once the jug is empty I let the filter dry and both have sediment in them one finer than the other. That last pouring off the wood though is probably going to have crud in it unless you have a lab grade filtering system or something of the sort. Have you tried using the search bar for related topics and info
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Re: Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

Post by still_stirrin »

I found that sometimes I get corn oils; a hazy, heavy cloud in my bourbons even after bottling. Coffee filters do little to separate these oils. Keeping the bottle in the refrigerator will make the cloud more apparent. But, it adds a lot of flavor, so I just swirl the bottle before pouring into my tumbler. Appearance is usurped by taste in the end. The “cloud” isn’t worth the worry to eliminate.
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StillerBoy
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Re: Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

Post by StillerBoy »

1RiverRunner wrote: Thu Apr 15, 2021 8:11 pm If the coffee filter method still leaves fine sediment in your aged whiskey, what method (short of cold filtering) is effective to make a cleaner bottle?
What is the medium/tool used to hold the filter in place.. if the hole that the liquid flow through is more than 1/8", then you're filtering for nothing really.. for the filters to work properly the flow has to been very slow..

Also wetting the filters first with cold water will help in filtering.. and always use double filters..

Never had an issue filtering charcoal dust or wood dust..

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Re: Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

Post by Tummydoc »

I'm calling BS on that one Mars. A filter's efficiency is based on pore size which is a physical constraint. Speed does not effect the efficiency. A vaccuum filter speeds up transit though the medium with no loss in efficiency. If you want to watch it drip longer, by all means use a pinhole outlet, but you wont make the filter more efficient.
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Re: Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

Post by Butch27 »

I don't have any real world experience with a side by side comparison with slow vs fast but my gut tells me that I should side with Mars on this one.
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Re: Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

Post by Chucker »

I’ve had this issue as well. Ash particles can be really fine.
I age in gallon jugs. From these I decent the well settled clear liquid, using a paper filter as a security screen. That material is finished at that point, ready for cutting/bottling, whatever.
The remainder goes to a straight-sided jar. I make up a bit of bentonite slurry and add a little to the jar. It doesn’t take much. Stir it in and let it sit. It will settle and entrain the fine with it. It won’t change color or flavor. A straight wall container is important as anything with a neck will reduce how far you can decant without stirring it back up.
This can be carefully decanted off to the rest. At some point the sludgy bottom material can make its way back into a spirit run for recovery.

An issue I’ve had with clarity has not been with the ash particulate; that’s easily fixed, but with a haze developing after the initial clarification, after cutting, and after it sits for a while. It cuts fine, looks great, but then picked an odd, swirling haze layer after some months, particularly as temperatures drop with the season. If it sits long enough and cold enough this can be mostly decanted out again. Returning to room temp will resolubilize whatever the haze is. There seems to be no effect on flavor and it will also settle with bentonite.
A commercial brewer once suggested it being lacto but that seems odd in finished spirits to me. I’ve had vodka sitting in the same environment and cut with the same water for far longer without issue. My best hypothesis is that there is some poorly soluble organic coming from the wood that drops out with the temp decrease. It seems to clear ok and doesn’t alter flavor, it just looks terrible and takes some extra work to eliminate.
I don’t believe this to be anything associated with the common culprits of clouded spirit such as tails or waterborne minerals. I’ve used well water, bottled drinking water, and distilled water. All look fine at first. Anyone else ever encounter a mystery haze?
1RiverRunner
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Re: Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

Post by 1RiverRunner »

Thank you all for the excellent conversation. I do believe it to be ash. After taking off the wood, and diluting to 120 or less and settling it, I will try siphoning. I suspect beer and wine implements may not meet the materials muster. Will investigate. Thanks again. Will continue to monitor for additional info
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Re: Sediment in coffee filtered whiskey

Post by StillerBoy »

Tummydoc wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 6:13 am 'm calling BS on that one Mars. A filter's efficiency is based on pore size which is a physical constraint. Speed does not effect the efficiency. A vaccuum filter speeds up transit though the medium with no loss in efficiency. If you want to watch it drip longer, by all means use a pinhole outlet, but you wont make the filter more efficient.
Not worth wasting time responding to an un-thought out statement..

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