Activated carbon -- soaking?

[johnsmith]

I've searched the forums and on-line, and can't quite find the answers to the questions below.

I'm pot-stilling, and trying to make a neutral by triple distilling about baking-soda treated half feints (Pugi-rum and UJSSM), half MUM wash. My ultimate goal is to make gin with home-made concentrates, and maybe some apple pie and/or strawberry panty dropper.

I know that there are those who argue with three or four runs through the pot and good cuts carbon polishing isn't necessary. Still, I'd like to give it a go. However, I'm not looking to set up the whole funnel and 3m column rig, and am interested in just steeping the carbon in the spirit. I can't find a lot of details about this method, though (maybe because it's not viable?).

If I wanted to give the soaking method a try...

1) How much carbon to how much spirit?
2) What alcohol concentration? (I've seen as high as 90% as being OK, but also that greater than 50% defeats the purpose as the alcohol can leach back out the nasties)
3) How long?
4) How do you prep the carbon?
5) Anything else?

Thanks in advance for the help!

[Hammerhorn]

I am no expert, but since nobody has replied I will tell you what I do. Most likely this is not the norm. I got my activated carbon from mile hi. Then put it in a small bucket, filled with water, let settle for a little, then dump. Repeat until water is clear. Now this is where I diverge, I guess. I use roughly a 25% to 50% ratio carbon to wanna be nuetral. I stir it up ever few minutes and let it sit for a half hour or so. Then I use a couple different funnels with different types of coffee filters to filter. This way I can rotate them as the top gets dirty and add new filters with out stopping the process. Now I have alcohol soaked carbon. I save it and reuse it so the next run through will have no loss, you will lose a third or more the first time. When you notice flavors coming through then it is time toss, which has yet to happen for me on three times through.

The reasons I use ac is that I stopped doing sugar washes and just use UJSSM feints and the primary is that I don't have time to run my Boka right. I only average 93 ABV for my run of leftovers. I will be modifying my Boka to fix this, but for now ac works for me and it gives one really smooth product.

Oh, watch the video on mile hi about using ac.

[S-Cackalacky]

Hammerhorn, with your method, could you maybe put the mix in something like a half gallon jug with a lid, give a good shake now and then, and then run it through the coffee filters? Do you think this accomplishes the same result as filtering the spirits through a deep carbon bed?

[Hammerhorn]

Hammerhorn, with your method, could you maybe put the mix in something like a half gallon jug with a lid, give a good shake now and then, and then run it through the coffee filters? Do you think this accomplishes the same result as filtering the spirits through a deep carbon bed?

Only one way to find out, right?

It is basically what I do, but I am doing a gallon or two at a time so I just use a huge bowl. Let it settle and ladle it to filter. Then slowly pour the remaining. The intent is to not get the granules into the filters as it is a waste. Again, this is what is working for me and most likely is way overkill, but I would rather have the damn fine vodka than to have to re ac it because I was not using enough ac. I guess this will eventually happen when my current soaked ac gets filled up with nasties.

On another note, I actually think my ac ratio would be much closer to 20% to 25% and not exceeding 30%. I guess I should check, but it really is not rocket science. Am sure any amount will work, it will just stop working faster (this depends how clean your product was to start too).

[S-Cackalacky]

Thanks for the response. I don't normally carbon filter. I had a batch of SF that I screwed up with some over-charred JD chips and fumbled around with trying to carbon filter it. I made such a mess of it that I ended up re-distilling the spirits. It's just nice to know that there's a simple and effective way to do it if I need it.

Thanks for starting this thread and explaining your method.

[shadylane]

My 2 cents worth.
If you want to use carbon, use it to filter your low wines then do a spirit run.
Make sure all the carbon is removed before putting the low-wines back in the still.
Other wise the heat will make the carbon release some of the nasties back into the shine.
From experience I've found multiple distillations, good cuts and time, work better than carbon.

[FullySilenced]

http://homedistiller.org/activated_book1.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

http://homedistiller.org/distill/polish" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

read a bit here mehbe there be answers in it ...

[shadylane]

Good read Fully
I have it saved some were
But reading it again was good.
I've reached the point in life were I'm forgetting faster than I learn.

[Granny]

Thanks for posting those links FullySilenced. I have read so much information on this site that sometimes I forget where I read something. I'm going to need to start keeping a notebook.

[skow69]

If you use activated carbon, expect to lose volume and ABV.