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Whenever I transfer from jugs to bottles I use a piece of 75 micron ss mesh. It was the finest grade I could find from Amazon at a non-lab $$. Just to weed out any dust specks and fruit flies that always seem to be hanging around the area. It’s not nearly enough to remove carbon fines from the charred wood, though. I’ve always found simple gravity and time to be the best for those, with a little bentonite to help it along if I feel like it.

Salt Must Flow wrote: ↑Sat Apr 16, 2022 7:29 pm Good product doesn't need filtered. Make good product.

I just found this on the internet:-
"Jack Daniel’s products are slowly filtered through sugar maple charcoal."

And:-
"Jack Daniels produces a whiskey that is charcoal filtered twice. Gentleman Jack is filtered both before going into the barrels as normal and for the second time after being matured before it’s bottled. The purpose of this is to remove any remaining impurities and further mellow the whiskey so that it’s even smoother than the smooth Jack Daniel’s is known for."

Maybe we should contact Jack Daniel's distillery and tell them not to filter but make a good product.

Maybe a 'good' spirit doesn't need filtering.
But it sure as heck won't hurt it.....maybe even make it better.

Grandad7 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2022 11:52 pm Maybe we should contact Jack Daniel's distillery and tell them not to filter but make a good product.
Maybe a 'good' spirit doesn't need filtering.
But it sure as heck won't hurt it.....maybe even make it better.

Whether you filter or not depends very much on what sort of spirit you are trying to make , what final outcome you want , how much flavour you want, Whether you use charcoal or activated carbon, do you want to remove colour maybe , or flavour ? or both........it aint as simple as it might at first seem.
Try filtering a nice Rum or Bourbon through activated carbon for instance.........I'm sure you will be quite disappointed with what it does to your nice new make spirit........that is unless your trying to make vodka.

The Lincoln County Process filters new make through sugar maple charcoal prior to barrel aging - not activated carbon. Apparently here in TN this is a requirement to label as “Tennessee Whiskey”.

JD is popular around the world but to be honest, in my opinion, it’s far from the best. Can’t remember the last time I had any.

Cheers!
-j

EDIT: Might be worthwhile and interesting to experiment and add this LCP step into your protocol. Maybe even using some different woods to make your charcoal?

To add to that Jack uses 10’ vessels for their LCP. Quite an undertaking but I’ve kicked around the idea of either making or buying maple wood charcoal just to say I did it. More than anything it has the appeal of a conversation starter with friends and family.
JD and I go back a long time and I’ll always have a spot for it somewhere on the shelf. Even if it is some headsy rot gut swill. It was good enough for Sinatra and it has earned its place among the rockers and rednecks.

Stonecutter wrote: ↑Fri Nov 25, 2022 7:29 am To add to that Jack uses 10’ vessels for their LCP. Quite an undertaking but I’ve kicked around the idea of either making or buying maple wood charcoal just to say I did it. More than anything it has the appeal of a conversation starter with friends and family.
JD and I go back a long time and I’ll always have a spot for it in my heart and on the shelf. Even if it is some headsy rot gut swill. It was good enough for Sinatra and it has earned its place among the rockers and rednecks.

Ain't that the truth. I detest the stuff. Just finished 18 in central Missouri and all they have is JD and crown royal.

I opted for Stag beer instead, that's how much I hate Jack Daniels. Can't say I've tasted a worse whiskey. I do get the nostalgia though.

Doctors orders, eat more fiber. Wood is fiber, so no filtering for me.

Love me some Jack Daniels Single Barrel barrel proof. I would never drink Jack until I tried it. I do have some maple charcoal to try.

I think the maple charcoal (The Lincoln County Process) does filter and flavors the juice, not like filtering your new make through a 6' column filled with activated charcoal that could easily strip the flavors right out of it. I don't like flavored vodka but I do like my vodka to have some flavor. Try some Wheatly Vodka. Made of wheat and sweet and smooth.

6 Row Joe wrote: ↑Fri Nov 25, 2022 5:25 pm Love me some Jack Daniels Single Barrel barrel proof. I would never drink Jack until I tried it. I do have some maple charcoal to try.

Aha!

This “select” wasn’t too bad either

RockinRockies wrote: ↑Fri Nov 25, 2022 11:06 am

Ain't that the truth. I detest the stuff. Just finished 18 in central Missouri and all they have is JD and crown royal.

Crown Royal is popular here in Canada, never liked it personally. Marketing is king in liquor sales just like anything else. An endorsement by a Sinatra or any other celeb will boost the image and popularity of an inferior product. JD has never been a favorite of mine either.
I'm not saying either of these 2 are bad. Just not as good as they could be.
Cheers

6 Row Joe wrote: ↑Fri Nov 25, 2022 5:25 pm Love me some Jack Daniels Single Barrel barrel proof. I would never drink Jack until I tried it. I do have some maple charcoal to try.

I think this is a great highlight to preferences in this hobby. I just learned something important: just because I find something in a product that I don't like, doesn't mean I'm the authority and someone else will find something they do enjoy about it.

Point being, I have no business being a snob about anything in this hobby because everyone has different tastes

You are 100% correct. When it comes to nosing and tasting there is no wrong. We all have our own tastes.

I used to be a total dick about whiskey... eventually I realized it was adding nothing to the experience for anyone involved. These days I offer ice and water, it helps people enjoy things more, and take any dram offered. Wish I hadn't been an elitist about it in the first place, it's way nicer to have a drink with someone now.

Stonecutter wrote: ↑Fri Nov 25, 2022 5:43 pm

6 Row Joe wrote: ↑Fri Nov 25, 2022 5:25 pm Love me some Jack Daniels Single Barrel barrel proof. I would never drink Jack until I tried it. I do have some maple charcoal to try.

Aha!

This “select” wasn’t too bad either
62ACA23E-5193-45A9-BEA8-3AA3A9FB310E.jpeg

Awesome zz top poster

Chauncey wrote: ↑Sat Nov 26, 2022 8:45 pm

Stonecutter wrote: ↑Fri Nov 25, 2022 5:43 pm

6 Row Joe wrote: ↑Fri Nov 25, 2022 5:25 pm Love me some Jack Daniels Single Barrel barrel proof. I would never drink Jack until I tried it. I do have some maple charcoal to try.

Aha!

This “select” wasn’t too bad either
62ACA23E-5193-45A9-BEA8-3AA3A9FB310E.jpeg

Awesome zz top poster

Thanks Chauncey. I was hoping someone would notice.

Ben wrote: ↑Sat Nov 26, 2022 9:56 am I used to be a total dick about whiskey... eventually I realized it was adding nothing to the experience for anyone involved. These days I offer ice and water, it helps people enjoy things more, and take any dram offered. Wish I hadn't been an elitist about it in the first place, it's way nicer to have a drink with someone now.

I use the coffee maker. I don't plug it in, but coffee filter and pour it full of your liquid, let it collect in the coffee pot below. I do it when I've grabbed too much tails and there is an oily film. Or the other week, when I didn't pre-rinse my oak cubes and introduced just gobs of oak-dust.

I don’t filter from a run but sometimes do from a liqueur that is macerated. If it is gin and I am redistilling no need to filter but liqueurs maybe. Coffee filters get clogged easily thus I have a several step system. First it rests in a cool place to allow it to settle. It is then siphoned off into another container. From here I use my vacuum filtration system