Filtering with activated carbon?

[T-Pee]

I'm still gonna put it through carbon because I have no basis for comparison.

You aren't listening, are you? Why lengthen your learning curve by taking a detour through carbon?

tp

[rad14701]

Misneac, at this rate you will be destined to be living a lifetime of excuses... If the spirits don't come out right, or you make a mistake during blending, simply dilute and re-run until you have your ducks in a row... This isn't a hobby that grants instantly gratifying perfect, you have to work at it... Scrap the carbon filtering crutch and move on... Or you can waste as much or more time trying to improve your efforts using carbon filtering as it would take to learn how to perfect the overall process...

[Misneac]

No, I definitely understand what you guys are saying. My point is that I'm going to do it as well as possible, follow all the rules, and make the absolute best product I can. But until I have some solid experience making that product I'm going to keep the training wheels on. I know that I can re-run the spirits, but I'm not planning on making bad runs. I'm planning on not having much experience knowing the difference. It's one thing to read about it, but another to actually do it, and until I know I can produce high quality, consistent product I'm going to keep as many redundant measures in place as I feel is appropriate. I like to have my ducks in a row from the get go, so that any successes are repeatable, and any mistakes aren't compounded. I not planning to make a mistake, I'm planning for my lack of knowledge. I have read, and am reading, a lot of good info in here. Until I thoroughly understand what happens when the process goes right, what happens when it goes wrong and more important WHY, I'm going to err on the side of safety. If wanting a comprehensive understanding of what I'm doing, and erring on the side of safety is a "crutch" then all I can say is that I'm glad this ain't a muzzleloading thread.

[still_stirrin]

No....I'm going to keep the training wheels on....

What's been said is, "to take the training wheels off!". It's the only way to learn to ride. You'll never have enough confidence in your ability to take them off. You'll always believe your product is better when run through carbon because you won't have gone without.

The lesson we're presesenting you with is to "set the carbon aside" now and learn the right way. No crutches needed.

You say you "hear" and "understand", but you revert to your own insecurity.
ss

[Bagasso]

I think you misunderstand me.

Don't mind these guys. Do what you feel you need to do.

There are a few here that use carbon despite doing things "the right way" because the right way isn't the right way for everyone.

[rad14701]

Again with the excuses...!!! Those spirits, crappy as you may think they smell or taste, are not dangerous... Just do things the right way and stop worrying about perfection... Or maybe this really isn't the hobby for you... You've become such a Doubting Thomas that I'm starting to think it's unlikely that you'll ever reach your self-imposed level of perfection goal... Relying on a crutch surely won't get you there... Grow a set and leave the counter-productivity behind once and for all... We're trying to help you, not bash you, but you're fighting every step of the way...

I've read back through your posting history and you call yourself "opinionated and weird"... Well, trying to go about this hobby goofy-footed, like you have been from the start, is part of why your learning curve is so tough... You want to build an off the wall still, go about just about every facet in ways other than what we consider the norm, and then can't figure out why you are having so many problems attaining some semblance of success... Which piece of that puzzle is the crux of the dilemma, or is it all of them combined...??? The best advice is to start out with known practices until you have the overall process mastered, and only then are you ready to start thinking outside the box... Go back and read your own posts and see them the way the rest of the world does and maybe then you'll truly appreciate our input... Right now you're lacking focus...

[Misneac]

If I thought I knew everything about something before I'd done it, that wouldn't be confidence; that would be foolishness. I'm gonna do it as well as I know how, I'm gonna listen to advice, I'm gonna do it safely, and I'm gonna do it to my own high standards. If you think you can talk me out of that you're welcome to try. For my part I've said all I'm going to say on the subject.

[T-Pee]

For my part I've said all I'm going to say on the subject.

Good. Don't expect a whole lot of help from here on. You want to do it the hard way...not the successful way. Got it.

tp

[roberto188]

Misneac,

Don't be bothered by the fanatics here. I use a AC filter column to polish and clean up some bad runs, or sometimes just the beginning and ends of really good runs. It's a tool. It is possible to try and still the best you can, refine your craft and get good to a point that you don't need the carbon. My opinion is that an absolutely really well done distillation will almost always yield a better product than something run through a filter. But not every run, and certainly not every portion of every run will be like that.

I very often run failed or oxidized beers and wines through my still to make vodka. These runs, no matter how tight will NEVER taste quite as good as a clean fermented wash, so I filter those through AC after. 15 gallons of failed wine, turned into a pretty damn good vodka is nothing to be ashamed about.

In regards to the plastic, high proof booze should never sit in plastic, and most certainly not HOT high proof booze. If you dilute to 70 or 60% and RUN it through the plastic, you will reduce the risk of plastic contamination and off flavors. I would not let ANY proof booze SIT in plastic, no matter how good of plastic it is.

I've experimented quite a bit with AC filtering both neutrals and rums some with decent success, some with absolute failures, so if you want to talk anymore about it, PM me....it's a bit hostile on this board when it come to AC filtering.

Also, just a side note: Stillin' is VERY time consuming, and having a tool like AC to clean up a bad run or portions of a bad run to me is helpful. Otherwise you need to invest more and more time to get something you want to consume. Also, rerunning a bad batch through your still will NOT yield the same results as the original. So re-running a bad batch won't give you same information as redoing the whole process from scratch again. I think if you have a bad run, rerunning the whole process from scratch will give you BETTER information and feedback than re-runing that bad batch. So again, having the AC to clean up a bad run isn't a bad thing.

[MadKaw]

Don't use the aquarium carbon...........

That's lacking a little detail... what is the difference in the carbon? other than supporting your local shop?