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I doubled distilled a sugar wash with a friends potstill and really wanted something as neutral as possible. Even after 2 distillation, I still had that weird taste and smell in the finale spirit and I dont have access to my friends still for a couple months so I purchased some activated carbon online and dumped 3/4 cup in my 3.5 liter of spirit diluted a 42%. I didn't know I was supposed to clean the carbon before putting it in the carboy so I ended up with lots of carbon dust in suspension.

It's been 4 days now and the smell is 90% gone so I plan on flavoring my spirit next Wednesday but was concerned about all the carbon dust in suspension. What do I use to filter out the carbon and make sure I even trap the dust particle ?

Can I simply use coffee filters and maybe do it twice or even 3 times until fully clear or will the black dust never go away ?

Thanks in advance,

naeco

Use standard laboratory filter papers with cotton wool below to filter the carbon. However, this is bad practice. If you don't know the still, and/or you don't know how to distil, then leave it alone. This site has all the knowledge you need to make pure sprits with the highest degree of safety. Just read through and do the work, it will save you from poisoning yourself and your friends.

Ian Jay wrote: it will save you from poisoning yourself and your friends.

Poisoning ??? Yes I should have added water to the second distillation and run again to get a neutral spirit but I simply did not have the time and the still ain't mine. Even if I filter the spirit with coffee filter and I still have very little carbon dust in suspension ... it still wouldn't be enough to be dangerous to drink. I only kept the heart leaving all head and tail behind so my spirit is safe and I have no plan to hurt myself or my friends.

Yeah, a double run through coffee filters will get most of it. You might still get a bit settle out after a few months. Solution: drink it before that happens! A bit of carbon aint going to hurt you any worse than the booze you are drinking

Suggestion on filtering as I have done a lot to get rid of the residue from my raspberries in a liqueur. Coffee filters clog up easily so that should be your last pass. I would first put it in a refrigerator or cold place for a few days and let as much settle as possible, then rack to another container. Once you have done this use paper towels in a wire mesh strainer as they are not as fine as a coffee filter (and cheaper) and this will get it a bit cleaner (you may have to run through several times), then go to the coffee filters.

I agree with bushman but make sure that whatever you use is unscented.

I've never had any luck using coffee filters as they are designed for warm to hot liquids in order for the fibers to open for adequate flow rates... Felt and cotton work great also...

Bushman wrote:Suggestion on filtering as I have done a lot to get rid of the residue from my raspberries in a liqueur. Coffee filters clog up easily so that should be your last pass. I would first put it in a refrigerator or cold place for a few days and let as much settle as possible, then rack to another container. Once you have done this use paper towels in a wire mesh strainer as they are not as fine as a coffee filter (and cheaper) and this will get it a bit cleaner (you may have to run through several times), then go to the coffee filters.

I agree with BM. Depending on what you are filtering go coarse, paper towels. Fine, coffee filters. Finer, TP between coffee filters.

You can almost take the color out of whiskey if you go fine enough. This is the hobbyist method.

Or you can go pro and purchase a variety of micron sized filters designed for the wine industry.

Or close your eyes and drink the carbon dust..

I will do the use paper towels in a wire mesh strainer technique first and do a couple run through some coffee filters.

Thank you all for taking the time to answer my question.

rad14701 wrote:I've never had any luck using coffee filters as they are designed for warm to hot liquids in order for the fibers to open for adequate flow rates... Felt and cotton work great also...

I have found a difference just between different brands of coffee filters, and yes I wasted a few filters before using paper towels. When I was in Oregon on a distillery tour they used different mesh bags they said you can buy at the brew shops. He showed me the different bags from course to fine, will probably do this after racking in the future because they wash and are re-usable.