FILTERING YOUR SPIRITS

This channel is designed to offer insight and background on the science, art and practice of making alcohol based products at home.

[@Berealwiteachother]

I know you’ve been back for awhile but, I’m happy to see you back making expert videos, thank you!

[@bryanbarlow404]

Big thanks you got me started distilling. My neighbors always catch me at the grocery store and just shake their heads. 50lbs of bananas, 5 family size bags of cornflakes, 8 bottles of karo syrup.... The check out clerks think i feed the homeless. Love the videos.

[@ardnfast]

😅😅😅

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

😀😀😀

[@JohnHPixelMD]

I've been distilling for about 3 years now and I still use the exact same filtering setup you use George and it works great every time, great seeing you back at it!

[@mohammedabushoog4898]

Is filtering important?

[@WeekleyRehabFishingCharters]

Gearrge, great review of this, the questions gets asked on the face book forums constantly. I learned allot from you and have been filtering and polishing for years.

[@ogondaamadi]

Was just wondering how spirits are filtered and boom!!! came your video. Thanks 🙏🏾 so much for sharing your work. 🥂

[@kipmyers5897]

Thankful to have your knowledge back !!!!

[@littlehills739]

thank you for coming back and the effort you put in

[@FFDfirechef]

Thanks for setting aside some old misconceptions, I'll start filtering and look forward to the improvement.

[@ScottBryant-wi7gb]

Thanks so much for sharing another fine video.

[@719venom]

I've been binging ypur videos for days now.. thank you for everything you do for us

[@redneckcampprosea-doo9160]

Thank you for all your info.

[@ZestyMars]

Im so glad that George is back, ive been into the craft for a while and it was his channel that got me into it, what started out as a cheat way to make my girlfriend drinks has turned into a full passion for spirits

[@OVRCOME]

Great video! Sometimes I filter, sometimes I dont. It depends on the Run! But Filtering is a great idea when you want a really CLEAN product!

[@CastawayLodgeIncSeadrift]

Thank you for your service to our Nation and your continued dedication to this community. At the end of the day or with each new sunrise, we hope you know how much we love you and appreciate your efforts. We learn and grow together. God Bless you Sir.

[@privenone8618]

George , i am happy that you are back. Thanks 4 your insights and information. Great stuf Please visit The Netherlands

[@philiptruitt]

Thanks, George!

[@zanzeroth]

I woul also love to see a filtering series on wine or mead. I wonder if filtering through charcoal would strip off flavors in reguards to wine.

[@BenBen31BPD7]

I have the same zero water filter I've been using forever! Great vid George!

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Great items are hard to replace 😀

[@PaulJones-bo8gt]

Fantastic

[@GaryBoyd-fs2zj]

I built a potato gun type filter like you made in one of your older videos with a few modifications and works great. I glued everything together except the bottom which has a screw cap to be able to remove the activated charcoal for cleaning and use s/s fine mesh screen and coffee filters to catch the smaller particles thanks for the blue prints keep safe and keep shining

[@shawnsmith3531]

I was excited to see polishing and finishing too....😢 You know I can't wait😂... Its like in the 70s waiting on my favorite show once a week!!!!

[@manicmedic6409]

Oh boy I’ve been waiting for these next steps

[@arghh121]

Well done Sir!

[@user-zo2mw1yr1s]

Great videos. Only 1 negative review. You never did the final video of your brandy 4 years ago. I’d love to see making brandy with George 2.0 using new methods you’ve learned and using the new still you got.

[@Wingeezer]

seems to me I have always read/heard that you must dilute neutral spirit to 50, if not 40% for activated carbon filtering to do its job properly. Unless I missed it in your video, (and appologies if I did!) do you not think that prior dilution is needed?

[@MrCecil_KD9WUS]

Not for filtering

[@Wingeezer]

Not sure - even the instructions that came with my Still Spirits filter pro say no higher than 50% @@MrCecil_KD9WUS

[@knold20]

Indeed. I take it to 40%. Then run twice. 10 liters of spirit through 900 grams of coal. New coal for second run.

[@TwinsCaters]

I wish there were a DEFINITIVE answer to this question. There certainly are plenty of opinions. 😢

[@michaelbopper7399]

Don’t even brew but love the science.

[@d.g.9559]

Hi George great video. I'm new to the hobby and just purchased my first still. Can't wait to use it. One question for you though, I was under the impression that very high ABV spirits should only come in contact with S.S. copper, glass etc. Is this true or not? or are we more concerned with contact time with the plastic in this case?

[@carlusdovens648]

On forums some people are adamant that (especially) high proof alcohol should never be in contact with plastic. What's your opinion on that?

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Ethanol is not a cautic fluid as some acids are. Most (not all) hard plastics are safe for high proof ethanol. There are some softer plastics used for fluids that I would avoid but the hard plastics are fine.

[@rocketsroc]

George, remember what you taught us way back. The spirits must be below 50% ABV (100 proof) to filter or it will flow through too quickly to properly remove contaminates. PS..love the Zero Water Filter, it's great!

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

We all eveolve and I've learned much soince then. Thanks for pointing that out. Wish I could go back in time and fix that but I can't George

[@rocketsroc]

@@BarleyandHopsBrewing Ok, so maybe this should be explained to all of us since it is rather important.

[@shaunbendall4957]

Hi George, the zero water filter isn’t available in my country, but would any water type filter work, simply just add activated carbon instead of the primal filter? 2ndly, does the alcohol need to filter over night, ie be in contact for longer to ensure purities are removed? Many thanks for all your videos, they’re brilliant.

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Almost any activated charcoal filter will do. The zero filter, as with many others, is a simple run through filter. The charcoal is small enough as to increase the surface area of each grain so soaking over night is not necessary. Happy distilling George

[@booshveg]

i put acticated charcoal in my alcohol (diluted to 40 percent) and leave it for few days or a week . believe me it does wonder , taste and clarity wise . the only downside is that i lose a bit due to leaving the bottom of the jar with coal sediments and i use the charcoal only once but it surely worth is

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Excellent feedback George

[@rayniac211]

Why was there no before/after (taste) comparison? That was the most crucial part!

[@MarkDrew-ig4bh]

i run Britta 3x , blind taste difference is noticeable, I've tried more than 3x,up to 6x and no real taste difference. I've been filtering, already watered down to 50abv and after XXX end up with 48abv. Is there is a difference to filter before cut?

[@wayneholmes9081]

Hello George ! I have a question unrelated to this video, last night I was in the middle of making a mash and just added my malted barley to my corn then I was called out on a emergency service call and had to shut down the mash... would it be still ok if I add my yeast now over 24 hours later or ditch it and start all over again?

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Unless you started growing mold over it for leaving it for an extended period of time it should still be okay. If you left it coverd I don't see any problem continuing your process.

[@timflynn3218]

You are still the best! (pun is totally intended)

[@Hounds-N-Hunters]

would a rv water filter you hook up to a water hoses work to filter liquor

[@chriscopeland1455]

i would like to ask a serious question can i drink the first runnings from a steel been watching many do so on you tube i was always told it was toxic please a serious answer i'm looking to start my own soon

[@ally2mail]

how can I get the app you use to figure the quantities to proof down my spirits?

[@the69evad]

Question about cutting does the PH of the water make a difference at this stage for the cut will it affect the taste or Ageing

[@ericboniewski2051]

George I'd love your take on mashing banana

[@drthunder33]

Bought the ZeroWater filter. 80 proof in, 0 proof out. Lost all alcohol after filtering. What gives? Tried it on 100 proof store bought and went down to 20 proof. Tested with 2 proofing hydrometers before and after. I did NOT add water to the filter before using.

[@donttakenythinfrgrnted5211]

God bless you George, you have helped me to understand the process so much. I have tried many times using just sugar and commercial brewers / distiller's yeast and I cannot, for the life of me, get the nail polish flavor out of my product. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I even built a 4' tall PVC charcoal filter and filtered my product through it many times but still my vodka has an "off" flavor that me and my wife find "unacceptable." I don't want to give up but I don't know where to turn. I want so bad to make a decent vodka. My vodka is 190 proof, but I can't seem to lose that chemical flavor. Please, some one, help me! I'm beggging!

[@johnarnekristiansen3435]

Is it possible to use 40-100 "size" activated carbon? What is the downside ?

[@TimSlowey]

My liver does a fabulous job!

[@mitchsmost]

Hopefully you're not tasting the end result 😂

[@svanveer]

Is there a need to dilute to 40% ABV prior to filtering ?

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

I've learned over time that proof does not effect filtering. wish I could fix earlier videos about this.

[@svanveer]

Thanks George, and glad you are back !@@BarleyandHopsBrewing

[@briantrommater7529]

@@BarleyandHopsBrewing That what I always heard. I got some 150 that I will go ahead and try without proofing down. I doing a neutral spirit for flavoring.

[@tristanc2271]

I tried using a Britta filter, and it made me sick. After a few weeks I could see a bit of black charcoal in the bottom of my bottle. It leaked through.

[@hondo2757]

Activated Charcoal filtering a whisky will it change flavor

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

It has little to no effect on flavor.

[@Stuffdexdoes]

George. I have a question but can't find any contact info.. I have a turbo 500 and the distaluye came out blue .. possibly from too much yeast nutrient in the pack of 20%abv rocket yeast. Question is can I resist I'll the blue(looks like Windex) will it be safe to consume after redistilling , or is it waste.

[@daltonmcmaster3489]

I don't think you are getting your copper clean enough after you cleaned it. I think you still have some chemicals inside your coils that you used for cleaning. That's the only thing I can think of. If you aren't using copper then idk

[@Stuffdexdoes]

@@daltonmcmaster3489 thank you George, according to some forums it's the extra nutrients in the turbo yeast turning it blue and I should dump it.

[@tetonyzerbv]

I put some through a Brita filter and it decreased the proof, by around 20%, Am i doing something wrong

[@dirtdollababy]

George how have you been doing

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Been doing well. A few health issues but doing well. George

[@student19702013]

Does it strip flavor?

[@gerhardjoubert2108]

That was a queation I had

[@rogerwilco59]

I'll drink to your health George. Personally I would put my Whisky in a barrel and that is a preferred choice.

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

I agree.

[@RobertMacCready]

Would you filter wine the same way?

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Wine is differnent. There is residual sugar and other products that make wine the way it is. Charcoal filtering is not for wine. George

[@RobertMacCready]

@@BarleyandHopsBrewing Thanks George!! I hope to do some "moonshine" one of these days and I'll watch your videos!!!

[@andyharris3084]

Shouldn’t you cut your alcohol to below 50% before carbon filtering otherwise the activated carbon doesn’t work? That’s what I’ve always been told.

[@craigimboden9741]

would one filter before they barrel age????

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

I would

[@johnford2884]

Question: Do you lose any flavor filtering? I don't chase proof. I am all about flavor/

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

I have not. Now I must qualify that with; it tastes the same to me before and after filtering. Is there some loss of flavor on a measureable scale? I really have not explored this. George

[@brianforest2508]

Can I purchase a PID controller from your store?

[@mycologycorner]

I wired the inkbird timer relay idt-e correctly with my inkbird PID. Everything‘s working, but I can’t figure out the manual to save my life😂 “ Inkbrid timer relay” plz help if you can

[@josephgrudza3873]

Is there an email address I can send you an email?

[@jeremyboucher200]

can people still contact you by email brother?

[@zachlincoln8592]

I tried the zero water filter and it took out All OF THE alcohol out of 80proof

[@drthunder33]

Same here. What's the deal? Tried it on 100 proof and went down to 20 proof.

[@HeartPumper]

Plastic? I'll pass. It's a really bad practice. Either diy or buy stainless filters.

[@user-li2fy4hu7p]

You talk like you learned all your info from someone else talking.. which makes you bad at talking about the things you know.. you remind me of Bush jr

[@BarleyandHopsBrewing]

Not sure what this really means but I appreaciate your comment anyway. Just not sure how to adjust or correct this perception. I do learn from others, from research and from esperience. How else should I approach this? George

[@MrLonstar]

@user-li2fy4hu7p I'll just leave this here for you. ig·no·rance /ˈiɡnərəns/ noun noun: ignorance lack of knowledge or information. "he acted in ignorance of basic procedures" Similar: unawareness unfamiliarity with lack of knowledge about cluelessness lack of knowledge unenlightenment foolishness idiocy