How To Make A Cheap Alcohol Carbon Filter

If you do a small run with a small yield of Alcohol, this is a very effective way to Carbon Filter your Distillate without setting up a major filtration system.
Make sure that it is no more than 40% ABV and with multiple filters you will get a completely Neutral Vodka. This is also a very good way to improve the quality of a cheap bottle of Vodka.
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Happy Brewing........

[@Anonneemuss]

Made one with variations -- 2L mason jar on the bottom, 750ml plastic bottle on top. It fit/balanced well enough that no coat hanger was required. I had bought some too-small Keurig filters which happened to fit snugly into the neck of the bottle and I tightened the screw cap until it was just a drip. I have an air still and my 'neutral' spirits have been coming out just a little too skunky (I'm still learning where to make cuts) and I did a triple-pass in this and it is SO much better than it was.

[@darcybrooker]

Thats a real man, powertools in the kitchen. NOW! use a butter knife as a screwdriver and you'll be a ledgend :D

[@dack4545]

You can revive activated carbon by putting it in the over on Max temp for an hour or so 👍🏻Wether it's those carbon rings or granulated carbon just spread it out on a oven tray, or put the rings on an oven tray

[@deepmead6086]

You are a great teacher. Few videos but great videos

[@pauljacobs5390]

I appreciate that!

[@wfmcurrie]

Is it only me who cringed when he hit his kitchen counter top with the drill

[@pauljacobs5390]

Ha ha ha.... Stone benchtop... Believe the drill came out the worse

[@chelannaicker4391]

@@pauljacobs5390 Evidence that regardless of age. We all need women to keep us in check. I'm 28 and I'm like, this guy is like me. Stone top won't damage from that but my mom and gf will still kill me

[@tonyroland233]

Bit of an idiot, must be a rental property, not his own?

[@bass2762]

@TranniesRBetter ThanRealWomen explains why you prefer fake women

[@55jagbh]

Beautiful big kitchen..loved it..

[@louisanaude8586]

instead of use a jag I will just use the bottom 3/4 of a 2nd bottel. It will fit snug and sable no need for corners or wire's. I love your videos.

[@pauljacobs5390]

Great idea Louisa

[@elvee5520]

Hi Love your channel, very well produced very watchable and you get straight to the point. You mentioned that you sometimes filter 3-5 times to achieve an odourless spirit, I assume you use the same carbon? Also is there some sort of rule about how many times the carbon can be used?

[@pauljacobs5390]

Hi Elvee55.... Glad you are enjoying my channel. Yes, I use the same carbon until the end product. Companies that sell yeast and carbon filter units will tell you that you should not use the carbon past a certain number of times. This ensures that you run back to the store and buy another carbon filter. I now have a LARGE filter unit with a lot of Carbon in it. (Vid link here kzbin.info/www/bejne/iX_Xe3yVnp2jgac ) Some time 2 or three filtration, sometimes up to 5 or 6 filtrations of 5 to 10 ltrs of 40%ABF. Remember that the filter will only remove what you do not.... Be useful to be more aggressive on making the cuts..... My brother uses Turbo yeast and discards only the first 150ml of the distill. He does not agree with me with only saving the "Good Stuff". He is happy with getting (7 ltrs of 40%Abv) where I am happy getting 2 to 4 ltrs of 40%ABV Hearts. I simply choose to save only the good HEARTS stuff and on occasion save a little more on either side and use the carbon filter.

[@ebaldwinATL]

Is there any particular activated carbon I should buy? Not sure if there’s a difference but making sure!

[@pauljacobs5390]

Hi Arto It is a good practice to make sure you do all long term storage in glass, but I have no problem with short term use as long as the type of plastic is appropriate. Plastics are used for Alcohol all the time, some plastics are better than others. In fact, you can purchase vodka and other types of "hard" alcohol in plastic bottles, don't forget the Wine Cooler plastic bags. There are plastics which are either impervious or nearly impervious to alcohol. Don't forget that most Fermentation buckets are Plastic. Even for types of plastics that are not impervious, it takes time for the alcohol to begin to dissolve the plastic. If someone is planning to drink the drink within a short period of time, there's not really a problem with putting it in plastic. Bars at clubs do that all the time - the drink won't last more than a few hours, so there's no problem putting it in a low grade plastic cup (or soft drink bottle). The quickest and most reliable way to check for food or alcohol safety is by looking at the recycling number usually on the bottom of the container. This number will be between 1 and 7 and will be stamped inside a triangle of arrows. As a general rule, the numbers that are safe for use with food are 1, 2, 4, and 5. I might add that the max strength I would place in plastic would be 40% A.B.V. For Medium term storage, I would use nothing lower than a #5 and this is what is on the bottom of my large plastic filter in the video. The bottles I use in the vid for making the filter are #1. The only degrading of my re-tasked soft drink bottles over the last year that I have noticed has been from internal scratching with my dish cloth when cleaning. Sorry for the long winded response, but I should have mentioned this in my vid. Just one of the problems of not scripting and simply chatting with the Camera on.....

[@artooks]

Thanks for the explanation, but even for short term storage it is best to keep it in a glass container, I am sure it would not be very difficult to find a glass container, safety should always comes first, everyone claims that silicone or plastics are ok with high ABV alcohol even the equipment sellers, but better safe than sorry, the fermentation buckets is different because the alcohol content will not exceed 14 percent max so it would be a problem, what could be a problem is keeping high ABV alcohol 95 ABV at plastics, please don't get me wrong but it would be better to use glass as it is a natural source.

[@baldwelder8775]

I found that no matter how many times I run it through, there is still a strong `flavour` to it, not particularly unpleasent, but not clean like vodka should be. Is there a way to get rid of it?

[@baldwelder8775]

@RD400D78 I did, waited for it to completely stop then used turboclear - It was clear as a bell. since this post though, I`ve learned a fair bit about this. I used to run my wash and didn`t make cuts apart from the 1st 50mm of fores - this was a massive improvement but still had far too much flavour so I steeped it in activated charcoal for a few weeks, again an improvement but still not quite there. I`ve come to a complete stop at the moment though and for health reasons, I`m on the wagon for a while, I`d just finished fermenting some 19/20% apple wine which will be awesome by christmas, so I might have a glass anyway

[@emmajenkin1523]

I really enjoyed watching this and will make my own filter system now. Thank you. Question - How many litres can you filter without changing the coffee filters and carbon? Glenn.

[@pauljacobs5390]

Comes down to how pedantic you want to be..... I persanally like fresh after filtering 5 litres three times. I am presently experimenting with Tomatoe Paste wash and it looks like I can elominate the need to filter all together..... Look for the next Vid upload Emma....... Paul

[@ianshalongo]

Hi Paul, I love your account, its filled with a lot of useful information. Question, Could you do this with tequila as well? I know that vodka is one of the purist spirits so that's why its used for carbon filtering more often than others but since tequila is thicker, would it work or would the filter clog? Thank you!

[@ukwildcampersouthwest4885]

Fantastic vid, thanks for taking the time to make it. I have a brand new T500 and Essencia filter system yet to use but will definitely be making your smaller filter for when I don't need to filter large amounts. Have also subbed to your channel.

[@pauljacobs5390]

Welcome, glad you enjoy my Vids. Had a readup on the Essencia filter system and it seems impressive but have a question for you. It seems like you can only filter 45 ltrs of 40%ABV alcohol before having to replace the filter. The checking I did on E-Bay showed the filters as rather expensive, how much can you get them for?

[@ukwildcampersouthwest4885]

Hi. Over here in the UK the carbon replacement filters are selling at £24.95 (AUD45.96 ) from the cheapest source with free delivery. The replacement ceramic domes are also selling for £31.00 (AUD57.10), again, with free delivery. The carbon filters can be opened up with a little care and determination. Previous carbon filters were easy to open up as the glue used to seal them together was very weak. Now the company that makes them seem to have clicked on that brewers were refilling them and now they use a much stronger glue. They can be opened but it takes time. I would rather spend the time opening one up and refilling it with cheap activated carbon than buy a new one at such a crazy price. When gluing them back up I have read that it is advisable to use a silicon food grade adhesive. 0.4 - 0.85 sized carbon is the size recommended to use when refilling them. Loads of info around the web about refilling them. Hope this helps.

[@RAINBOW-gi2xd]

I am from India.Thank you very much sir.

[@pauljacobs5390]

Cheers George

[@maxmuskat9863]

Awesome, informative video my man! i do have one question for @stillstuff or anyone in the comments: wouldn't the plastic pollute the final filtered alcohol?

[@pauljacobs5390]

Can do if you leave it in plastic for some time......... I try to remove it as soon as it has filtered through..... Probably should look at another video with an upgrade filtration process with no plastic, thanks for the recommendation Max.

[@cezar1g]

very nice and amazing idea, thank you a lot, subscribed

[@pauljacobs5390]

Cheers Cezar....

[@SecueTV]

please drop the background music mate, its killing my viewing experience, you just talking is fine.

[@pauljacobs5390]

Hey secue01, had the same feedback from a few people and will leave out from all new vids... BTW, been watching and enjoying your channel for quite some time

[@edstar83]

I don't get why people are so anti music in youtube videos. The background music is low and relaxing. Imagine a Hollywood movie without a soundtrack.

[@vtbn53]

LOL I just watched one of your videos and YOU do the same thing!

[@TheHumanRanger]

The music makes me sleepy lol

[@ARCSTREAMS]

love the dental office music,,,all kidding aside i have a small batch of shine (900ml) that needs a bit of polishing as it has taken on a little stringent harsh bitterness and im wondering how much active coal should i put in it? i would like to have it sitting in the shine ,i have done this before but usually it may take several days,weeks or a month but im hoping it will smooth it out after one day so i dont know how much i need to add or if adding more than normal helps speed up the process as im rushed for time,, i have about 1/2 lb to work with,,it's for a banana shine i made so im hoping the polishing will only take away the bitter harshness and not too much of the sweetness or aroma and flavor

[@pauljacobs5390]

The more charcoal you use, the more alcohol seeps into it. I haven't tried this before, but I know my brother has done it and he is very happy. Whatever works for you Arcstreams. Cheers Paul

[@barrytipton1179]

Just put carbon in bottle shake it all about leave for days if u like and gently pour into coffee filter lot easier

[@pauljacobs5390]

Hey Barry, this will work well. If you have the time, try it this way. If you would like to filter it in a couple of hours try it my way. It is exactly the same process, the granules of carbon absorb the impurities. Cheers Paul

[@ARCSTREAMS]

i like the coat hanger idea,smart,,but you did not mention the drill hole size and what is the best size ,this also helps control and slow the flow,,the longer the shine is in contact with the coal the better job it does but i prefer letting the coal sit in the shine for a long period ,it does a better job of polishing than gravity fed which i would only use for clarity filtering and for that i prefer cotton balls,,makes it come out crystal clear ,some products may look clear but when held to the light at certain angle you can still see a cloudy fine haze,,i would use cotton instead of paper,does a better job of further filtering (clarity) and flow control

[@pauljacobs5390]

Hey Arcstreams, the hole size is variable. If the flow is too fast, compress the paper above it a bit more. If the flow is too slow, push a paper clip up the hole to loosen the paper and allow more flow. Cheers Paul

[@thatdiyguyraymondmonk1225]

No. I was thinking about that and missed some steps and had to watch again..

[@Bigted3737]

Hello Nice video. How many runs can you get through one lot of carbon.( How often do you have to change it)

[@pauljacobs5390]

Hi Big Ted, I would use only one run per batch. I have tried running a Turbo Yeast run throu two separate carbon batches but it didn't make that much of a difference. Depends on how you want your final spirits to be - I personally like my Vodka absolutely flavour free and neutral.

[@lyndaireland6474]

Could I run the distillate through a Berkey carbon filter unit?

[@lancehughes4132]

@Still Stuff. Great video. Question: Could you not just use a Brita Filter instead ?

[@pauljacobs5390]

Yep, sure could. Only problem is the Brita is expensive to buy while the homemade one is made for nothing, and loose carbon is a lot cheaper than Brita replacement cartridges.

[@lancehughes4132]

@@pauljacobs5390 Thank you for the reply. I like what you've done. You're right, they're too expensive when all that's required is carbon. Probably not even activated with either lemon juice or calcium carbonate either. I do question the lemon juice.

[@xrd88hotmailcom]

Great video! Quick question, why nothing higher than 40%? I have some neutral/vodka at 60% and I'm wondering if putting it through your system would change anything?

[@pauljacobs5390]

Hey Trevor, if you research this question you will see that stronger ABV has Fusil oils that will not be absorbed into Activated Carbon. Jack Daniels runs full strength product over charcoal carbon and HEAPS of it. This is most impractical for home distillers so follow the rule of nothing over 40% ABV. After you have filtered it and still want higher ABV alcohol, re-distill it up to 190% proof and it will not need filtering again as all the bad stuff has already been removed previously.

[@a9bdvideo]

Hi, can I use sterilized charcoal instead of carbon. Thanks for the video.

[@pauljacobs5390]

Hi Alamin With Carbon Filtering you are looking at a microscopic level of filtering. There are microscopic pores in the Charcoal that trap the bad stuff. With Alcohol, you can use it only 2 or 3 times before it is non effective. Simply steralizing the charcoal does not clean out these microscopic pores. I would use fresh Activated Carbon each time.

[@a9bdvideo]

@@pauljacobs5390 Thanks for replying sir, and for details. However, I have already learnt the way of making activated carbon from charcoal on a website. Didn't try yet but hopefully it will work fine. You might find this helpful: m.wikihow.com/Make-Activated-Charcoal

[@pauljacobs5390]

If it works, go for it Alamin :-) @@a9bdvideo

[@aymanelrafee1]

That filter will remove yeast odour in alchol ?

[@pauljacobs5390]

Hi, I use to have a great deal of yeast odor when I was first using Turbo Yeast. This is the reason I changed to Bakers Yeast. I did not get the same total volume as when I used Turbo Yeast, but the Hearts was exceptional pure quality.

[@calummacneill4656]

Thanks for the info - great simple solution. How much carbon are you using, and how many litres of 40% alcohol do you put through that before changing the carbon?

[@pauljacobs5390]

Hello Calum. The more carbon you use the better and I only use Activated Carbon. I would suggest around 1/3 0f your filter container. I like my Vodka to have no odour so I put through just over 1.5 liters three or four times. You have to realise that if you make your tails cut late you will have more odor requiring more times through the filter

[@dalemerica8591]

Can I use a cotton ball instead of cut up filter in the cap? Thanks love the videos

[@sunshine-zp4uq]

I'm not am expert or anything, but I'd recommend pantyhose

[@pauljacobs5390]

Hey Dale, try it and see. I use cut up filter paper because when it is wet it is easy to control the drip rate (the more compact the slower it drips and the more effective the filter) Cheers Paul

[@neutralgod300]

why you didn't wash the carbon before you put it in the bottle?

[@pauljacobs5390]

I washed it by running water through the filter. I have since learned that it is best to first soak the Activated Carbon for at least a few hours, then load into the filter and run some water through until it is clear. I then run spirits through and taste until I am sure it is mainly ethanol.

[@neutralgod300]

@@pauljacobs5390 thanks

[@albertognimalf]

Mine just come throue black i use a gase 2 of them

[@pauljacobs5390]

Try rinsing the Activated Carbon first, then putting into the bottle.

[@albertognimalf]

@@pauljacobs5390 I just switched the gase for cotton balls. and now it works fine. the ethanol is clear now. I refilterd it.

[@pauljacobs5390]

@@albertognimalf Great Albino.....

[@mikoo3]

Can I drink it without carbon filtering?

[@pauljacobs5390]

Hey mak, of course you can drink it without carbon filtering. Might mention that if you taste a no filtered batch and a filtered batch you will never again NOT filter it....... I am sure others will agree with me.

[@mikoo3]

@@pauljacobs5390 thanks for the reply have a great day

[@damarmar1001]

Nice music hahaha. Thanks for saving me 70 Euros mate.

[@pauljacobs5390]

Music will be disappearing from future vids, others have messaged me about it too .....

[@tugrulguvenerturun5854]

Can we use the activated carbon over and over again or it’s just use for one time ?

[@pauljacobs5390]

There are micro fine holes in the Activated Carbon that absorb the unwanted particles. With the rig in the Video I usually put the same liquid through 3-4-5 times. You will see it starting to slow down. I discard after using around 5 times

[@tugrulguvenerturun5854]

Still Stuff And then you put the carbon in a garbage after using or there is another way to reactive the carbon ? I watched few videos before;some people drop the carbon into a boiling pot and boil in water and reuse.Thanks.

[@pauljacobs5390]

I have never tried to re-use. Do not know about boiling, I would think that there was firstly impurities from the alcohol absorbed and if you boil it you would completely clog up the carbon with the water impurities as well. Suggest trying it and if it works for you great, me personally I would throw it away after using 4 to 5 times and start with fresh.

[@tugrulguvenerturun5854]

Still Stuff Thank you :)

[@phallca]

@@tugrulguvenerturun5854 Unfortunately the only way (as far as I know) to reactivate used carbon, is to heat treat it and literally burn the contaminants out which involves setting up a vacuum to stop the carbon igniting when it gets hot enough to do the job, it's the same principle that's used when it's first made, but to do it on a small scale as a home brewer/distiller it's just not cost effective or worth the extra hassle involved.

[@daleriff]

Would you recommend zerowater filter system?

[@pauljacobs5390]

Hey Dale, did not know about zerowater so I quickly Googled it..... Looks OK, but if you are setting up 25 or 50 litres Fermentation chambers it might be a lengthy process to filter. I chose to buy 10 ltrs of Springwater from the Grocery Store for $4 ($8 to $9 per 25 ltr fermentation bin). Get some PH paper and check for 4 or 5..... In this range and it will ferment properly, outside this range and it will Delay or Stall... Cheers Paul

[@daleriff]

@@pauljacobs5390 Thank you Sir

[@khalidalanazi1388]

hi what the use of the carbon filter is it necassery

[@pauljacobs5390]

Depends on personal taste. My Brother uses Turbo Yeast and filters only once - He thinks it is unnecessary but when I tasted his brew I had to spit it out. I make my cuts early in the distill and Carbon Filter a great deal to end up with perfect zero flavor spirits - I then add Flavor and Wood Chips. It is the way I prefer to do it. Give it a try and develop your own preferences.

[@khalidalanazi1388]

thanks brother

[@williamgallop9425]

Unfiltered with lot of ends equals hangover.

[@flir67man84]

I buy the highest proof clear whiskeyat the cheapest price. It tastes like ass. Then use activated charcoal and filter 4 times through. Its better than the 100 dollar bottles..

[@MrZipperhead16]

Aqua-Tech EZ-Change Aquarium Filter Replacement Cartridges. Pick some up, put some cotton tee shirt in a funnel with one of those on top and filter off the still. Save money and time and stop being silly making things harder than they have to be. I have watched many of your videos and you, as my people say, tale the long way around the bard with most everything. At least these serve as an example of how not to do it.

[@bobtheelectrician6692]

Carbon filtration is most effective if your liquid is no more than 40% ABV. Most of your in-line still output will be too strong.

[@BW-pr8qr]

@@bobtheelectrician6692 Can you share the science behind that? I'm curious as I am experimented with filtering my distillates. As I understand it, Jack Daniels filters their distillate at 70%ABV (140-proof). If it works for them...

[@bobtheelectrician6692]

@@BW-pr8qr Their idea of filtering is to slow trickle it for hours. They probably have a pretty good idea of what they are trying to eliminate as well, so after years of practice, they have no doubt perfected their methods. Most of us trying to do surgery on a Coca Cola bottle don't have their patience or experience. I use a stainless sink strainer filled with aquarium carbon granules as the topper for my collection jar. Doesn't do any harm, takes no time or effort and helps reduce evaporation. Have recently experimented treating final product for 30 minutes with aquarium aerator. It does help get rid of remnants of the lighter volatiles.

[@BW-pr8qr]

@@bobtheelectrician6692 Thanks for the info! Do you mean right out of your condensing coil into the collection jar? Because that would be higher than 40% ABV. Or are you talking about after you dilute the spirit and then put it into your jar? Also, good to know that aquarium carbon is o.k. to use for distillate. And that is interesting about using an aerator to remove lighter volatiles.

[@bobtheelectrician6692]

@@BW-pr8qr Instead of dripping into an open jar, output falls into the strainer which acts as a cover for the collection jar, and happens to be filled with CLEAN carbon. Much of the crapola we collect is as we approach tails, where ABV can fall to 30%, so no harm done, and possibly some good with very little extra effort.

[@robterm6302]

and next I'll show you how to fix drill marks in your kitchen counter before your wife sees them

[@alighasemishirsavar1105]

kesdi nane

[@akiblue]

Just when I thought "his wife is going to murder him for drilling on the counter" he posts the same thought.

[@artooks]

Hi using any plastic with alcohol is not a right way to do it, alcohol should only be in contact with copper, stainless steel, glass and teflon, just my 2 cents.

[@steveesti]

Arto Sevan Oksayan Depends on the type of plastic....They sell alcohol in plastic bottles.

[@DekeDieken]

I would think something that soda was in would be the right kind of plastic, soda is pretty caustic

[@bobtheelectrician6692]

@@steveesti Wouldn't age product for years in plastic, but certainly the type used as retail containers would be fine for medium or short term.

[@jay-jquagliaro2674]

Fuck up arto you don't know shit

[@0x526F]

PET is fine at 40% ABV.

[@BW-pr8qr]

I cringed when you drilled through the cap over the countertop! Get a piece of wood, lol!

[@pauljacobs5390]

Ha ha.. It's a stone benchtop...

[@RobertSeviour1]

Distracting, repetitive, 'tinkly' music track made this video unwatchable for me. Thmb down.

[@pauljacobs5390]

Hey Robert, has been deleted from all present and future vids, hope you enjoy my future content Robert.

[@RobertSeviour1]

@@pauljacobs5390 Thank you very much.