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Article 6

 

    

  Increasing the purifying power of activated carbon

The effectiveness of activated carbon on purifying spirit can be increased by 100% with its correct use:

There are many compromise methods of using activated carbon which produce inferior results but unquestionably Activated carbon will work best when used in a granulated form as a filling in a filtration column as pictured below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Insructions: Fill a tube 1 to 1.5 meters in length and at least 40mm diameter with pre- wetted stone or coconut husk granulated activated carbon. The filtration must go as slowly as possible without stopping or the effects are much reduced.

The filtration rate must not rise above approximately 200ml to 400ml per hour. If the flow rate is too fast place one coffee cup of activated carbon 0.25 - 1mm at the bottom of the column to reduce the speed. (With some carbons the speed can be higher.)

To achieve maximum effect from activated carbon the filtration must take place through the carbon bed without channeling, and in addition the tube must be free of any air.

To accomplish this proceed as follows:

  • Put the carbon in a stainless steel kitchen saucepan and completely cover with 2- 3 times more with hot or boiling water.Mix for a minute and pour out any excess water.
  • Repeat 4-5 times to wash out soluble material from the carbon
  • Place filter papers in the tube (at the end of the tube) and rest the end of the tube on a thick sponge in a bucket. Fill the tube full with warm water, then top up with the pre- wetted carbon so it flows into water. By using this method to fill the tube no air at all remains in the tube.
  • Filter 2-3 litres of water through the column to wash out any re- soluble water substances present in the carbon.
  • Start pouring the alcohol to be filtered directly "onto" the water so that no air comes into contact with the carbon in the tube.
  • Filter all of the alcohol in one run, again to prevent any air from coming into contact with the carbon.
  • Run about 1 litre of water through at the end of the alcohol to flush out the last of the alcohol
  • Taste the alcohol and stop collecting when you detect water.
  • NOTE; The tube must be at least 38mm diameter or it will introduce a wall effect where alcohol slips through the column without being purified

 

Download a pamphlet on this article in Adoble Acrobat PDF

Instructions kindly contributed to ibrew by Gert Strand, (manufacturer of Prestige Spirit and liqueur essences and renowned expert on distillation) Sweden.

  • ibrew carry in stock quality activated spirit carbon.