The Pure Distilling Smart Filter (or Smart Filter System) is a filtration device used in home distilling to clean up (“polish”) spirits after distillation.

Here’s a breakdown of how it works, its features, and pros/cons

• It’s basically a two-bucket setup with a carbon (activated carbon) cartridge in between. You pour your distilled spirit (or diluted spirit) into the top bucket (capacity up to ~15 L). The spirit passes through the carbon cartridge, which adsorbs many volatile contaminants (off-flavours, unwanted compounds) and polishes the spirit. The cleaned spirit is collected in the bottom bucket via a tap. 

• One of its “smart” features is you can collect directly into the filter system, then dilute and filter in one go (i.e. you don’t need a separate container before filtering). The filter cartridge should be soaked (to avoid airlocks) before use, and must be replaced for each batch.

• Important: the alcohol strength must be under ~50 % ABV for the activated carbon to work effectively. 

Key specifications and features