Strength of alcohol

[lyonsy]

Very interested in the reasons why the alcohol strength from my first attempt dropped from 40% to 30% after filtering. Filtering was done with an ezi filter. I did my first batch while staying in a caravan park. There were 3 other people putting batches down at the same time, 1 guy also dropped 10% after filtering, while the other 2 didnt loose any strength after filtering. The only thing that we can find as a reason was the fact that the 2 gentlemen who didnt loose any strength filtered from a closed container into another closed container via a Z filter, where as myself and the other gentlemen who dropped 10% filtered into open containers. So we are wondering if its due to evaporation.
Any thoughts on this?
Ian

[MacStill]

I've heard of this happening before and 9 times out of 10 it's because of the filter being primed with water.

What type of filter are you using?

[lyonsy]

Thanks for such a quick reply.
I was using an ezi filter the other gentlemen with the same problem was using a home made filter which was a vertical length of plastic pipe filled with charcoal, it would drip out the bottom into an open container.
I'm not sure what you mean by priming the filter with water

[maheel]

I've heard of this happening before and 9 times out of 10 it's because of the filter being primed with water.

What type of filter are you using?

yeah people have said this can happen, the filter holds onto some alc or something.
i am sure some "wash it back out' or something when i used to filter i just excepted the loss to the carbon as "normal"

get onto some recipes that dont need carbon and consider stripping some washes 1st to clean it up then do a spirit run.

sounds like the caravan park is full of shiners :) lol

[MacStill]

Thanks for such a quick reply.
I was using an ezi filter the other gentlemen with the same problem was using a home made filter which was a vertical length of plastic pipe filled with charcoal, it would drip out the bottom into an open container.
I'm not sure what you mean by priming the filter with water

As maheel says there's no need to filter anything once your onto a nice clean ferment with good stilling practices.

Have you ever considered the plastic pipe filter could be leaching more bad nasties into your hooch than what the carbon is removing ?

If it's PVC pipe your using I'd ditch it straight away, you can build something a lot better out of a bit of SS or copper pipe that is safe with alcohol ;)

Some filters have a ceramic part that needs to be primed in water, so it holds water that dilutes your product when you run it through the filter.... but this is obviously not your problem, I think the angels may have knocked off some of your hooch :ugeek:

[lyonsy]

That was no angel that was my wife :laughing-rolling:

[QLD.Andy]

First run, carbon will hold some alc, second run you will get 40% out.
Edit, just noticed your using a T500 - you dont need to filter, I dont.

[R-sole]

They make it out of sugarbeets.