Carbon Purification. Using the Still Spirits Z Filter Carbon Filter Process.
The collected distillate (Body) should be watered down to under 50% /V, before it is cleaned with the carbon process to remove any unwanted flavours. This does not need to be absolutely precise as you will water your alcohol down further to 40% V, after filtering. If you are using a pot still or a Sears Water Distiller to make your alcohol then your spirit may already be 50% or less.
It is important to water the spirit down before filtering as the unwanted flavours are dissolved by the alcohol and are very difficult to remove in higher strength distillate.

The Z Carbon Filter uses an advanced treatment system designed to treat the spirit in one stage and gives excellent results in a very short time.
The Z Carbon Filter is designed to provide the maximum carbon treatment possible. It achieves this by ensuring that all of your distillate comes into contact with all of your carbon. The 750mm continuous length of this unique filter system ensures the maximum contact time for the spirit with the carbon.
While we talk of filtering, a process that strictly speaking refers to removal of particles by passing them through a material finer than the particles we want to remove, what we are really doing is absorbing the by-products into microscopic holes in our carbon. As the carbon is full of impurities after spirit is passed through it, the carbons cannot be reused.
Once your spirit is 50% or under, ensure that the tap on the 10 litre reservoir is in the off position and pour your spirit into the reservoir.
Unscrew the Black Nut with hose adapter from the bottom of the Z cartridge and remove the rubber washer. Insert one Z Filter Paper and replace the rubber washer. After making sure that there are no pieces of carbon in the thread, screw tightly back onto the Z Cartridge.
Check that the white plastic cap at the bottom of your Z Cartridge is securely tightened.

Unscrew the white plastic cap from the top of the Z Cartridge and the Black Nut also on the top of your cartridge.
Using a funnel, fill each chamber with carbon, leaving about 10mm at the top of each chamber to allow for the expansion of the carbon that occurs when the carbon is wet.
Securely refit the white cap and the black nut. Your Z Filter is supplied with the Z Filter Stainless Steel Mesh Disc correctly inserted inside the black nut between the washer and the black nut.

The carbon needs to be rinsed with clean water to remove mineral salts from the carbon. This process removes the salts and prevents them from appearing as fine crystals in your spirit a couple of days after carbon treatment. The Z Filter makes this task clean and easy, by simply back-washing the filter using a garden hose.
With the hose-fitting removed from it, a garden hose will fit easily onto the black adapter on the bottom of the Z Filter. Holding the Z Filter upside down, run water through the filter until the outflow runs clear for 30 seconds. Stop the water flow briefly, then again run water through the filter until the outflow again runs clear for 30 seconds. Repeat this one more time so that the water runs clear for 30 seconds for the third time. Three flushes is sufficient to remove the mineral salts.
Once the carbon has been rinsed, turn the Z Filter upright, with the black nut and mesh to the top. Tap the Z Filter to drop the carbon from the top. Carefully remove the black nut and mesh. Ensuring there is no carbon in the thread on the Z Filter, screw the filter into the black nut attached to the reservoir containing the spirit.
Place a 10-litre pail underneath the filter to collect the filtered spirit.
Open the tap on the reservoir and wait while the spirit makes its way through the tube. This will take a few minutes. Collect the first 50 – 100 ml, as this may contain some carbon, and return this to the reservoir.
Fit the end of the filter into the hole in the lid of your collecting pail. You may need to adjust the length of the syphon hose to suit your distilling environment. Once all the spirit has run through, tilt the reservoir to get the last spirit into the filter.
Check the strength of the filtered spirit, adding clean tap water to bring it to the desired strength for drinking. We recommend 40% or less.
After use, remove all nuts and caps and shake out the spent carbon. Rinse out the Z Cartridge with cold water taking care to remove any carbon from the threads.


Other points
Your Z Carbon Filter comes ready to use with part (f) correctly assembled and attached. Remember for future usage that the stainless steel mesh needs to be inserted between the black plastic nut and the rubber washer.
Your Z Carbon Filter comes with a pottle of Z Carbon Universal (initially released as Pot Carbon). This carbon removes a wider spectrum of impurities and as such can be used to treat any distilled spirit. Reflux Carbon should only be used to treat spirit made with a reflux still.
We recommend using garden hose when flushing your carbon with water prior to carbon treatment as it is flexible enough to easily fit on and off the hose adapter on the black nut (d). A small section of hose with a tap adapter fitted may be the most convenient system for you.
A word about mineral salts
Mineral salts are present in the raw materials used to make activated carbon. When spirit runs over activated carbon some mineral salts can be absorbed into the spirit. Later, once the temperature has dropped, these mineral salts start to become insoluble in the spirit and after a few days a fine sediment appears in the spirit. This fine sediment (which first appears as a milky haze and then drops to the bottom of the bottle) is the mineral salts originally from the activated carbon. These mineral salts are absolutely 100% safe (in fact essential for life!) but you do not want them in your spirit. This is why we recommend flushing the carbon with clean water. If you notice this problem in your spirit you can decant the spirit from the sediment and your spirit is safe to drink. Ensure that next time you increase the amount of water you flush the carbon with.