# Water filter storage and maintenance



## kahlerisms (19/5/13)

Hello all

I've recently invested in a two stage water filter (specifically this guy) and I'm curious about long term storage - if I'm only using my filter every week or second week, what's the best way to store it in between brew days? I've taken it apart and drained it today but I'm not sure if I should be rinsing it out or drying it or avoiding drying it or what.

What do you guys do? I obviously want my filters to last as long as possible.


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## iralosavic (19/5/13)

The water filters plumed in before the water towers at my work are obviously permanently connected/flooded. The cartridges just get replaced periodically. I assume because it's water, you can just keep them wet. That's about all I've got to contribute, for what it's worth haha


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## manticle (19/5/13)

OT but I sent you a message some time ago Kahlerisms. I notice it hasn't been read so you may have notifications turned off or you may just hate me.


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## TidalPete (19/5/13)

More or less the same as you kahlerisms.
After filtering water for brewday I take the filter out of the cartridge & turn both upside down to drain before reassembling loosely & putting back on the bracket. Nothing bad has happened in 18 months.
Only have a carbon filter ATM but renew the carbon in the filter every 12 months. Plan on getting a reverse osmosis system ASAP.


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## Online Brewing Supplies (19/5/13)

manticle said:


> OT but I sent you a message some time ago Kahlerisms. I notice it hasn't been read so you may have notifications turned off or you may just hate me.


The later I would think :lol:
Op I keep mine connected and wet like they would be if connected to your house tap.
Nev


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## manticle (19/5/13)

Fair enough. I am a prick.


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## kahlerisms (19/5/13)

I'm sure you're a lovely bloke, Manticle.

So so far one person says drain and store loosely connected and one person says keep it all wet. You guys are a great help!


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## MaltyHops (19/5/13)

I keep mine wet with the valve to the mains water supply turned off (so pressure released) when my filter is not being used.

Before using (about once a month to pour out drinking/brewing water) I would flush out a litre or two, then turn the fontain tap quickly on/off to try and agitate things in the filters a bit several times, and then runoff another 5-10 litres before collecting water for use. Is this a good idea? Don't know really but seems like a plausibly good way to do things.



_[zoom]_


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## Yob (31/5/14)

I got a filter and set it up today, only a single stage 0.5 micron at this point but will look at adding another stage a bit down the track probably..











Overall pretty happy, decent flow rate on the brief test I did.


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## mmmyummybeer (1/6/14)

Looks good Yob. Mines pretty much the same, I like how its portable seen caravaners take them on holidays, good if you visit a town with crap water. We did make a mount for it out of some timber and a piece of PVC pipe. It just sits in there as the tops bigger than the bottom. As for maintenance I always give it a good flush and taste the water before use. I also use the food grade water hose with it.


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## Yob (1/6/14)

I guess it's a bit of a piece of string question, how long do the filters last? Can they be cleaned?


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## Red Baron (1/6/14)

I disassemble my filter and dry completely after each use (only brew every 3 weeks or so), and leave the filter cartridge in a paper bag and the housing apart. Living up north, I've seen a lot of things go mildewy and don't want that in my filter. I know it's not a scientific answer, but that's what I do.

Cheers,
RB.


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## Mr. No-Tip (1/6/14)

Personally, I keep mine wet. They're not plumbed, but I use some keg post protectors which got perfectly on the hose fittings.

If I have fridge space, it goes in there. If I don't, or won't be brewing for a while, I fill with oxonia. In any case I always flush a few litres before use.


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## surly (1/6/14)

Any of you guys contacted the company and asked?
There seems to be a lot of speculation and assumption from respected AHB members here and it's making me uncomfortable..


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## Yob (1/6/14)

not going to help with your disquiet but...

If they were not meant to be left wet, you would have to assume the instructions to say so, it's probably a good idea for me not to as I only brew once every few months.

Bah!! really didnt want to introduce more things to do on a brewday, but I guess it's a chosen evil.


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## mmmyummybeer (1/6/14)

How long your filters last I imagine is dependent on the amount usage rather than time and how dirty your water is. I think the generalisation I have heard though is about a year.


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## mabrungard (1/6/14)

The life of an activated carbon filter is dependent upon several factors: what contaminants you are trying the remove, their concentrations, and the flow rate through the filter. If you are just aiming to remove chlorine and/or chloramine, those compounds are destroyed through a reaction with the carbon. In that case, the carbon is actually consumed. If you are trying to remove volatile organic compounds or those 'pond scum' tasting compounds, those contaminants are adsorbed onto the carbon matrix. In either case, flow rate has a strong bearing on how quickly a carbon cartridge no longer does its job and the contaminant makes it through the cartridge into your _supposedly clean_ brewing water. Slower flow is always better at removing any contaminants. In the case of the typical 10-inch cartridge, chlorine removal is maximized when the flow rate is less than 1 gallon/minute. For chloramine and _pond scum_ contaminants (MIB or geosmin), the flow rate needs to be less than 0.1 gallon/minute for good removal. The feed rate to the typical home RO system is at that very low flow rate. That is why activated carbon works as a pretreatment for RO feed water, the very low flow rate. 

You should periodically check the contaminant removal of your carbon filter. If you are aiming for chlorine or chloramine removal, then a simple Total Chlorine test kit for swimming pool use can be adequate for checking if those contaminants are breaking through the filter. For the other contaminants, you may be forced to give the water a taste test or you can send it in for a costly lab test. Tough decision.

With regard to storage, either wet or dry is probably OK. However, since microbes like wet environments, storing the filter wet MAY invite more microbes to grow in your cartridge than dry (I guess it would actually be moist) storage may produce. In any case, you should consider the output of any carbon system that is periodically disconnected from the water supply to be infested with microbes and you probably shouldn't drink that water. The good thing is that the brewing process sanitizes all that _potentially_-infected water and your beer will be safe.


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## Yob (1/6/14)

We don't typically get chloramine issues where I am, chlorine is not an issue either, in fact the water taste is pretty good, however, the brewshed is quite old and god knows what the pipes are like


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## motman (12/9/14)

Yep, so the microbe growth is my concern. I'm extract brewing at the moment and don't have the capacity to cool my non-wort water, so don't want to go boiling the whole lot (nor do I want to remove the oxygen from it). I want to remove chlorine though. I was hoping that if I manage to adequately dry my carbon filter cartridge and give it a good flush before use I won't breed too many nasties for my brews. Am I being too optimistic?


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## klangers (12/9/14)

I've never tried this so take it in the experimental spirit.

Would it be feasible to pass near-boiling water through a carbon filter in order to sterilise? The carbon itself shouldn't melt until 4000+ degrees... :huh:


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## motman (13/9/14)

Or is there a steriliser that the carbon won't suck up? It's been a long time since first year chemistry so I'm a bit vague.. I've a steriliser that is hydrogen peroxide and silver ions. Seems like the carbon might suck up the silver? Any other ideas?


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## Hawko777 (15/10/14)

Buy a whole house filtration unit. About $400 and have nice water for your entire house and no nasties to drink or bath in.
I know Eastern States have had problems with Giardia and Crytpsoridium a while back. Filtration makes sense, especially if you do some research into town water supplies.

Doing the whole house means you wont have to worry about storing filters too.
Your hot water systems remain cleaner, as do your pipes.
The Family wont be absorbing copious amounts of chlorine through the skin and all the other benefits of knowing your water is CLEAN.


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## kahlerisms (18/10/14)

So since starting this thread I haven't replaced either filter. I store wet for up to a couple of months between brews. I run off 10-15 litres of water before each brew and taste before each brew. (the run off then tends to be used for starters or watering hops or cleaning later in the day or something).

Still crystal clear and zero taste. I should probably buy another coupla filters just because 12 months has rolled around and it seems like a reasonable time frame, but no (observable/detectable) impacts from not doing so, so far.


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