Filter Cartridges - Water

[Hutch]

Hi,

Yes, its carbon that does the taste and odour removal if that's what you are after (including chlorine), and, as Ross says, go for solid activated carbon rather than granulated, etc.

The issue with the pore size on the filters is more about microbes, which get 'strained' out by the carbon or other medium designed for the things that are suspended in the water as oppossed to the things that are actually in solution.

The carbon works by "adsorption". This is a bit different from absorbtion, but basically that taste and odour stuff is attracted to the carbon and clings to it, being left behind.

By contrast, the microbes get strained out. Common microbial concerns on the drinking water end are Crypto (Cryptosporidium parvum) and Giardia (Giardia lamblia). Crypto is what was thought to be in the water with the Sydney scare and has been associated with several really nasty urban water supply outbreaks, which included fatalaties. Giardia is a common thing for backpackers to get and can be a pretty nasty long-term gut problem for the infected.

Both of these protozoans appear in water as cysts that are larger than 1 micron, but the Crypto cyst is flexible and can 'fold' to about 1 micron. For this reason, you'll get recommendations to get a sub-micron filter. The trick there is to make sure that the pore size rating is absolute. This means that there are not any pores larger than that and that nothing bigger than a micron should be able to get through.

With a municipal water supply like Brisbane's, the risk of microbial contamination is pretty low. As you are brewing with it anyhow (boiling), really not a big issue. Shouldn't have any problems with 0.5 micron clogging off a municipal supply. If you do, it is most likely crap coming from your pipes (as opposed to the water supplies).

I did a bit of shopping a while back for some ceramic carbon candle filters for our urn and came across PSI Filters. Prices were best around and I was very happy with the service. (not afiliated, etc.)

Cheers, Brian

Thanks for the link Brian :icon_cheers:

I think the CPC-10 looks the business out of that lot. 75,000Ltrs chlorine treatment, 0.5um Nominal filtration, and pretty high flow rate is a great combination, at $40 each!
One thing you'd need to check is whether your water is treated with "Chloramine" or "Chlorine", and then chose the appropriate filter to suit your supply, otherwise you may not get the best result from your filter.
Hutch.

 

[WildaYeast]

One thing you'd need to check is whether your water is treated with "Chloramine" or "Chlorine",

Most municipal supplies switch between the two periodically. Chlorine is cheaper, but can create THMs (trihalomethanes) when the weather is right (usually hot), thus the switch to chloramines.

I tested some and it was mostly Al and Fe,

Not surprised you get some, depends on how much water your lab is putting through those filters. Besides, I said supply like Brisbane's, not like anything in Tassie.

Al is probably from alum, which is part of the treatment process; suspect the Fe is from local pipes. None of it will hurt you, but maybe a concern for the beer...

 

[blackbock]

I found these things on ebay, a 3-stage RO filter for less than $200.

has anyone experimented with such a thing? I was thinking of using about 2/3 filtered water, the rest straight from my tap.

I like the idea of being able to take out the salt and chlorine from my brewing liquor!

 

[pcmfisher]

I was considering trying filtered water for brewing rather than the chlorinated pond slime that comes out of the tap in Adelaide.

Do you think I will taste the difference??

 

[kook]

Sorry to drag up an old thread - especially if this is common knowledge to people.

Change your filters !

I've used the same sediment/carbon cartridges for about 18 months now. I was amazed at the amount of crap they've actually picked up over that time. The sediment filter looks brown rather than white! I'll be changing that every 6 months now, and carbon every 12.

 

[randyrob]

Hey kook,


great advice!


i changed mine last time i brewed but noticed the new carbon filter i got had a dramatically slower flow rate than the old one i had,
thought i had something clogged inside it and pulled it apart and scratched my head a few times but no improvement.

any ideas?

Rob.

 

[Doogiechap]

Hey kook,


great advice!


i changed mine last time i brewed but noticed the new carbon filter i got had a dramatically slower flow rate than the old one i had,
thought i had something clogged inside it and pulled it apart and scratched my head a few times but no improvement.

any ideas?

Rob.

Bloke I'm guessing that with a carbon filter that the potential blockages will be too small to see anyway Are you 100% that the specs are the same for each of the filters ie nominal vs absolute etc ?
Cheers
Doug

 

[kook]

Hey kook,


great advice!


i changed mine last time i brewed but noticed the new carbon filter i got had a dramatically slower flow rate than the old one i had,
thought i had something clogged inside it and pulled it apart and scratched my head a few times but no improvement.

any ideas?

Rob.

Not sure - but another good point is to watch the flow rate on them. Most of them are only rated to around 2-5 litres per min. My understanding is that any faster than this they cant actually absorb the chlorine and other compounds.

 

[randyrob]

Thanks guys, i would be happy with that flow rate!

mine took like 1/2 hour to fill 10L where as before it took maybe 10 mins to fill 50L

i've no idea what filter i purchased now and have thrown the packaging away i might just go get another one

what specs am i looking for?

Cheers Rob.

 

[matti]

Thanks guys, i would be happy with that flow rate!

mine took like 1/2 hour to fill 10L where as before it took maybe 10 mins to fill 50L

i've no idea what filter i purchased now and have thrown the packaging away i might just go get another one

what specs am i looking for?

Cheers Rob.

0.5 um ought to do it.
Purewater sells filters 0.4 um.
not sure how much.
They are located in Brisbane but i think they get their filter from US.

Ross sells for a descent price if you don't pay for delivery.
Bulk buy

My 0.4 filter does the job nicely. I exchange it once a year.

Matti

 

[sinkas]

The whole point of them is to trap the dirt and look dirty....

 

[RobB]

With six of the last seven posts being from fellow sandgropers, I'll take the opportunity to ask: What is it that you guys are trying to remove from your water?

I know Perth water varies from suburb to suburb, but mine's got bugger all minerals in it except for sodium and chloride. As for the chlorine and chloramine, can't these be removed more thoroughly and easily by tossing in a campden tablet?

Cheers,

Rob

 

[kook]

With six of the last seven posts being from fellow sandgropers, I'll take the opportunity to ask: What is it that you guys are trying to remove from your water?

I know Perth water varies from suburb to suburb, but mine's got bugger all minerals in it except for sodium and chloride. As for the chlorine and chloramine, can't these be removed more thoroughly and easily by tossing in a campden tablet?

Cheers,

Rob

Chlorine and particulate in my case. I only noticed how intense the flavour was after drinking some tap water the other night. I usually brita filter - it smelt like pool water!

My understanding is that you need a fair bit of potassium met, along with time to effectively remove chlorine. It's also surprising how much other crap (iron etc) ends up in your water.

Only since I got back from ANHC have I properly looked at my water report and realised what I need to do to sort things out, two main problems:
1. Not enough calcium.
2. Not enough sulfate to balance out the chloride.

From now on i'll be adding gypsum to all water, unless I'm brewing something like a dopplebock.

 

[RobB]

Chlorine and particulate in my case. I only noticed how intense the flavour was after drinking some tap water the other night. I usually brita filter - it smelt like pool water!

My understanding is that you need a fair bit of potassium met, along with time to effectively remove chlorine. It's also surprising how much other crap (iron etc) ends up in your water.

Only since I got back from ANHC have I properly looked at my water report and realised what I need to do to sort things out, two main problems:
1. Not enough calcium.
2. Not enough sulfate to balance out the chloride.

From now on i'll be adding gypsum to all water, unless I'm brewing something like a dopplebock.

It was only after posting last night that I realised that the water report which I have so much faith in probably only records the water quality as it leaves the pumping station, not as it enters my house. We have a seldom used bath which puts out blue tinged water when it's used after a long lay-off, so there are definitely local effects to consider.

As for the potassium met (campden tablets), Palmer writes "One tablet will treat 20 gallons, although using 1 tablet for 5 gallons won't hurt anything.....Both chlorine and chloramine are reduced to insignificant levels of sulfate and chloride ions (<10 ppm) within a couple of minutes at room temperature."

I agree on the low calcium, but would you be better off adding chalk rather than gypsum? Again from Palmer: "The combination of sodium with a high concentration of sulfate ions will generate a very harsh bitterness. Therefore, keep at least one or the other as low as possible, preferably the sodium."

Unfortunately, you're stuck with the sodium since that isn't removed by carbon filtration.

Of course, by using chalk you'll also be raising your effective hardness which you might not want. There's nothing like water chemistry for making a brewer's head spin!

 

[kook]

It was only after posting last night that I realised that the water report which I have so much faith in probably only records the water quality as it leaves the pumping station, not as it enters my house. We have a seldom used bath which puts out blue tinged water when it's used after a long lay-off, so there are definitely local effects to consider.

As for the potassium met (campden tablets), Palmer writes "One tablet will treat 20 gallons, although using 1 tablet for 5 gallons won't hurt anything.....Both chlorine and chloramine are reduced to insignificant levels of sulfate and chloride ions (<10 ppm) within a couple of minutes at room temperature."

I agree on the low calcium, but would you be better off adding chalk rather than gypsum? Again from Palmer: "The combination of sodium with a high concentration of sulfate ions will generate a very harsh bitterness. Therefore, keep at least one or the other as low as possible, preferably the sodium."

Unfortunately, you're stuck with the sodium since that isn't removed by carbon filtration.

Of course, by using chalk you'll also be raising your effective hardness which you might not want. There's nothing like water chemistry for making a brewer's head spin!

Hadn't read that about the campden tablets.

Chalk will raise the chloride, which is already way too high. Gypsum should balance that out, whilst providing more calcium for the mash. I realise the sodium/sulfate ratio will also be high, but not as high as the levels he talks about (200+ppm).