inline water filter?

[fd4413]

Hey everyone,
I'm looking to get a water filter for my brew set up. Just unsure of which one to get! I use my hose / tap in my garage when brewing so I need one thats compatible with that. Any suggestions??
Thanks!

 

[unionrdr]

A couple people on here have rigged up refrigerator filters with PVC to in turn rig their hoses to.

 

[The_Bishop]

What are you trying to filter out?

Chlorine?

Chloramine?

Both of those can be dealt with via a tiny amount of Potassium Metabisulfite; just a small pinch is needed.

Generally speaking, carbon filters need time to absorb the chlorine/chloramine. If the flow rate is too high, the filter is effectively useless.

If you're using a conventional garden hose, are you running off some water to get rid of the stuff that has been sitting in the hose?

 

[fd4413]

Trying to filter chlorine and anything else that's in my nasty city water. I can adjust the flow rate accordingly.

I used a campden tab last time I brewed but my brew still had a chemically taste to it.

 

[IslandLizard]

If the water is bad, use RO, distilled, or spring water. Those charcoal filters are crap, unless you have good water already or let it trickle through, like 1 gallon per hour. And that still won't get everything.

 

[unionrdr]

That's why I switched to spring water. 25c per gallon @ White House Artisian Springs. Like 79c per gallon at Giant Eagle.

 

[Jim311]

I must have decent water because I just use a charcoal inline RV style water filter that fits on my hose faucet. I let the water trickle through as slowly as I can stand for maximum chlorine removal and it works great. I think the filter was about 15 bucks on Amazon.

 

[The_Bishop]

Jim, Have you tested the water coming out of the filter for chlorine? Without testing you cannot know if it's working. Meanwhile, a pinch of metabisulphite works 100% of the time.

If there are issues other than chlorine/chloramine with your water, that's another topic altogether. A carbon block filter will not help with iron, for example. If the minerals in your water are causing issues, it will not help. Carbon block filters are not miracle devices.

Best bet is having the water tested at Ward Labs, then you'll know what you're working with.

What exactly is the 'chemically' taste? Bandaids? Rubbery? There are a lot of things that can cause off flavors, not all of them are water.

 

[IslandLizard]

I must have decent water because I just use a charcoal inline RV style water filter that fits on my hose faucet. I let the water trickle through as slowly as I can stand for maximum chlorine removal and it works great. I think the filter was about 15 bucks on Amazon.

Imagine how many pounds of metabisulphite you can buy for $15. And you can fill your brew buckets/kettle as fast as your faucet delivers.

Besides, as @The_Bishop already said, there's never a question about it, 100% of all chlorine and chloramines is removed with a large pinch or the sulphite. It's a no-brainer.

Now the hose you fill it with is another issue...

 

[Jim311]

I guess but I already have the charcoal filter and it seems to work fine for me. I guess I should have my water tested to see what my profile is but I can make an IPA that's on par or better than many of the commercial alternatives and I'm pretty happy with that. I'm a low effort brewer. Though once my charcoal filter gives up the ghost I'll probably switch over to campden tabs since that sounds, well, like less effort.

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

There are four widely used "standard" sizes of carbon blocks (all dimensions are nominal) and the housings for them:
10" long x 2.5" diameter
20" long x 2.5" diameter
10" long x 4.5" diameter
20" long x 4.5" diameter

The larger the carbon block, the faster you can push water through it and still get decent removal of chlorine. Here's some flow rates for chlorine removal - these are "rules of thumb only":
10" long x 2.5" diameter: 1 GPM
20" long x 2.5" diameter: 2 GPM
10" long x 4.5" diameter: 3 GPM
20" long x 4.5" diameter: 6 GPM

The numbers above apply to carbon blocks, not GAC filters. Blocks perform much better than GAC.

We often hear people complain about poor chlorine removal, but if we dig into it, find they did something like hooked up a 6 GPM garden hose to a 10" x 2.5" carbon filter.

If you're treating chloraminated water, necessary contact times are considerably longer. There is also a special fast acting type of carbon that can be used.

Russ

 

[Hoosier-Brewer]

I have this one and I'm pleased with it. I use the bypass when I'm cleaning. You can easily pipe it up to a hose bib with some cheap fittings.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Glacier-Bay-Advanced-Household-Water-Filtration-System-HDG2VS4/205582288

 

[Nullij]

Maybe it is possible to use the faucet filter. In your case, it will be the hose filteripe: For example, the Culligan fm-15a, or any others models (https://cloodjo.com/best-faucet-water-filters-top-10-reviews)

 

[aprichman]

I use an RV filter in conjunction with 1/2 campden tablet to treat my water. It works well and is much easier than transporting 10 gallons of RO water. YMMV.