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[hotdog23]

Anyone have experience with this bottle top/ receiver kits?

Are the caps equipped for septas? I am wanting .22micron filter.

What about durability? Planning on getting pressure gauge for hand pump, I've heard some kits can break under pressure. Anyone have optimum guidelines for filtration speed vs. Safety?

Thanks in advance

 

[Notits]

I have zero experience with this stuff. I've looked at it and I think you can achieve the same results with a peristaltic pump and glass media bottle.

 

[Docd187123]

I use whatman zapcaps which is one bottle top filtration system. The caps are not equipped for septas on glass media jars. They have a normal screw on cover. Wherever you buy the septas from should also have the special cap required to use them. Make sure your media jar opening dimensions support the septas. Different sized openings on the media jars.

Ilusually it's the receiver that you worry about breaking not the filter part. Most kits I've seen come with a plastic receiver like millipore and Nalgene. Whatman zapcaps come with just the filter. Anyway buy a bunch of glass media jars to use instead and problem solved. I have Hybex jars I think. My hand pump has a pressure gauge on it but now I rarely use it. Once I get a decent filtration rate going that i judge by eye I leave it to filter. I'll come back in maybe 5-10min and if it's slowed down a good amount I'll give it a few more pumps.

The only thing you have to worry about with filtration speed in regards to safety is that your receiver doesn't break (it won't if you use glass), you don't filter more oil volume than is recommended by the manufacturer of the filter, and that you don't filter too fast by using ridiculous pressure which could rip your filter membrane but you need a good amount of vacuum to do this. When I look at the pressure gauge I usually go to 15psi.

 

[flenser]

Once I get a decent filtration rate going that i judge by eye...

Curious what a decent rate is. I'm using the .2 micron "complete filter units" from med lab supply, the nalgene nylon ones, with about 15psi from an electric vacuum pump. It's looking like 110ml pharma grade MCT oil is going to take at least 3 hours to filter. Does that seem excessive?

 

[flenser]

Err, make that 3+ hours at... 10psi. I just cracked the receiver.

 

[Notits]

15psi is to much as you have now found out

 

[Notits]

Use 7 psi max! Nice and easy on filtration it is the most important step in brewing. I can filter 500ml in 8 hours. You will not be disappointed in the end by taking as much time as is needed.

 

[Docd187123]

Curious what a decent rate is. I'm using the .2 micron "complete filter units" from med lab supply, the nalgene nylon ones, with about 15psi from an electric vacuum pump. It's looking like 110ml pharma grade MCT oil is going to take at least 3 hours to filter. Does that seem excessive?

I judge a decent rate at what it filters like at 15PSI. It's not exact obviously but i used the pump and gauge a few times and got an eye for how fast it was filtering. Now I just try to get close and match that.

As you found out, complete filter units can be garbage. The plastic receiver will crack under 15psi. They can usually hold around 10psj or less. Do yourself a favor and by a glass media jar from medlabsupply or somewhere similar. The glass media jar is resusable and won't crack like the plastic ones do. Also the reason I to with whatman Zapcap. No plastic receiver to waste lol.

I've only used GSO which I believe to be thicker than MCT oil. I can do about 250ml in 30min or less. I used PVDF filter I think which should filter slower than nylon so that's puzzling why it takes you so long. Is your solution warm or cold?

 

[flenser]

I judge a decent rate at what it filters like at 15PSI. It's not exact obviously but i used the pump and gauge a few times and got an eye for how fast it was filtering. Now I just try to get close and match that.

As you found out, complete filter units can be garbage. The plastic receiver will crack under 15psi. They can usually hold around 10psj or less. Do yourself a favor and by a glass media jar from medlabsupply or somewhere similar. The glass media jar is resusable and won't crack like the plastic ones do. Also the reason I to with whatman Zapcap. No plastic receiver to waste lol.

I've only used GSO which I believe to be thicker than MCT oil. I can do about 250ml in 30min or less. I used PVDF filter I think which should filter slower than nylon so that's puzzling why it takes you so long. Is your solution warm or cold?

It was warm when it started, probably around 100 deg. F. Once I cracked the plastic bottle I took the vacuum off and it actually started to flow faster. Not sure why.

I was trying to stay away from reusable stuff, since my current work space is pretty small and not the most sterile environment. Going to have to rethink that plan now : )

 

[Docd187123]

It was warm when it started, probably around 100 deg. F. Once I cracked the plastic bottle I took the vacuum off and it actually started to flow faster. Not sure why.

I was trying to stay away from reusable stuff, since my current work space is pretty small and not the most sterile environment. Going to have to rethink that plan now : )

Can you upload a pic of the setup? That's really weird it filtered faster without vacuum. Gravity alone is barely enough to get anything to go through my bottle top filter. I may get a drip here and there but to filter the whole 250ml would take days or weeks lol

Glass media jars take up very little space. Here's some pics of some of mine





And it matters not that they be stored in a sterile environment. You'd sterilize them immediately prior to use anyway. What I do is wash them in detergent, not soap, or special lab grade glass cleaner, rinse with tap water till they overflow and drain them. Do that. 6x. Then I do a final rinse or two with distilled water. Depyrogenate them in an oven at 500deg F for 1-1.5hrs and they're sterile. To store them after use I simply wash them again and dry them then place them in a sealed ziplock bag or put some Saran Wrap over the opening.

 

[flenser]

It's a pretty basic setup..

There's about 9 psi on the vacuum line ATM. I get about 10 drips a minute, and that's after running it through the filter I cracked. I think cracking the first filter is what made it flow faster with no vacuum. I must have damaged the filter as well. Useless junk : )

I just ordered some Whatman Zapcap filters and a few media bottles. Thanks.

 

[Notits]

It's a pretty basic setup..

There's about 9 psi on the vacuum line ATM. I get about 10 drips a minute, and that's after running it through the filter I cracked. I think cracking the first filter is what made it flow faster with no vacuum. I must have damaged the filter as well. Useless junk : )

I just ordered some Whatman Zapcap filters and a few media bottles. Thanks.

If its flowing at all without vacuum you have damaged the membrane. Refilter

 

[flenser]

I ran 10ml through a syringe filter just to make sure there wasn't something in the oil clogging the filter. Worked fine, but that was way too much effort to fill one little vial of test e...

 

[Notits]

I ran 10ml through a syringe filter just to make sure there wasn't something in the oil clogging the filter. Worked fine, but that was way too much effort to fill one little vial of test e...

Yeah those days sucked. I got the hybex like doc has and i just take it slow.

 

[flenser]

Ha, I guess I'll be waiting for the zapcaps. The second plastic bottle just broke with just 9psi vacuum.

 

[Notits]

Yeah that's why i mentioned 7 psi... I've watched 400ml of tren run out of the container onto the desk and into the carpet...
The zap caps have proven even more unreliable for me. Nalgene with low pressure never had a problem.

 

[Docd187123]

Never had a problem with the zapcaps but they're the only ones I've used.

 

[alphastrength50]

doc howing does it take with them zapcaps for 200ml brotha? thx

 

[alphastrength50]

lol nvm saw u answered in post hehehe

 

[Docd187123]

lol nvm saw u answered in post hehehe

They're pretty quick for me. I also keep the solution pretty warm but don't make it too hot and damage the filter.