Reddit reviews Pentek 158117 1/4" #10 Slim Line Clear Filter Housing
We found 4 Reddit comments about Pentek 158117 1/4" #10 Slim Line Clear Filter Housing. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Slim filter housing for low-flow applications with space restrictionsClear styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) for on-site viewing of flow and cartridge conditionUse with a 10" x 2-1/2" sediment or carbon filter cartridge (sold separately)Initial pressure drop of 2 psi at a flow rate of 3 gpmMaximum temperature of 125 degrees F (51.7 degrees C)
I have one. The housing will last basically forever and consists of only a few easy to clean parts, and the filter is washable (and also cheap to replace...maybe $10 for 4, haven't had to do it before).
THAT being said, I very quickly realized that the extra effort is really not worth it for the following reasons:
I came to the decision recently that my filter would never be used again, so it is going to be converted to a DIY Randall 3.0 instead.
One last note: You can actually build this whole thing out a little cheaper than your link if you buy the housing separately and then just add the (very few) necessary parts. It's maybe 20 minutes worth of work.
You might try something like this Pentek 158117 1/4" #10 Slim Line Clear Filter Housing Pentek http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003VT79VA/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_0FcRub1PAD1MA
I use one with a carbon filter for removing minerals from water used in home brewing. A couple of cheap fittings and you could have it hooked up to a hose. Or even put it under your sink and your cold water could always be filtered
There are relatively cheap under cabinet filters that will remove lead. I've used something like this, which doesn't specifically say it removes lead, but I believe that most carbon block filters that filter down to the 5 micron or less would be effective.
They just pop into a generic filter housing like this, which is easy to plump in to a water line. I think that they flow enough that, with normal water pressure, they should be able to supply a normal faucet.
Water lead test kits are relatively cheap and should be able to confirm that the filter is working properly.
OK, so yes I do filter. I am determined that brewing will be fun and easy so for filtration, I have settled on a vacuum pump setup with mostly inexpensive filters from Amazon (one of them isn't available on Amazon for reasonable money so I get it elsewhere).
Also, don't use a normal pump, they're a pain in the ASS to deal with. Get a vacuum pump, the All In One Wine Pump is by far the best for the money. The Enolmatic is MUCH more expensive and no better, it does offer a re-useable filter cartridge for an additional 300...but at the cost of disposable filters and setup, you're talking like 1000 gallons of mead for a ROI on that investment...plus you need to clean it and soak it in PBW after each use...for me, I just use the disposables and toss them in the garbage.
For a filter, I use 2 10" water filter housings and brass tubing and brass nipples connected to the tubing I bought with the All In One, I have 2 in line water filters, the first gets a 5 micron, and the second gets a 1 micron filter.
When I rack from primary to secondary I use these for filtration, I also use both 1 and 5 micron filtration when i go from secondary to bulk aging.
When I go from bulk aging to my bottling bucket (I don't like bottling with a vacuum system, it's way more of a pain in the ass than a bottling bucket) I first pull the mead through a 0.5 micron filter and then use a normal racking cane and tube to siphon it into a bottling bucket.
I do NOT use plate filters, they clog and are a pain in the ass. I bought a Buon Vino wine filter, and I NEVER got more than 4 gallons through it before it was so clogged it began to spray all over the counter. I had to disassemble the pump more than once because it was totally clogged up, even after running gallons of hot water through it. Super pain in the ass...don't go that route. Cartridge filters are actually less money and SOOOO much less of a pain in the ass. You will NEVER regret going a vacuum pump, although it means you need to use glass carboys. You just get a long tube, and don't even move the damn things full any more. I just suck it from one to another to move my mead (I have a 15 foot hose on my suction pump.)
The total cost for each batch filtration is $9.25. It's 1.50 each for the 2 5 micron and 2 1 micron (primary and secondary) filters and like 3.25 for the 0.5 micron filter. You can't get a better price ANYWHERE (or if you can let me know)
As far as the difference for the 0.01 micron cartridge filters and something a bit bigger...you CANNOT use active carbon filters or you will KILL your brew, and a 0.5 micron filter will sweep out the last of the yeast and cloudiness after aging. Carbon filters will steal all your flavoring, and they can actually spit out some black carbon crap for the first few minutes, so you've got to fully flush them first...regardless...they're no good for brewing.