Larry wrote:

Keith Hughes wrote in news:450edfd6$0$10304
:


Carbon filters are basically bacterial growth media. If you use one,
use it *before* distillation, not after. Distilled water still has

some

dissolved solids, metal ions, carbon, and unless the still incorporates
some form of cyclonic separation, may have bacterial endotoxins. In
reality, these residual levels are of no importance relative to

drinking

water.




Nope, I disagree. We use carbon filtration AFTER distillation because
other aromatics distill as good as the water, benzene in particular which
your city water is loaded with.

Uhmmm...if you use the carbon before the still, they are not there to
carryover are they? With the added benefit of chlorine removal, which
is plus for life of stainless steel (assuming you're not trying to
distill seawater, that is).

You can taste these enes in the
distillers output. It makes distilled water have a metallic taste. My
commercial monster, 12 gallons per day,

Monster??? Sorry, I'm just more used to 1000-3000 gp*H* being "monsters" :-)

uses a carbon column to polish
off the outlet water. My favorite little countertop distiller uses a
carbon packet in the cap of its carafe, which goes into the fridge with
the water.

Either one is quite safe. Bacteria must have FOOD to survive.

Which can be found in your distilled water...in the 500-5000 ppb of
organic carbon residual.

Distilled
water is not food. Carbon black isn't food, either. I've left the
carbon pack in these distillers for months and never found any bacterial
buildup, no more than is on a clean glass or pitcher, none of which is
the slightest health hazard. No food, no bacteria. No light, no algae,
either.

Your mouth is full of bacteria because there's plenty of food in there.
Without bacteria in your intestines, you'd starve and die. Bacteria are
way overrated, most of them....not ecoli.

E. coli is not a problem either, as long as you keep it in the right
places. Not a typical water borne bug...unless you're drinking
effluent. Mostly a lot of gram negative bugs with lots of endotoxins.

This afternoon, I'm enjoying Chef Mavro's signature blend of Lion Kona
coffee that appeared in my mailbox from a friend in Honolulu. I made the
special blend in my Cuisinart beast with pure, fresh distilled water
slowly dripped through a pack of genuine activated carbon from the fish
tank department of WalMart, wrapped in a #4 coffee filter in my distiller
carafe's cap. Chev Mavro's restaurant, where this coffee is served, is
one of the finest restaurant's in Hawaii, my Hawaiian friend tells me. I
love to just try one of his 6-course meals...just once....(c; His coffee
blend is superb!

Ughhh! You're talking to someone who can't even stand the *smell* of
coffee, let alone the taste. And yes, carbon afterwards is fine as long
as you change it frequently, don't store it wet, and keep it from all
sources of contamination. Not issues when carbon filtering before
distillation (except changouts of course).

Keith Hughes