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metsfan4life

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Hey guys, any advice/input would be greatly appreciated:

Love learning about the homebrewing process. Been using syringe filters but obviously its a pain in the ass, well fingers..so Ive been using a caulk gun but that still gets to a pain. So thought about getting some bottletops but wasn't sure which ones. Been reading and asking and finally decided on the Nalgene Nylon ones...bought 3 of them along with 3 glass flasks instead of the plastic. I cooked up some Deca with a 2/15 ratio and it filtered thru with no problem at all in a short amount of time. Following day, I made up some TestE with the same ratio and let it cool down and threw that into the tops and started to pump. It was going great and then at 50ml... deadspot clog. Heated the oil back up to see if that helped and still same thing, about 1 drop every 30-60secs. Checked the glass, top flask, plastic connection, hose for any cracks/leaks and there were none. Checked the gauge on the pump and it was steady at 15 (where the deca flowed) and I tried higher and tried lower...still nothing. Gave up for the day and tried again with the 3rd filter, same thing...50ml clogging. Had to push the last of the Test thru a syringe filter...blah. I put nothing but water in the top receiver just to check it and not ever water was going thru (put that into the plastic obviously).

Seeing if anyone has any idea on what could be the issue. I've been told that maybe the gear is dirty, which sounds logical but it went thru the PVDF with ease...got 100ml out of a single syringe filter and could likely have gotten more. Have also been told that the BB could be causing it..which I have no clue about. I put the BB in there to help thin it out, I know its not needed in Deca/TestE but just to help thin it out...but what about if I was filtering Tren which will need it? Maybe I should switch over to the Millipore PVDF Stericups? I kept seeing that Nylon was the way to go if I wasn't using EO (which I wont) so went with that. The deca flowed perfectly but the Test was a prick!

Sorry for the novel...just trying to figure out what went wrong or anything....

Thanks for any help!
--Mets
 

metsfan4life

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and does anyone know the neck size on the Millipore Stericups for the 150ml. I was looking at those on medlab and it doesnt say the neck size. Ive seen posts say all millipore are 45mm but looked at the catalog and says 33 and 45 options.
 

Canadian muscle

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Hey bro. You don't need to use disposable filters. Save your self a tun of money and buy glass filter flasks, a bowman filter funnel and some .22 micron filter paper. Get the hand pump and hose and you are set.

You just wash and sterilize the glass each time. Isopropanol and then heat it at high heat for 45 min. Let it cool

Then use a new micron filter paper.

This is very cost effective
 

4everstrong

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Hey guys I think i had a similar problem. But first off I give big respect for anyone still using the .22 syringe filters - even at 10 ml batches, THEY SUCK. I have had so many, after an hour of hand cramping hell, rupture and send me back to square one.
Now I use the celltreat or stericups and at 15$ a pop its not bad. they are one use for up to 150 ml and sterile. -- I could have it ass backwards -- but i think the PES filter media is strickly for aqueous solutions and the PVDF can work with aqueous solutions but work much better for organic solutions. most test preparations are organic. I bought a case of each and still have most of the PES because they plug up at about 30 ml.
I searched but could not find a sticky on this - maybe someone with the knowledge will help clarify this.

Syringe filters are the worst! lol. Have you ever used a caulking gun with syringe filters? It helps out a ton than pushing it through with your fingers. I use the disposable Filters with a hand pump. Flows through pretty quickly. .22 filter. Keep you oil a Warm to touch. Not to hot though or you will burn the filter.
 

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