DIY Water Filter with Camlock Quick Disconnects

[johnwpowell]

As I gain more experience with home brewing, I am starting to learn more about water. Chemistry aside, if your water doesn't taste good, the beer probably won't either, so let's start there. I have a filter in my refrigerator for water, but made my first few batches of beer from unfiltered tap water. I figured, why not filter my beer water? I did just that, and figured I'd share a DIY in case anyone else wants to replicate it.

Tools you will need:

• Stud finder
• 2 Large adjustable wrenches (or 2 large pliers if you want to be a primitive pete)
• Drill

Parts you'll need:

• Hose splitter (I picked this one because virtually lead free)
• Whole House Water Filter
• Carbon Filters
• Thread seal tape
• 2 CAMA34CUSTOM (call Brewhardware for this. This is the adapter that goes between the 3/4 NPT on the water filter to the 1/2 standard camlock)
• 2 CAMF Camlock F quick Disconnects
• 1 CAMGH1 Camlock for garden hose
• 2 CAMBL Camlock BL quick disconnects (I prefer these because they don't put strain on the hose)
• 2 CAMBIGC Camlock big C quick disconnects
• Optional: order more camlock quick disconnects to make more hoses to save on shipping
• UltraClear Silicone Tubing (you decide length for your configuration)

Step by Step:

1. Ensure your filter housing water in is facing your water valve when installed. If not, you can remove the screws and rotate
2. Locate a stud where you want to mount the filter housing
3. Secure the filter housing to a stud using your drill and supplied screws (recommend putting screws in at a slight angle to hit the center of the studs from all 4 holes)
4. Wrap 3/4 CAMA34CUSTOM adapters with thead seal tape and install into filter housing
5. Wrap CAMF camlocks with thread seal tape and install into adapters
6. Install hose splitter into water valve
7. Install CAMGH1 garden hose camlock quick disconnect into the splitter
8. Create a length of silicone hose to go between the splitter and the filter and add one CAMBIGC and one CAMBL to the hose
9. Create a length of silicone hose to go from the outlet of your filter to your kettle (or wherever its going) and add one CAMBIGC and one CAMBL to it
10. Insert a carbon filter into the filter housing and tighten
11. Attach hoses and let run for 40 minutes to flush out
12. When you are done brewing, remove the filter and allow to air dry because otherwise it may get stagnant

Here's a pic of some of the parts (not shown is the right angle adapter from the camlock BL):

When you get done, it will look something like this (note I don't have the camlock BL installed on one side and you can see the kink/strain potential):

 

[boarderx3120]

Has the water pressure blown that tubing apart yet? Not made to hold that much pressure. Will blow up and pop like a water bomb. It's pretty spectacular actually. I've seen it ��

 

[johnwpowell]

Has the water pressure blown that tubing apart yet? Not made to hold that much pressure. Will blow up and pop like a water bomb. It's pretty spectacular actually. I've seen it ��

Good point. I only use the filter to go into the kettle. Never keep the water running and have the hoses blocked. Those hoses blow up like water balloons!