Blichmann TopTier Water Filter
Filtering your water before you brew can never be a bad thing. So, there were two reasons that I bought this water filter. One and the most important was to remove chlorine. So now I can start the brew day with clean, filtered water. The second was strictly a laziness thing… I was tired of making multiple trips inside to fill up my bucket in the kitchen sink, carrying the bucket outside, dumping it into the HLT, then lifting it up onto the burner. So, now I can accomplish both… the water is filtered as the HLT is filling up. Great Success!!!
There wasn’t a water filter bracket that I could buy commercially to fit the TopTier stand. So, my mind went to work and I created this little solution that I think worked out really well. One big decision was to figure out where to put this filter and holder. Also, how am I going to attach the filter to this base? I thought of a cup holder concept because of how easy it is to remove the filter for cleaning. Let me tell you, it doesn’t get any easier than this.
Here’s how I put this thing together.
Filter Setup:
- Whirlpool whole-house water filter (WHCF-DWH)
- Whirlpool .5 micron filter
- 3/4″ to 1/2″ (I. D.) barbed fitting.
- 5′ of 1/2″ (I. D.) reinforced vinyl tubing
- 1 – RV water supply hose
Holder / Bracket:
- 4″ PVC coupler
- 4 – 5/16 square bolts (to fit in the TopTier T slots)
- 4 – 5/16 x 2″ stainless hex bolts
- 2 – 5/16 x 1.5″ stainless hex bolts
- 12 – 5/16 x 1 1/4″ flat washers
- 2 – 5/16 fender washers
- 12 – 5/16 hex nuts
- 1 – 9 x 3 1/2 x 1 piece of solid oak
Ok, all parts purchased and four holes drilled appropriately to match the T slots. Now, how do we mount it on the stand? Well, I used the same method of attaching the filter holder as the manual recommends you attach the gas manifold. The following is the pattern for the four bolts holding the filter to the stand: Square nut (in the t-slot)… washer… hex bolt… hex bolt… washer… holder base… washer… top of bolt.
With the filter stand is mounted on the TopTier, how are we going to attach this PVC coupler to hold our filter? Originally, I had an idea to ‘strap’ it to the oak board. I figured that wouldn’t hold it long term as I saw the coupler slipping off the base in the middle of a brew session. To get around this, I drilled two 5/16″ holes in the PVC coupler and in the wood. Next I used the four fender washers and bolted the coupler (with the two 1 1/2″ x 5/16″ bolts) to the wood base. From the picture at left, you can see how the coupler is bolted to the board and how the whole contraption is bolted to the stand.
