I've tried carbon, it just doesn't cut thru the stinkier weeds like the Blue Cheese I'm currently growing alongside my Sweet Tooth. There's a girl that stops by every day to let the dog out, and I have to keep her oblivious to her surroundings.
Fluence Spyder LED, a fan vented to a drafty window for cooling and Co2, homegrown worm castings and compost tea and an ionizer to hide the smell. And yes, in a closet for stealth.
I wouldn't run a window AC in the winter, as it screams "Grow Op Inside". In my condo, I ran dryer vent tubing to the dryer vent and attached it to my intake fan. Basically reversing the system. Worked like a charm.
Did you prune the fan leaves, with the theory that all the energy would go to bud development? I did that once. Live and learn. What strain are you growing?
Dude. Rockwell cube, distilled water, put it in a small Tupperware container, cover it with plastic wrap and put it on the warm spot on top of the fridge. I've always had 100% success using this method.
Update: My Fluence Spyder flowering light is in place, being propped up by a couple of 5 gallon buckets full of completed worm castings (the ceiling isn't stable enough to hang from). I've been feeding a flowering solution for a couple days, and the plants are responding well with vertical...
Oh, side note: If you're growing in a living area, make sure you cover the floor in either cardboard or dark plastic. The lights will bleach the color of the carpet or wood, making it easy to distinguish that a grow op was there.