Cloudy syrup and filtering--need ideas

[maple marc]

I am having problems with cloudy syrup this season, and am hoping for some ideas here. I may produce 40 gallons of syrup this year--not a large producer, but it's high quality syrup and we bottle almost all into glass bottles which command a premium price.

My system which had worked in the past: draw off small batches of syrup throughout the day, pouring it through several pre-filters and an orlon cone. With several gallons in a stock pot, I reheat (to 180 degrees) in the kitchen, filter another time, raise the temperataure back to 180 and bottle. I try not to reheat the syrup too quickly. My first small batch this year was OK. Now the larger 4-5 gallons batches are slightly cloudy, despite two filterings. There is a high amount of sugar sand this year. And I have made one change to my system--using a flat filter and steam pan coming off the evaporator (thanks to ideas from this forum). It is possible that the heat of the evaporator's side is heating the steam pan. My orlon filters are in good shape.

I need to figure this out, and I would also like to come up with a more convenient filtering system. This method of moving 4-5 gallons of hot syrup from one stock pot to another in my kitchen is awkward and dangerous. Would diatomaceous earth mixed into the syrup before the final filtering help? Is it time for a filter press....would it be practical for my production level? How could I incorporate it into my system, assuming I can afford one? How do producers my size move hot syrup around safely? When I am pouring that heavy stock pot full of steaming syrup, I always feel I'm one shake from disaster.

I thank you all for your ideas. This is a great forum.

Marc

[Harken]

I had the same problem 2 years ago. We had pre heated the glass bottles in the oven, then bottled. Turned out the glass bottles were too hot, in turn raising the syrup temp. and then making the syrup cloudy. It doesn't take much of a temp increase to shake loose some sugar sand !! We still pre heat the glass, but only to 170 *F.

Ken

[Brent]

It sounds like you're making sand again when you move it to the kitchen. While the bulk of the syrup in the stock pot only goes up to 185 or so, the layer at the bottom will get much hotter than that, making more sand, more so the bigger the batch.

If you can, set up a kind of double boiler and don't let the water in the bottom come to a boil. That's as close to a water jacket canner you can get without buying one.

[TapME]

filter aid would help to clean all the suspended particles out of the syrup for sure. Are you checking the syrup with a hyrometer after each heat up? If it is thicker than normal syrup it may be more cloudy. I use a cone filter tank to filter and have never had a problem with cloudy syrup but that could change. And we make the same or more than you do. Other here know more about filter aid than I do, maybe they will chime in.

[Maple Ridge]

I had the same problem last year. After final filtering I would bring it to the stove to bottle. I would reheat it and it was clear. As soon as I added it to the bottle it clouded up. I had to empty all my bottles and refinish it by adding a little sap and bringing it back to 66 BRIX. Re-filtered it and things were fine. I believe I did the same thing that was mentioned earlier. When I reheated it the bottom got hotter and introduced sugar sand. I would heat slow, or the water jacket is a great idea. They make canners now with water-jacket. I know how frustrating it can be. It seams like every year is a new challenge.

[maple marc]

Tonight I bottled 4 gallons and had good luck--very clear syrup. I checked it for clarity in the kitchen before I reheated it, and it was clear. This time I reheated it in the turkey fryer without stirring over medium low heat. When it hit 180 I poured it--again flirting with disaster--through the filters. This time I nested two orlon cone filters together, with 2 pre-filters on top. It ran through quickly into a deep steam pan--not enough room underneath for the 5 gallon canning stock pot. Then I had to pour it from the steam pan into the canner--again flirting with disaster. Back on the stove I brought it up to 185 and started bottling. By some miracle it was clear. I'm not sure what made the difference--maybe the double cone, maybe no stirring, although it got stirred up a lot from all the pouring.

Someone suggested that I not filter the syrup as it comes off the evaporator. Instead, just filter once before canning, which will actually lead to clearer syrup. I may try this tomorrow.

Does anyone use stainless steel buckets instead of pots or pans to move the hot syrup around ? I can see how the handle would be easier. I've been told you can heat the bucket on the stove.

Thanks for all your ideas.

Marc

[buckeye gold]

Since I'm only a small timer and make about two gallons a day. I batch finish and start by running my 80% syrup through a set of prefilters off the evaporator, then finish on a gas burner. when it's finished I Have a french fry pan with a custom fit orlon final filter that covers the bottom and side(my wonderful wife sews them up for me) and three prefilters above it. I preheat my filter pan on the evaporator and take the finished syrup off the gas burner and dump right into the filter set up. as soon as I see it not flowing well a slowly pull that prefilter and repeat until the syrup is just working through the final orlon. I will store all my finished syrup in a large pan and bottle from there. I do not filter again. We use a 4 qt stainless pan and work from the large pot into the smaller pan. We heat slowly to 180-185 and stir occasionally and then bottle it. Then we repeat until all is bottled and by doing small amounts we can work quickly and not lose our heat. All mine is clear and sand free.