Gritty Syrup????

[MapleChaser]

We just boiled for the first time of the season. Our first two boils after running the syrup threw the filter press the syrup is gritty tasting. We are using filter aide. We have check for blown filters. We have valved it so we are passing more syrup threw the press. After 3 passes threw the press it is finally tasting better. Is there any Ideas that we might be doing something wrong.

Thanks Gregg

[adk1]

wow, three passes? Are you filtering the syrup once prior to the filter press?
Also, are you wetting the filters first?

[3rdgen.maple]

Sounds like your filter press is not working properly. If you are not blowing papers then it has to be passing sand through it somehow.

[highlandcattle]

We have a WesFab and a couple of years ago got careless and put one of the presses in the wrong way(go to make sure all the "bumps" line up. I had to call because, what a mess!! Felt like jerks after the guy said, line up the bumps on top!!!! Directions aren't real clear on this. Make sure your filter aid is food grade and don't be afraid to use enough of it. Watch your pressure gauge and change the papers when needed. You should be ok. Good luck. After all these years, still too much to learn! No matter how many screw ups each year, out stuff still comes out looking and tasting great. Can never fill all our orders.

[adk1]

We have a WesFab and a couple of years ago got careless and put one of the presses in the wrong way(go to make sure all the "bumps" line up. I had to call because, what a mess!! Felt like jerks after the guy said, line up the bumps on top!!!! Directions aren't real clear on this. Make sure your filter aid is food grade and don't be afraid to use enough of it. Watch your pressure gauge and change the papers when needed. You should be ok. Good luck. After all these years, still too much to learn! No matter how many screw ups each year, out stuff still comes out looking and tasting great. Can never fill all our orders.

wow, cant fill all of your orders! amazing. potential to expand? Which brings up a topic. How do you actually make money in the business of making syrup. Nobody around here does it seems. Especially if you are trying to pay yourself a wage for your hours into making it!

[highlandcattle]

Because we are so small and make so little that I just sell to family and friends and at work. My husband is semi retired and we pay cash as we go each year. Just keep adding one new item at a time. If we can do this, anyone can... we live a very simple life, kids all gone and just us to indulge our bad habit! Still learning each year and making new friends... Next month is open house at our dealers and we meet up with everyone there for a fun day of selling bulk and buying new toys and swapping stories! Just saw that "paying yourself, you can't! You do this because you want to and to show people a way of life that is slipping away. I work in a school and do demos each year, the kids love it but even the teachers don't know how this is done.. very sad. We also have a great accountant. so he sets up our records each year and we know our break even point etc. Also I keep trying to tell everyone check the regulations for your state and get all the tax exceptions you can, make friends with your assessor, go to the Soil and Water dept and get help,. forestry, etc, Cornell does on-line webinars. We're old and can figure this out! Best wishes for a great sugaring season!

[Sugar Joe]

Is this first time using this press?? I bought a brand new wes fab press years ago and had a simular problem. After tons of phone calls and lots of wasted time come to figure out that they drilled just one wrong hole in the solid plate and filter aid was passing thru. It was not anything I did but it was a bad press that was made. Let me know

[lew]

Make sure your papers are lined up with the holes that go through the press properly. It is possible to have the hole in the paper overlap the hole in the press and the waffle area of the plate at the same time ( on older cast iron plates at least). This will allow filter aide to pass through the into the "filtered" syrup and give you that gritty syrup taste. We did this once and had a heck of a time figuring out which paper was in the wrong place.

[kirkhedding]

How much D E are you using? I'm also new to using the filter press and everything that I'd heard was you couldn't use to much D E. Well, my syrup was coming out cloudy and gritty also. The press just wasn't filtering and taking the D E out. So after 4 times of heating the syrup and trying to filter it through the press and failing, I called the supplier that I bought it from. Of course he mentioned the obvious things like lining the plates up right, syrup hot and things like that. Then he asked how much D E I was using. I said that I was using about 1-2 cups for 3-4 gallons of syrup. He said that was to much for this early in the season. He said try 1/2- 3/4 cup for 3-4gallons of syrup. It's worked great every time since. Nice clean and clear with no grit syrup. No, I'm happy to be using a filter press.

[bobbyjake]

assuming that the press is put together properly with all of the plates in the right direction and the papers with the holes lined up and you aren't blowing a paper somehow.....

Are you wetting the papers, you can assemble it either way, but wetting them makes them stick and seal a little better. Wetting them with hot water is best. Are you cranking the press tight enough?

In any event, assuming these are all correct. Take the press apart and look over every plate and every frame very very carefully including the fixed one on the frame and the cap one. Look at the little holes that are drilled into the bigger holes and look for cracks in the castings or irregular surfaces. Someplace, you are loosing DE and sugar sand through it.

If you have enough threads to eiminate one frame and plate (or are willing to build a spacer with a piece of pipe), take a pair out and try it. if you are still having the problem, put that pair back in and and pull another pair. somehow demarcate which you have switched out as you go. Eventually you will find the culprit.

OR....

Call wherever you bought it from and swap it out. Those things are expensive and should work right.