Filtering Suggestions- Any fool proof ideas ??

[Maplesapper]

I strained the hot syrup 4 times thru an Orlon filter. Once the syrup cooled, we are finding very fine particles or something floating around, clarity is cloudy. After 2 days a whiteish cloudy sediment layers at the bottom but then the syrup is clear.

Anyone have a fool proof filter idea ??

[John c]

First I would let it settle so I could siphon off the more clear syrup from the top then I would filter what I siphoned off through a damp piece of white, low thread count bed sheet at room temp.
Then I would do the same thing with the bottom, cloudier portion of the syrup, but I'd do that twice!
After it's all filtered, heat to the "sweet spot" of only 190 and bottle.
Be prepared for it to take a long time and bring your patience with you! Lol! I have no doubt that this will work, but I'm sure others will also have other opinions!

John c.

[Kev]

did you "help" it through the filter? you can push the sand through an orlon filter if you put too much extra pressure on it.
if you didn't and still are getting stuff through I would say your filter is wore out.
do you allways filter the same direction through the filter after cleaning?
i turn them inside out when cleaning. I once forgot to turn it back right side out. The small amount of filter aid I did not get out of the filter with really hot water sure came out in the next batch of syrup i filtered. I then had to reheat and refilter about 6 gallon that was in my canner.

[Maplesapper]

Hi Kev;
I actually put an old washed filter inside of a brand new one?? I suspect your "push" theory was working against me as I poured in 2 gallons of hot syrup all in at once. Hate to have to redo my filtering, but now I have no choice....

[wnybassman]

Hi Kev;
I actually put an old washed filter inside of a brand new one?? I suspect your "push" theory was working against me as I poured in 2 gallons of hot syrup all in at once. Hate to have to redo my filtering, but now I have no choice....

How'd you wash it?

[Kev]

Hi Kev;
I actually put an old washed filter inside of a brand new one?? I suspect your "push" theory was working against me as I poured in 2 gallons of hot syrup all in at once. Hate to have to redo my filtering, but now I have no choice....

I do not think that the 2 gal will do it on its own.
and yes you can put a paper prefilter inside the orlon. I think MANY people do.
for next season I will need more paper filter mat. anyway so I am going to be ordering some of the premade ones that fit inside.
The way I have always filtered is to use flat prefilters pinned to the top of a large stock pot. pour the syrup with filter aid mixed in into that. Then when its through that I pour it into a cone filter pinned to the top of a milk pail and cover it. when it is nearly done I usually have to invert the cone somewhat to get the rest of the syrup to come through "fresh" cone mat. Then i pour the syrup in the pail onto a prefilter over my canning pan. and again cover.
then main reason for the filter on the canning pan is just so nothing can get in there while the cover is off. it occasionaly is used as a tattle tail to see if filter aid made it through the cone. in my limited experiance if FA made it through then I was not gentle enough getting the cone empty in the milk pail.
Next season I will have a stainless tube that the pre and cone filters go in on top of my canning pan. with a lid. and a new cover for the rest of the pan that is not covered by the filter tube. I will change the prefilter cone every batch and the orlon every 2nd or 3rd batch, hopefully even longer due to less heat loss in the filtering process so more will contine to flow through longer on it own. I hope this is helpfull

[Maplesapper]

Hey Bassman;
Washed actually meant placed in a bucket of warm water and rinsed alot...no good??

[Kev]

Hey Bassman;
Washed actually meant placed in a bucket of warm water and rinsed alot...no good??
I take mine back in the house. turn them inside out and run really hot water through them. I mean really extra hot. like turn the water heater temp up for sugar season. then use just hot water. I run it through "inside out untill its running clear. squeeze the water out repeat.... Rerepeat. for half of forever it seems. then eventually its clean enough that after it dries it is still soft and not hard.
the biggest issue (to a simpleton like me) is that when wash them out you do not wash the stuff in it through the filter but back out of the filter.

[wnybassman]

Hey Bassman;
Washed actually meant placed in a bucket of warm water and rinsed alot...no good??

Plain hot water is good, just making sure no detergents of any kind.

Also, no wringing out.

Sounds like a bit of sand is getting through to me with a light colored sediment you described.

[Maplesapper]

appears like a floating white cloud at the bottom maybe 1/4" deep of the quart jars

[Russell Lampron]

Maplesapper you should be using paper prefilters with the orlons. When I filtered that way I would still get sediment with a brand new orlon without the filter papers. The only way that you can get syrup clean enough so that you don't see any sediment at all is to use a filter press.

[Paddymountain]

We always start out with 6 prefilters inside our orlon filter. When it starts to slow down we pull the first prefilter. After we pull 2 prefilters ,we wet down 2 more with hot water and put them in place of the ones removed. We filtered over 40 gallon this year ,and bottle into glass with out any problems. I remember starting out last year with only 2 prefilters and the syrup would be a little cloudy, so more is definately better. hope this helps