orlon filter clogging up

[Bricklayer]

I have an orlon filter that fits over a 5 gallon pail and it keep clogging up and not allowing the syrup through. i wet the filter first and ring it out and i am using a paper pre filter also that is doing the same thing very slow and clogging up , im only running about 2 gallons through these filter at a time and i wash them after every use. i must bemissing some step here, if they sell a filter that fits over a 5 gallon pail it must be able to filter more then 2 gallons of syrup before clogging up. the filters work great for the syrup that does go through not one drop of sugar sand makes it through i havnt had any sediment at all

thanks in advance

[Kev]

are you keeping the heat in?

[Russell Lampron]

Bricklayer, syrup has to be hot to go through the filter. If it isn't close to boiling temp when you start filtering it will just sit there. If you are filtering hot are you covering the pail to keep the heat in? That is important too. I see in your post that you wring out the filter after you wet it. That is a definate no no. It will stretch the fabric and open up the pores so that nitre will get through.

[Bricklayer]

what do you mean by keeping the heat in?

[Russell Lampron]

When you pour the hot syrup into the filter, cover it so that the syrup stays hot and thin. It doesn't have to cool down much to get too thick to pass through the filter.

[Bricklayer]

the syrup is going into the filter at boiling temp right off the evaporator about 75% goes through right away and the remainder takes forever to go through, and i do cover it with a lid wile its filtering and it stays hot, but that last little bit dosnt seem to want to go through

[wnybassman]

One word - paper pre-filters ;)

[Russell Lampron]

Try using a layer of 2 pre filter papers. When the first one gets dirty carefully remove it and dump the syrup into the one below it. Do this quickly and cover it back up. You may have to reheat that last 25% to get it to go through if it cooled too much in the process.

[Bricklayer]

ik right now im using one paper prefilter so i'll try 2 next time, how damp is the filter supposed to be when used, like i said i wet it with boiling water then ring it out, not by hand but with an old school ringer that rolls it not rings it, so the filter is somewhat damp but not wet, is this right or should it be more wet

[Russell Lampron]

I didn't wet mine first so I would say that leaving a little moisture would be enough.

[SeanD]

Bricklayer, I use an Orlon cone with about 4-5 paper pre-filters and draw from the evap. into a 5 gal. bucket like you do. I hold them up with a tomato cage and before the first draw I will put the whole rack, cones and all, right above the sap pan. I'll pour hot sap from the pan through it and then let it drip right back into the pan until I'm ready. The steam keeps it hot and moist. Don't bother wringing out the water. The amount that actually gets pushed through by the syrup coming in is only a few ounces. I've been drawing heavy so it's even less of a big deal.

Nevertheless, I do have the same problem you have after that. I can't re-wet the filters because they have syrup in them. I'll pull out the top pre-filters as they clog, but by the end of the day, I have a couple of cups of syrup stuck in the bottom of the Orlon filter. I had four or five draws yesterday, so the new hot sap got things going again, but like I said, at the end those last couple of cooled cups sat there.

What I ended up doing was using a long-handled spoon stir the bit that was left to get the syrup moving. About half came out, but in the end I just had to put it back in the syrup channel and I'll have to redraw it next time.

Russ, how do you reheat that last bit?

Sean

[Russell Lampron]

I used flat filters, not cones over a 16"x16" canner before I got my filter press. To heat up the last bit of syrup I would light the burner under the canner and bring it up to canning temp. The heat rising up from the syrup in the canner would make it so that the syrup in the filter would go through.

You could do this on a turkey fryer burner if you have one or what ever you are using for a heat source to heat and can your syrup. I am assuming that you are filtering into a metal pail.

[Mike N RI]

Make sure the syrup you are pouring in is piping hot (200+F) and try using 2 paper filters--makes it easier to change to another paper filter if you need to.

Dampen the paper and orlon filters with hot/not boiling water---never wring out the orlon--just drip dry---wringing will tear the fibers.

[sapchap]

we use a cloth called canton flannel honest archie that use to write in the maple digest put me on to it. put it on top of the orlon an rayon works real well

[SeanD]

I used flat filters, not cones over a 16"x16" canner before I got my filter press. To heat up the last bit of syrup I would light the burner under the canner and bring it up to canning temp. The heat rising up from the syrup in the canner would make it so that the syrup in the filter would go through.

You could do this on a turkey fryer burner if you have one or what ever you are using for a heat source to heat and can your syrup. I am assuming that you are filtering into a metal pail.

Nah, I'm using a plastic bucket. I am toying with the idea of doing some finishing/canning in the sugarhouse during the boil, but as it is, I'm constantly in motion just with the evaporator.

I might put the whole rack of filters with the cool syrup in it right on top of the pans so the steam heats it back up. Maybe I can rest a small pot underneath to catch the drippings.

Thanks for the input,
Sean