Filter Press Process?

[Lazarus]

Hi everyone,

Each year I'm trying to eliminate the thing I hate most doing. This year, it's filtering (I pack exclusively in glass), so I am planning to upgrade from Orlon to a filter press. I will process about 100-125 gallons of syrup this year, so I'm thinking ... electric short bank 7"? My dilemma is here in southern Ohio I've never seen one and there are no stores to go look at one, so I'm a bit clueless as to how they work.

With Orlon, I would usually filter off the evaporator, then I would filter a second time when bottling. With a filter press, do you filter right off the evaporator, or do it later? I would think it would have to be later? What if you are using an auto-drawoff (also something I'd like to do this year), does that change anything?

Any help de-mystifying this process is greatly appreciated!

-Lazarus
2 x 6 GBM
300+ taps? (haven't counted yet for 2012)

[tuckermtn]

I do not filter off the evaporator. I get anywhere from 10 to 30 gallons to the correct density in the finisher and run it through the press. There is a good description of setting up and charging a press that UVM puts out.

here is a link http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc/filter_press_brochure.pdf

It will take you one or two times to get the hang of it, but its really pretty straight forward to do. If you could go to a maple dealer or open house you should be able to get someone to show you how. And yes, a short bank electric press would be more than adequate. I pushed 520 gallons through a short bank press last year with no problems.

[oneoldsap]

Nitre is created every time the syrup is heated . If not filtering till you bottle is an option , you will have to filter only once . Which of course is more cost effective , and it's one less thing to deal with while you are boiling . I've never seen an auto draw on a rig as small as yours , don't know how that would work .

[Brent]

I used an auto draw off for 2 seasons on the 2 x 6 we used to have. It worked fine. I did find that choking the draw off a little with a valve
between the draw off and the pan gave more consistent draws.

As noted above, if you re-heat syrup you run the risk of making more nitre. In a single layer pot where the pot is over an open flame, you will make nitre. Not much, but no matter how carefully you monotor the temperature of the bulk of what's in the pot, the syrup actually in contact with the bottom, will overheat and make some nitre. If you're doing this and you don't want scum on the bottom of your glass, you'll have to re-filter. But then you run the risk of letting the syrup cool too much before it goes into the glass and you get mold. Catch 22.

We filter off the evap and then re-filter going into the water jacket canner, then into glass. You can try to jury rig a sort of double boiler and never let the water boil and get pretty much the same result, but like getting some kind of filter press, it, a water jacket canner, is a thing you'll wish you had got sooner. We sure did after 5 years without one.

[GramaCindy]

I used an auto draw off for 2 seasons on the 2 x 6 we used to have. It worked fine. I did find that choking the draw off a little with a valve
between the draw off and the pan gave more consistent draws.

As noted above, if you re-heat syrup you run the risk of making more nitre. In a single layer pot where the pot is over an open flame, you will make nitre. Not much, but no matter how carefully you monotor the temperature of the bulk of what's in the pot, the syrup actually in contact with the bottom, will overheat and make some nitre. If you're doing this and you don't want scum on the bottom of your glass, you'll have to re-filter. But then you run the risk of letting the syrup cool too much before it goes into the glass and you get mold. Catch 22.

We filter off the evap and then re-filter going into the water jacket canner, then into glass. You can try to jury rig a sort of double boiler and never let the water boil and get pretty much the same result, but like getting some kind of filter press, it, a water jacket canner, is a thing you'll wish you had got sooner. We sure did after 5 years without one.Brent, You gave me an idea…I draw off almost syrup on my 2x4, filter it into a stainless turkey fryer pot, then, when I get a decent amount in there I RE-boil to finish off. Not the best option I know, would it be a better option to have some sort of boiling water bath to finish it off on the turkey fryer?

[Brent]

If you use an oversized pot with boiling water in it, your finishing pan will be exposed to 212F water, and the syrup in the bottom of the finishing pan will be almost the same temperature as that, say 200 to 205F. The nitre producing process starts at 190 - 195F, so this idea, while getter than an open flame, will still make nitre, and it will slow the evaporation of the last bit water to make the right density you want.

I go to over density on the evaporator, then filter, then go into the canner. While in the canner, I re-test the density and add back a bit of distilled water ( it sure doesn't take much ) to get the density nailed where I want it. This proceedure never exposes the syrup to high enough temperatures to create more nitre. The next trick is that you have to be able to measure the density accurately at about 185F, the max temperature that you should get in your canner. To help with that I made a temperature/density cross reference table.
It's on our web site in two formats. See half way down this page for the links.
http://www.duffyslanemaple.ca/Making-syrup/making-syrup.html

[GramaCindy]

OUIE!!! WAY too complicated for me, but Thanks for trying Brent. I do agree that anything over 190F will cause more nitre, so I guess I'm glad that I'm doing "OK" so far.
If you use an oversized pot with boiling water in it, your finishing pan will be exposed to 212F water, and the syrup in the bottom of the finishing pan will be almost the same temperature as that, say 200 to 205F. The nitre producing process starts at 190 - 195F, so this idea, while getter than an open flame, will still make nitre, and it will slow the evaporation of the last bit water to make the right density you want.

I go to over density on the evaporator, then filter, then go into the canner. While in the canner, I re-test the density and add back a bit of distilled water ( it sure doesn't take much ) to get the density nailed where I want it. This proceedure never exposes the syrup to high enough temperatures to create more nitre. The next trick is that you have to be able to measure the density accurately at about 185F, the max temperature that you should get in your canner. To help with that I made a temperature/density cross reference table.
It's on our web site in two formats. See half way down this page for the links.
http://www.duffyslanemaple.ca/Making-syrup/making-syrup.html

[Homestead Maple]

Anyone pre-wet their filter papers as you are putting them in the press? I have a small stainless pan that I put some of the condensate off my Steamaway in and dip my filter papers in it and the papers stick to the plates as I'm staking them so I don't have to tip the stack or use a couple pegs to hold the papers in place.

[oneoldsap]

Is there another way to do it ?

[Daryl]

I suggest to only dampen the edges of the filter paper. That will help with the seal between the plates and also hold the papers in place. One other suggestion is to use a magic marker to mark one corner of the papers while in the box to avoid having the holes not line up with the plate holes.
Daryl

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Get a filter press, you won't regret it. Filtering syrup is a lot faster with it and the syrup comes out sparkling clean and if you flush it with about 1.5 gallons of water after filtering, it cleans out all of the syrup and there is no waste as you do waste some with felt filters. Lot more sanitary too in my opinion.

[killingworthmaple]

Brent that is the best way I have heard yet, make it heavy and thin it out in the bottler. I am going to use that system this year I have a bottler coming shorty. You have a great web site but I was not able to find the graph for checking density at 185. If you could post it that would be a big help.

Thanks
Nathan

[Brent]

Nathan The links are very close to the bottom of this page

http://www.duffyslanemaple.ca/Making-syrup/making-syrup.html

[northwoods_forestry]

When I bottle in glass, especially small bottles, I heat syrup to 190-195F and have never had nitre issues. I have had mold issues when bottling in glass at temps below 190. As long as I don't go over 200F in the canner I haven't needed to refilter.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Nitre is created every time the syrup is heated . If not filtering till you bottle is an option , you will have to filter only once . Which of course is more cost effective , and it's one less thing to deal with while you are boiling . I've never seen an auto draw on a rig as small as yours , don't know how that would work .
hetaed or boiled? I was always under the assumption it was more niter only when you brought it back up to a boil. If thats the case of heating it then evy time some one cans at a later date they are going to have niter in bottom of container

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

I have learned that anything over 195 degrees will cause more nitre.

[maple flats]

My experience with reheating I found that any heating causing any more evaporation can cause more niter. If a cloud of moisture comes off (not really steam, but it looks the same) you are concentrating more.