Using a Filter Press

[SUGARSMITH]

I would appreciate any help in using a filter press. I have an older grim model with cast iron plates.

I know that the plates have tick marks and need to be assymbled in one direction, and the holes must line up on the filter papers. Other than that I am at a loss.

I tried to use it before with cold syrup and earth and had much sediment in the bottles. I woa reheating after it was filtered. I have since been told that the syrup going through the plates need to be at 180-190 in order for it to be effictive and use about 1-2 cups of de to charge the filter.

Is there anything else I need to know or is any of what I mentioned inaccurate.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I have been told that if these are used correctly, it can actualll return a lighter grade of syrup

Dan

[Brian]

Here is a link that might help you. http://www.andersonsmaplesyrup.com/wesfabpresses.html

Proctor Maple Research Center has recommendations for proper use of a filter press, they can be contacted at:
www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
email: pmrc@uvm.edu

there phone # is 802-899-9926

[maplwrks]

Dan,
As you said, make sure all the "tic marks" are lined up and that papers are in correctly. I don't know how big you are but, start with 5 gallons of syrup, add 2-5 cups DE to it and mix well. Start press and open bypass valve to prime pump, close once it starts to pump. Recirculate back into syrup holding tank for 4-5 mins. This will heat up the press making it easier to filter future batches. After 4-5 mins. shut press off and move your hose to your syrup canner or barrel. Remember, Hot Syrup Filters Best! If you don't add enough DE your press will not work, you need a cake of it on each paper.

[brookledge]

Dan,
Another sugestion is if you are not using the press to capacity, you can make pieces of 3/4" pipe to slide over the threaded rod to reduce the number of plates and sections. Under most situations a 7" press will filter 60 gallons per set of papers. I have seen many producers that put heat lamps right over the press to keep it hot because as soon as it cools off your done.
What I have done and works great is to make 3/4" pipe to slide over the threaded rod so I only have 3 sections and 2 plates being used. With this setup I can filter 15-20 gallons each time and Idon't have to worry about it cooling down. You can make the pipe any length you want to meet your needs or you can have a few different ones to use depending on how much syrup you have to press. To me it is a waste of papers to use all the plates and sections and only filter 20 gallons.
Also after I mix the DE with my syrup I will put about 1 gal in a pail and add a little more DE to make a higher concentration so that that goes in first then the rest to follow. What the DE does is to make a spongy layer infront of the papers to allow you to get more syrup through. With out the DE it will plug up in a heart beat.
Also early in the year you can get away with less DE. As it gets darker you might need more. You learn from expierience.
Keith

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[maplwrks]

Thanks for the back-up fellas, I too have a set of short pipes that I slide over the rods that I use when I have short boils.

[Father & Son]

I don't have a filter press but there is something I don't understand. When I've seen a press being used filter aid is added each time syrup in pumped through the filter. With a swimming pool filter once the filter membrane in coated you don't have to add any more. What is the difference?
Thanks,
Jim

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

The new Lappierre filter press I got from the maple guys has two grease zerks on it. Where is a good place to get food grade grease and how often does it need greased??

PS The instructions on Andersons website are great considering mine didn't come with any. :)

[brookledge]

Brandon
I got mine from my local dealer when I bought the press.
The kind I use looks like vasoline. You can get it from mcmaster-carr or grainger though they may have a few options. Buy a new grease gun and only use it for your food grade grease. One tube will last you for ever.
Keith

[brookledge]

Here is the link to proctor maple research
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc/filter_press_brochure.pdf
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

How often do you guys grease your filter press??

[220 maple]

Brandon,
I usually grease the filter press once a season, We probably avg. 150 to 200 gals filtered each season. I don't remember whether we ordered the food grade grease from a supplier or got it at Henry's. When have finished filtering a batch of syrup if yours works like mine you will have syrup left in the press, we save it a clean milk jug and dump it back in the next batch. This is assuming the grade is equal or near to the next batch that it won't change the grade.

Mark, 220 Maple
Probably going to open my Pendleton County Trees this coming weekend!

[brookledge]

220 maple
Just wondering your profile has 1100 taps on vac. and 900 on gravity. with 2000 taps i would think you would make more than 150-200 gal
Or do you sell sap to someone?

Brandon
I usually grease mine once or twice a year and I average 250--260 gal per year
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

How much DE for 10 gallons of syrup which would be about normal for me, 15 max??

[maplehound]

Mark,
Another sugestion to get the syrup out is to run some hot sap off the flue pan and run it through the press, saving everything that comes out. I dump it all back into the flue pan. This also helps with clean up, everthing is so much less sticky this way, and I am only losiing a little sap.

[maple flats]

Here is where I got my food grade grease:
Dadant (Bee supply) 1-877-532-3268. in 2005 catalog page 78, Item number M00958 $5.15 each. The tube fits a grease gun too.
Good luck;
Dave

[brookledge]

Brandon
I would go with around 3-4 cups with light syrup and 6-8 with darker syrup. Alot depends on your area, try to use as least as possible while getting what you want through. Are you going to batch filter or continuous filter? Some need to use more than others based on the minerals and sugar sand. Also what is the capacity of your press?

Keith

[220 maple]

maplehound,
Great idea on using hot sap, I hope to try your suggestion soon!

Brookledge,
I agree I should make alot more syrup. Only one time in the past 4 seasons since my father past away that I have been able to get all the trees open. I have two major sugar bush locations, I have never been able to bring all taps on line at the same time. I take down all my tubing and put it back out each season, My helpers don't have the time or the desire to help with that, they only help with boiling, Last year I only had somewhere around 1400 holes drilled. My vacuum is a 5hp Surge dairy milker, The only purpose it really serves is to keep the ice out of the mainline later in the evening. I'm running a one inch line with out no dry line or boosters over 2000 feet before I get to my first tree. Very little vacuum at the tap hole. Someday when I have some extra dollars I'm going to fix that. I take the tubing down for two reasons squirrels and cows. This season I may only get my trees that are on gravity tapped, I worked on that bush since the first of Dec. add new lines to more trees and set a 1000 gal tank as the only collecting point. If those trees run right, they should overflow that tank everyday. I'm going to put a 275 gallon tank there as an overflow catch. For the past several years we having been keeping records of sap flow, I have never had one of those 2 gallons of water per tap hole day. The best I've had is half a gallon of sap per tap hole day. Every year I find main lines apart and running water on the ground. I basically live and work 60 miles from my sugar camp, I work a 12 hr four star shift two days on, two days off , off every other weekend. Sometimes water can run on the ground two days before I find it. The other factor I believe is some of my trees are young red maples and they don't and can't produce like those big old sugars. I hope I don't sound like I'm making excuses. The 2000 season my father made 250 gallon with probably 1000 taps all on gravity. My helpers can't figure how this happened. I tell them the trees ran right. I may have to get them life jackets when it does it again. We will be drowning in sap. That would be a good way to go!!!!! If there is a good way?
Mark 220 Maple

[brookledge]

Mark
Good luck this year. That sure is alot of work for you to go through every year but you have to do what you have to do. I know cows can certainly make a mess of tubing. lets hope you need to purchase those life jackets.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If I add half of the DE to a bucket, will sucking out of the bucket up over the edge damage the pump on the press our should I gravity flow it into the press??

[brookledge]

When I do a batch it is around 20 gallons. I draw off about 1 gal into a pail and put around half of the DE that I'm going to use into the pail and the rest into the syrup. Then turn on the press and it sucks it up into the press. I run the outlet hose back into the pail and let it circulate until it has pulled all the DE through then I conect the suction tubing to my pan and run the rest through. The press has a gear pump on it and it will suck up without any problem, though you may have to close your bypass valve.
Keith

[Sweber]

What about for a small producer who wishes to improve the clarity of my syrup? I make about 30-40 gallons a year, total. If I have 5 gallons of syrup to filter after a boil, I'm thrilled! Usually smaller amounts are more realistic. Some friends in the area have talked about going in on a filter press together and "sharing". Right now we all just use felt filters. Is it economical to purchase a filter press for such a small producer? If so which one, which size? I have never used one but I have seen what a difference it makes in clarity.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[brookledge]

Sweber
You should be able to get the same quality of syrup from cone filters just make sure you never wring out the filter it will tear the fibers and not work as good.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Sweber,

I only finish my syrup 2 or 3 times a season and batch it until I get a slow Sat.

[Father & Son]

Sweber,
I guess if depends on how much syrup you're making at a time. The guys that are continually drawing off or making large batches at a time need a filter that will keep up with there production without taking alot of time. On our 2 x 6 we only draw off a gallon at a time at best and then its another hour of so till we draw again. What has worked for us is we use the cone filters with 5 or 6 prefilters. After each draw I take out the first prefilter and rinse out the remaining syrup in the flue pan so nothing is lost, throw it in a bucket and wash out the sugar sand at the end of the day. I don't like to have less the 3 or 4 prefilters so if there are multiple draw offs I'll pull the remaining prefilters out, add 2 or 3 next to the cone filter and re-insert the the ones I just took out. I hope this doesn't sound confusing but I have plenty of time between draws to do this. The clarity is not crystal clear but it isn't far from a press.

Jim

[Sugarmaker]

Jim,
Nice summary.
I agree that a good felt filter and several prefilters can get the syrup very clear. We can in glass and plastic and have good clear syrup with just cone filters and prefilters.
Sugarmaker

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I filtered around 4 batches Friday night but never could seem to get more than 7 to 8 gallons per batch?? Any suggestions??

I have a Lapierre short bank 7" with 3 cake plates and 4 waffle plates.

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

How much Filter Aid were you using? There is a possibility that there wasn't enough. I can't say from here the exact amount to use as it depends on how (dirty) your syrup is. which will vary from producer to producer. I have the basically same thing, but it's a D&G, and I had that problem for a few batches too, until I figured that I was waiting too long between batches and the press was cooling too much.

[brookledge]

What size where your batches that you started with and how much DE did you use? did you mix up any stronger with DE to pre charge the press. Normally when the press has done all it can the thickness of the crud is almost as thick as the area in between the plates.
Keith

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I would have 10 to 15 gallon of syrup to filter each try but would only get 7 or 8 gallons thru it before the pressure gauge hit 40 and I shut it down. My 16 x 24 bottler will hold 15+ gallon of filtered syrup and the finisher will hold a lot more than that. I tried anywhere from 2 to 4 cups of filter aid and tried running about 3 cups thru in the first gallon or two I charged it will and different things, but seemed to be the same result. After the first batch, then next 3 batches I pumped about 1/2 gallon of water thru the press before cleaning it, so all the goop was falling to the bottom before I opened it and it made cleaning just a 2 second rinse.

Maybe I need to try more filter aid, I will keep playing with it until I get it right, but suggestions are appreciated!

[markcasper]

Brandon, Whats the temp of your syrup going into the press? I have a full bank 7" single, I rarely use the whole thing due to the disability of being able to heat 35-40 gallons up at once. So.....I run 3 middle plates, which would be what you are using. I usually can get 20 gallons through in one shot, unless its B grade and that I won't go into. My dealer once told me to use one cup per gallon, which I think is a bit excessive. He said if your doing everything right and it still don't filter, add more aid.

The reason I asked about temperature is this. If I try running it through at 190, it ain't gonna happen. If its 210, that will make a world of difference. I do not get into the "charging the press" game. I usually put 8 heaping "cups" into a 20 gallon batch, circulate it through til it gets clear (usually 3-4 gallons) and then stick the hose into the bottling tank.

One other item, if you want clear syrup, run it ALL through without stopping and starting the press. I found that starting and stopping even 4 times through a twenty gallon batch will yield cloudy syrup. I know whats wrong there, theres a surge of pressure every time you restart and i ended up forcing some fine niter/DE through. In a nut shell, the closer to boiling you can have the syrup, the more you will be able to get through.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Guess I am not using enough filter aid. It came with 10 lbs and was hoping to get thru the season with it and using the amount others told me too. I running the syrup thru it between 210 and 220, so don't think the heat issue is a problem. Guess if I can filter 15 gallons with 8 or 9 cups, it would be the same as filter 7 or 8 gallons with 4 cups. I will try about 8 cups in 12 to 15 gallon and see what happens. I filter all mine at one time, I don't start and stop and it runs 7 or 8 gallon thru in aprox 60 seconds.

After the pressure hits 40, I shut it down and then pump enough water thru it until it runs clear to get all of the syrup out and then reboil it to the correct density. Is this the best thing to do??

[markcasper]

Brandon, Sounds like your syrup is sufficiently hot. My pressure gauge broke a few years ago, but when it did work, I remembered it reading 60 #'s on occassion. So shutting it off at 40 may be something to change and experement with. I usually am just able to tell from the sound if its getting full. I have had it get to a point where its really struggling, darn near stopped before I have shut it off--there have been times when you'll blow a paper and sometimes not. Don't know why one time and not another.


the only other thing i can think of is that the sugar sand is very bad and is clogging it up sooner than expected.

I do run water through my press when I am done, pump out the syrup and can it, when it starts to get thin (guestimate) then I run it in a pail and throw it back in the evaporator. If its not the season, I run the diluted stuff into a gallon plastic jug and use it to thin overdone syrup and/ or store it in the freezer for use at a later time. I don't like to waste anything! I then loosen the nuts and let the frames drip out, if I am boiling, that goes into the evaporator as well.

[maplehound]

Brandon,
I feel for you. I had very simular problems when I first got my d&g filter press. I was told I too needed more and more aid in my syrup. I was also told to wait and do it all at one time instead of a couple gallons at a time. I didn't have enough room to keep it all till the end and still keep it hot. I finally bought a pan just for keeping the syrup hot and made a way to keep it heated. Now I have worked through most of the problems. ( I think) I have only a few plates on my press and found that what others where telling me about the amount of aid to add was too much for the number of plates I have. I also found that syrup had to be hot and so did the press. If the press is cold it lowers the temp of the syrup and raises the presure untill it warms up. I can't tell you how many papers I broke and how many times I squirted syrup out the plates and sprayed everyone within a few feet of it. ( now I keep the plates covered with a rag when we filter) I won't try to answer what your problem may be but I will say keep trying difrent things and you will find your answer.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Thanks for the ideas, guess I will keep experimenting until I get it right. Ideally, I would like to be able to filter about 15 gallon per time and Iwill run it all thru at once, not in batches as I never planned on trying that.

[maplehound]

Brandon,
Just a side note. The filter aid believe it or not is very high in lead. So if you break a paperbe sure to refilter it right away. If you don't the lead will leach out and contaminate your syrup. (ALOT) This is one draw back that they haven't yet figured out how to fix, however if it is filtered out right away there isn't time for the lead to liquify and contaminate the syrup.

[sugaring42long]

I can't wait to hear where you got that one from. As far as I know FOOD GRADE D.E. does not have lead in it waiting to "liquify" and contaminate your syrup. This is not valid info.

[maplehound]

That info came by way of our discusion on lead in syrup at our Maple days meeting here in Ohio. It came by way of those giving the talk. Think about it though, leadd would settle to the bottom of water and our filter aid comes from sea shell off the bottom of the Sea.

[sugaring42long]

Maplehound, I just have never heard of DE being a source of lead. I know Ohio is coming out strong on lead reduction so if theres research to prove this we should be aware of it.
I do know that lead will attatch itself to sugarsand and if you blow a paper it will let sugarsand through but I am skeptical about DE being a significant source of lead. There are other filter aids on the market such as perlite that are not DE and work well.

What does the "Governor" have to say about this?

[maplehound]

It was a shock to all present at the meeting as well. Athough don't make tooo much of it, it only is a problem if left in the syrup over an extended period of time. I am sure we will all be hearing alot more about this and other sources of lead in the next couple years.

[HanginAround]

The DE manufacturers should have a breakdown of the stuff available... but I can't remember the brand to go looking.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

I'd HAVE to believe that the food grade DE(from the dealers) is perfectly fine. But just a thought, maybe it is being confused with the pool filter DE???? other than that, I've never heard of it being a problem at all, or even discussed about.

[maplehound]

The DE that they told us about was food grade and the finding was that if it was filtered out imediatly like it is intended to be that it will actualy reduce lead levels. Although if it is left in ( as when a paper breaks) for an extended period of time it allows the lead in the shells to leach out into the syrup.

[forester1]

There is a small amount of lead in most soil and it gets taken up by trees. So it is about impossible to get rid of it all.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[HanginAround]

Yeah, that sounds familiar, I'll see what I can find.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited it.

[HanginAround]

I never had much luck with the first quest, I'll try again with the other names.

Edit: Now that I see a pic of a bag of Celite, I recognize it as the kind Dad sells. Here's a good explanation of filter aid theory, will look another time for mineral analysis:

http://www.filteraid.com/how_filteraid_works.htm

[mapleman3]

A question here... what do you all use as your feed tank to the filter press.... I would like to use my turkey fryer pot.. on the burner with a fitting and valve on it thiunking of threading in a fitting to go to the filter press.. so I can have it right off the evap, then heat it up a bit more at the end of the boil.. run it through to the bottler all nice N clean like!! I figure on makeing a rolling fram for the whole burner and pot ot go on for when I reverse sides for drawoff.... so you say heat to 200+ that can work....the pot is aluminum, will that be a problem? it wont be boiling the syrup just heating it.

And.... do you clean the filter everyday? or can I use it a few times? brandon mentioned he was only getting 7-8 gals through it... I will filter 10-12gals (short stack 7" press like brandons) at a time... so the next day I will have to start fresh????

[markcasper]

I have a full bank 7", but mostly only use 1/2 of that. On grade a syrup I run 16-18 gallons through with ease, with commercial its more like 2-4 gallons and the thing is plugged up. Yes you'd have to change all your papers. I have tried running the press the next day thinking I could "save" a change of papers. Its a big disaster let me tell you.

[Parker]

Jim- That is how I ran my press,I think it is called "Batch filtering" as opposed to "Continuos filtering", Most of the producers I know continious filter,,they say it makes lighter syrup,in continuos filtering you run each draw thru the press as it comes off the evaporator,,the syrup needs to be the right density, you need to mix in your D.E. the press needs to be kept hot between bacthes, being alone in the sugarhouse and drawing off 2 points light on my evaporator I opted for the bacth method,,that way I could focus on the task at hand,,,
I would draw off and put the syrup in my 30 gallon finisher,,when that was close to being full I would make sure I had the right density,,adjust if needed,, then filter into my 18 gallon canner or straight into a 5 gallon jug. I had a 3/4" threaded fitting and valve put on the bottom of my big finisher that my filterpress intake hose fit onto,,this worked verywell as the press did not have to suck the syrup into itself,,as soon as you opend the valve the syrup was jamming right in there,,
Dont forget you need to "charge" the press befor you have finished product,,meaning after your syrup is at the right density and heat dump in your D.E. and mix then turn on the press and put the discharge hose into the tank you are sucking out of,,hold your hand on the press plates until they warm up (mabey 30 seconds) then shut off the press,,take the discharge hose and pour a sampel into a glass container,,inspect the syrup and make sure it is crystal clear,,,if you put the press together incorectly, or blew a paper there will be alot of D.E. floating in the syrup,,,,,,if that is the case you have to tear the press down,,correct the problem and start over,,if not your set to jug it up,,at the end of the filtering you will find there is alot of syrup left in the press,,I take a bowl of preheater water and suck that thru the press (discharging into a seprate container) this will get the rest of the syrup out of the press,,,at the end of the season I put all that jug into a finisher and bring to the correct density and take it to Bascoms,,
As for how much you can get thru the press on one set of papers,,,depends on the syrup,, I have gotten as much as 45 gallons or as littel as 7 gallons,,,,just wacth the pressure gauge and that will tell you when you are done,,if you are pushing it have a bowl under the pressure relif valve,(I had a 7"long bank) You wont regret getting a press.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Jim,

For you, it would be better to filter with a batch method. Draw off everything you boil off and at the end of the day, run it thru the press or about 1/2 hour before you are ready to quit for the night, take your last draw and run it thru then that way you are done when the evaporator is done. I keep all my syrup in sealed 5 gallon buckets and a couple of times each season, I reheat and adjust density and filter and bottle the syrup. I have a piece of 1/2" copper pipe with a 90 street nipple on the end of my press suction hose and I just such the syrup out of my reheating pan.

[Mike]

Jim The filter press sure beats the drip filters....I love my press...I know one thing you need to put the filter aide to the syrup.....Takes a little getting used to....The guy at leader gave me some tips on using it...Ill try it this season.....One guy told me he runs hot sap thru it before he cleans it then puts it back in the evap...Helps get the syrup out....They say dont leave the filters in over night or you'll have a heck of a time cleaning it the next day....Jim, Are you working the Big-E this year??

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If you run hot sap or condensate thru it at the end of the filtering session, it is very easy to clean the next day as there is no syrup left in it.

[mapleman3]

Mike Yes I worked yesterday along with Mike(softmaple) and his wife Roseann, we had a good day I made a ton of candy and cream , I saw Bodie from NH working their state booth... I will be there 3 more times... Friday, Thursd eve 27th and Sun 30th in the am

Thanks Guys, I'm hoping to run to Chris's Tuesday evening to pick up the press... I'd like to be trying it soon....

[Mike]

Jim, Ill be at the big-E this wed or thur..........Going to the casino one day.....Hope the weathers nice......

[mapleman3]

Just got back from The Maple Guys, picked up my new press... a Lapierre 7", She's a beauty !! Now I'll have to weld up a fine looking stand for it.... Chris pointed out that the motor and pump assy. is seperate (not mounted)from the press fixture which make it nice to use as a great barrel pump. now to do more research before I use it... I think it looks great in the middle of the kitchen floor!! although my wife differs LOL....

[treefinder]

i use about 1 1/2 cups of aid per 3 gals of syrup. and i might only get 6 gals of syrup through my press. i have a 7" short bank from lapierre.some friends of mine are the same way only about 6 gals and there changing there papers to.and they use diff amounts of aid than i'am . i would love to get 30 gals per papers off from mine.

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

under normal conditons i can get 15 gals. plus through my 7" short bank. But I know I can get more, it's just that is roughly what we make in a night.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I think a lot of it depends on brand of filter press. The cake plates on a Lappierre press are very thin, so the filtering capacity is much less than on a D&G or a Leader press. Guess it costs less for a reason. I picked up an extra set of plates for mine this year from mapleguys, so now it has four sets and that should increase capacity some. I filter 90+ gallon last year and tried it many different ways and the results was similar.

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

yeah Brandon, I forgot to mention that I have a D&G. Cavity plate thickness would make a big difference.

[mapleman3]

Do any of you prefilter the syrup as it comes off the evap? I do as shown below, I remove a bunch fo niter and crap, I would think this would help extend the capacity of your press.... I know I will continue this practice.. heck, pre-filters are cheap!!

[tuckermtn]

yes- we filter with a paper cone filter as it comes off the evap- we have a huge stack of 20-30 paper cone filters and switch them out at each draw off. then we filter again after we finish in the finisher and then jug after that...

when we get a filter press I think we would continue to filter at the draw-off

-tuckermtn

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I don't prefilter, but do agree that it is a good idea. As far as the Lappiere press, I didn't realize how much difference there was between a D&G and a Lappierre until I got it. It is a very nice and very well made press, but they could have made the cakes plates twice as thick for about $ 10 more and charged $ 50 more, and it would have at least doubled the capacity of the press. I now have four sets on mine, so hopefully this will get me up close to 10 gallon with it. I tried filtering numerous different ways, and I don't think there is anything you can do to increase the capacity much above 7 gallons unless you have very low nitre syrup or prefiltered before running thru the press.

[Jim Brown]

Guys; I have a 7"short from Wes-Fab and we pre-filter off the rig. We get about 12-15 gallon thru our press before she blows the papers. we only have used it one year(last year with heavy niter) so that is the only comparision I have.
We would not have been able to bottle in glass last year with out it. They are over price in my opnion like all maple equipt. but I highly recommend one no matter who's name is on it!

My two cents

Jim

[treefinder]

prefilters are a good idea but i think you would want your syrup as hot as you can get it to run through?kevin

[White Barn Farm]

i have a friend who has a 5 inch hand pump filter press. The guy who made it is no longer in business. I'd like to put one together like his if I could find the parts. That size would suit my operation just fine. Anyone know where I could get frame and plates?
Thanks,
Ed

[brookledge]

As far as running the syrup through a pre filter before the press, in my experience the pre filter does not take out enough so that you will get more through the press. However by running the syrup through a prefilter you will remove solids that will wear your rotary pump out. The sugar sand is very abrasive and over time it will wear your pump out earlier than if you filter the coarse pieces out of it.
After playing with pre filters I finally went to stainless wire cloth that I made up and all of my syrup goes through that before the press
My press uses 6 papers (three sections and two plates) and I have no problem getting 15-20 gallons through at a time. Except commercial then its less.
http://www.mcmaster.com/
Put in wire stainless wire cloth and then go to the fine section some where around the 60X 60 to 80X 80 will work.
That way you will never need more than one prefilter
Keith

[mapleman3]

Well I got to use my filter press... I ran 5 gals of bulk grade A light through it... WOW was it ever crystal clear... I bottled 200 50ml leafs.

question is it normal for syrup to drip out between the plates? and does the pump come pre greased?

[treefinder]

it will leak out when the pressure gets high and you really have to tighten the plates down. what kind did you get i have a lapierre short bank. oh and i think they do come greased but get some and i give it a pump once a day when i'm using it .

[brookledge]

Jim
I use food grade grease (looks like vasoline) and it comes in a tube just like regular grease. Go and get yourself a new grease gun and use it for food grade only.
I grease my pump only once or twice a year. Remember when you do push grease into the gear pump it going to end up in the syrup so just a little will do it. For me I put around 265 gallons a year through my press and the actual run time per year is less than 2 hours. So in my opinion you do not need to grease it alot.
A little drip is normal under the plates just crank it up good and tight.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Jim,

I crank mine good and tight and it eliminates the drips. Hope this helps and glad it works great!

[Brent]

here's a link to the Anderson's web site that has lots of interesting looking help for us, including using a filter press.

http://www.andersonsmaplesyrup.com/index.php?page=instructions_and_hints

[mapleman3]

What do you all use for your pickup tube? do you dave it plumbed into a tank or just drop it into the tank your filtering from?? I drawoff into a 32qt turkey fryer pot, that way I can do a days worth at a time but I just drop my pump hose into it.. I think I will need to cut a V into the end of the hose so it doesn't get stuck sucking the bottom of the pot and get stuck there, I would like to have a section of stainless tubing on the end of it.. that would be nice so the tubing doesn't actually go into the pot to suck, just the stainless tube does. where could I buy that??

[Brent]

I spent much too much time selecting a
high temp,
reinforced, suction (vacuum) rated
food grade,
hose from McMaster-Carr

They have a huge selection. It was confusing at first.

It looks like great stuff. No way it will collapse under suction when it gets hot.

[NH Maplemaker]

Jim, the one I use came out of a stainless steel beer keg!! It was part of the pick up tube for the Keg . Looks and sounds like what you are looking for!

Jim L.
___________

[mapleman3]

Hmmm and I just happen to have a keg hanging around :). Well it was free(empty) no I didn't just empty it recently, could have though if it was good beer. Oh anyway, I will definately checkit out thanks for the heads up.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Jim,

I have a piece of 1/2" copper pipe in the end of my hose with a 1/2" copper elbow on the end of it.

[mapleman3]

If I have the stainless in the keg I will use that otherwise plan B(Brandons)

[powerdub]

I just use clear vacuum tube. Bascom has it as does most dairy places. It hold up to any temp or vacuum. I wish I knew the technical name for it but I don't think it is anything special.

[brookledge]

I just do as powerdub does, use dairy tubing. It is thick walled and wil hold up good plus has good UV qualities so it doesn't get stiff and cloudy looking for qite a few years. It is easy to see through the tubing which is nice.
Keith

[mapleman3]

I have to say the filter press is working sweetly !! I am presently using a copper tube as the pickup tube, will so stainless when I get time to check my keg. Figured out what works best with the bypass and how much DE... I don't know how I lived without it.. filtering once or twice now at the middle and end of the boiling day about 5-7 gals at a time. no more prefilters... no more cleaning and rinsing the filters and WAITING ... even cleaning the press takes just 5-10 minutes

LOVE IT

[Brent]

Comparing the swimming pool DE filter to a syrup filter.

I use DE on my pool and love the clean water. But there is a catch.

The difference is that the nitre sand is inert. On a pool filter you are collecting all kinds of unpleasant organic stuff. Notice that I said you are collecting it, NOT removing it. In fact you are cycling your pool water through this collection of dead bugs, worms, human waste, rotting leaves and everything else that goes into a pool. You could extend the time between cleaning the pool filter by adding more DE and giving the water a less resistant path through the filter ( instead of caking the debris on top of debris until it makes an impermeable slimy layer) but when you think about it you don't just want it out of the pool, you want that junk out of the pool system. All that junk will use up your chlorine as it oxidizes the organics too.
If you want more details see www.poolforum.com or www.troublefreepools.com Great sources of info.

[maple flats]

I use an old ss funnel bottom milk dump station can. The unit has astand and there is about a 45 degree sloping funnel bottom with a SS 5/8" unthreaded nipple out the bottom. I just clamped the clear heavy wall vinyl suction hose to it and the other end to the gear pump. Now I just need to fine tune how I filter the syrup because I know I am not yet getting the ultimate clarity. I think one thing I have done incorrectly is that when I charge the press, I open the bypass to finish mixing the DE well and then close the bypass returning the filtered syrup to the funnel pot for about 30-60 seconds. After reading this entire thread I think I will do my next batch both hotter, I only was heating to 180-185, will now go to 205-210, and will return filtered syrup to funnel pot for 5 minutes, test for clatity and then send it to the canner. Some of the batches i have done are fairly good and some are NOT. That is why I took the time to read this thread and also read to Proctor press operation suggestion guideline that I have. My press is a Lapierre short bank. I just need to fully educate myself on proper use for ultimate results.