Filtering with paper towel, cheese cloth and paper cone filter

[Troutman10]

Can I add a paper towel between my cheese cloth and paper filter when I filter my syrup or are paper towels not recommended? Any help is appreciated as I'll be filtering in a couple hours!

[OldManMaple]

I would not consume anything filtered through a paper towel. They are bleached, dyed, etc. You could let it settle until you have a proper filter.

[Troutman10]

Thank you for your help! This is my second year...an exciting one at that. Maybe I can slip a coffee filter in between that layers described. Will a regular white coffee filter fill the roll? Thanks in advance!

[Asthepotthickens]

Trust me on this one, buy a cotton filter and afew paper pre filters. Worth every dime.

[wnybassman]

I think you'll be happy with the results just stacking a few pre filters, and the hot syrup goes through pretty good.

[sbingham]

"Asthepotthickens" hit it right on the head.
Invest in an Orlon Filter and some paper pre-filters.
They do a great job, the orlon filters and be rinsed out and if needed, run through the washing machine with no detergent and they look good as new.
Paper towels and coffee filters are hard to work with and don't do a good job.
I went to the hardware store and bought a 1/8 or 3/16 diameter steel rod - 3' long or so - bent it around a 5 gallon bucket to form a hoop, then cut a piece of dowel for a handle. Drilled out the end of the dowel so so both ends of the wire fit in it.
Kind of looks like a "crude" landing net - put the orlon filter on the hoop and it makes it very easy to filter your syrup without burning yourself.

[Richard Gress]

Sack 3 or for pre-filters on top of the cloth and slide out one at a time as the syrup flow startd to flow. To clean, place them dirt side down on top of a grated wire cookie cooling rack and hose off in the sink with hot water. Wash out your syrup finishing pot out. Fill with water, and boil the fliters. You will be amazed.