Sedimentation/Settling instead of Filtering?

[buck3m]

I have a dream, and in that dream every bit of the syrup I can has absolutely no sugar sand in it.

I only made 35 gallons this year, and am just in it for the fun, and I find it very frustrating to find some sugar sand in my canned syrup half the time. Yes, I guess I don't need to can in glass.

Years ago we used the method of letting the finished syrup sit in a milk can for two weeks, then we'd pour off the top until we could see some sugar sand appear. We'd heat to 180+ and can. Seemed to work great.

Now, doing our best with muslin then paper filters then cone filters, it seems sand frequently sneaks in. It's a lot more work to filter, and it seems less effective for us.

Does anyone else use sedimentation instead of filtering? If so, how do you do it?

Personally, I'd much rather have slightly darker syrup from using sedimentation (then reheating to can), than lighter syrup with some sugar sand in it.

What do you think of letting the finished syrup settle in 5-gallon water cooler bottles?

Any other comments or ideas?

[mountainvan]

took some syrup off the top of a 15-20gal batch that's been sitting for two weeks unfiltered in a 30 gal pot. still some fine particles that will need to be filtered out, but filtering should be much easier until the bottom of the pot. then what I'm not sure. I see a filter press under the christmas tree, just what my wife wanted.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Van,

Maple guys have one for $ 770, can't be that price! :D

[cropseyvillemark]

I'm wondering.What size batches of product would you need for the size unit that is on sale?

[John Burton]

all depends ,I can get around 10 gal through in one batch on avg. probably wouldnt want less than 2 gal to fire it up .or to do smaller batches just remove a plate and frame. eliminates alot of time and misery

[buck3m]

It's funny, but I've talked to two sellers of Orlon filters and explained how sugar sand still gets through their filters at times. They replied that it's sometimes just the nature of the game with cone filters.

It's been my personal experience (in maybe 8 seasons of making a few gallons a year) that the sugar sand always does settle out for me, given enough time.

Since the "public" I talk to likes darker syrup, and filtering takes much more time, and is much more ineffective than sedimentation for me, I'm going to can all my syrup in five gallon jugs next spring, let it settle until fall (I live in Alaska and can't wait around) and then can it in smaller containers.

If I remember, I'll try to post here again and let you know how the plan worked!

[VA maple guy]

Buck3m, I let my syrup sit for a couple of weeks and then I filter it.
It filters alot easier and I don't have to stack up as many prefilters.
At the end of the season, I take all the sugar sand and left over syrup in the sand and pour it into one container, let sit for a few weeks and filter it.