small producer and filter press.

[PerryFamily]

Back ground: I have a flat filter / canner setup as well as a 7" hand filter press. Last year I used only the flat filters but would like to use the press this year.

I am looking for the chain of events as far as filtering with the press. My evaporator makes about 1.5 gallons of finished syrup an hour.

keeping in mind the above info:

1) Do you filter each draw so it is hot or save up syrup and filter all at once?

2) How / what do you re-heat with if filtered at once ?

3) Whats the optimum temperature to press with ?

4) Is it better to press and cat directly after so as to not have to re-heat?

Any and all info and ideas are appreciated.

Looking to make a great product with as few steps / re-heating as possible.

Pictures would be great.

Thanks in advance.

[Dennis H.]

The best way is to filter as it comes off the evap.
Now since you are only getting 1.5 gals and hour I would think that it might be best to wait till you have maybe at least 5 gals and reheat.
I imagine that that all doesn't come off at once so it will cool down as you draw off syrup and will not be at optinmal temp to run thru the filter press.
You want the syrup hot, at least 180. It will go thru the press easier if it is hot.

Here is what I do.
I will draw off syrup till I get about 5 gals. I then take that into the kitchen and reheat it and check for correct density. I usually draw off heavy, it is alot easier to correct heavy syrup then it is to correct light syrup.
Once it is at correct density and I have the temp at about 185 I dump in filter aid. About 1/2cup per gal of syrup. I stick the filter press suction hose into the pan of syrup and while pumping the filter press I hold the outlet hose so that the syrup will recirculate back into the pan. This does 2 things. 1st it precharges the filter press with filter aid and 2nd it helps bring the filter press up to temp so that it won't cool off the syrup as it goes thru it.
I do this for maybe 1 minute, then I run the filtered syrup into my bottler. I let the syrup come back up to about 185 in the bottler and then jug it up.

You want to be sure to get the filter aid into the filter press first. So once you stir it into the syrup just wait a few moments for it to settle out a little then start pumping it thru the press.

[PerryFamily]

Dennis- Your procedure sounds like what I was thinking. I just wont take it to the house to heat before filtering. I can do it right in the sugarhouse. Sounds like I need to find or build a pan for mixing in DE and re-heating. Will need to be shaped so the syrup will flow to one low point easily with a thermometer probe and a burner under it. Maybe even a rack for flat filters to catch the big crap before pressing?

Question? Once the press is "charged" with the initial DE, is more added before the final filtering into the cannerr?

once all the syrup is filtered you flush out the sweet with hot sap into the flue pan?

Thanks

[wiam]

Question? Once the press is "charged" with the initial DE, is more added before the final filtering into the cannerr?

once all the syrup is filtered you flush out the sweet with hot sap into the flue pan?


If you are doing more than the five gallons you will want more DE.

I flush my press with 3-4 gallons on permeate back into the flue pan.

[Dennis H.]

Once the 1st batch has gone thru you will still need to add some filter aid but not as much as what you added to precharge the press.

As for clean up, I have my filter press on a cart with wheels and I wheel it out to the evap.

I Stick the inlet hose into the flue pan and then hold the outlet hose in the flue pan float box. I then start pumping, I will continue pumping until what I am sucking into the filter press looks like what is coming out.
I now feel like I got as much sweet out as I could.

[PerryFamily]

Any Idea about how long it takes to filter 5-8 gallons with the 7" hand press ?

Also if I was to fabricate a filter press tank, is there a certain type, grade or finish of stainless that would work best ?

[Indiana-Jones]

Dennis, after you have filtered the 5 to 7 gallons and cleared the sweet back into the flue pan, do you change the filter paper in the press and start all over? In my case I may only boil about every three days.

[Dennis H.]

Yes I throw out the papers and give the press a quick clean and put new papers back in so it is ready for the next batch.

[wiam]

Perry, how many hollow plates in your 7 inch press. Most days I draw about 20 gallons and only run 4 hollow plates. When I start I usually know about how much will be made that boil. It save me a few papers. Later in the season I have to use more as it filters harder.

[Gary R]

I am in a similar situation as to where I make only 2 gal. per night. I also hold it until I have at least 5 gal. to filter. My press in in the house (home) and not by the evaporator. When I break the press down I capture the syrup and save it for the next filtering. They make tanks for filtering out of but you can't heat them. I just had a pan built. Use 304 stainless. I used 20ga. My pan will hold 12 gal. I is rectangle and built to fit the 2 burner Explorer camp stove I bought. I will have to tip the pan to get the last of the syrup out of it. You can hang a thermometer over the edge. Remember that it takes a fair amount of heat to reheat 5+ gal. in a big pan.

[PerryFamily]

Wiam- My press is a wes-fab 7" short bank. I think it has 3 or 4 hollow plates. Not sure without looking. I think I might just build a stainless tank with a welded nipple to feed the press. I like the cart idea. I would like to put the burner on there too. There were some small stainless pans on craigslist but I cant find them. I actually have a cart and burner so with some fabrication and a pan I just mighf have something.

[Dennis H.]

I got my small cart from Harbor Freight when it was on sale.
It is one of those red work carts, something about 18"x24"
The only mod' that I did to it was I mounted the top shelf upside down so as I had a flat surface to set the filter press.
I keep my filter aid and papers on the bottom shelf. I also made up some clamps/hooks to hold the hoses off the floor.

When I was at the LEME, I think it was Fri night, Glenn Goodrich answered a question about the importance of using a filter press.
He mentioned that He uses a custom made pan/tank that he uses to feed the filter press. The bottom is and upside down pyramid. He says with this design after dumping in the filter aid and waiting a few moments the filter aid will have settled down into the point of the tank and what is drawn out first will be filter aid that will be used to pre-charge the filter press prior to the majority of the syrup hitting the filter press.

Cool idea but I can't figure an easy way to heat the syrup if it cools off.

[PerryFamily]

My thought exactly. Bill masons web site shows his fiter tanks are exactly as you describe and pretty reasonably priced. But the farmer in me says I can build that. I have all the toolin ti do so. But by the time you figure out labor it is probably cheaper to just buy one from him.
As far as heating this is where I get stumped too. That is where I might tig weld in the plumbing so you could put heat under it? But with the funnel shape it might make really uneven heat distribution? Maybe if the pan was larger and less deep, the heat would be more even but still have it funnel shaped just not so deep / steep.

[ClarkFarmMapleSyrup]

Wait I think I have an Idea if your a tinkerer and have a hood and preheater on your evap. Have a pan that has another pan below it, like a steamer and have that water pan have an inlet and outlet. Plumb your condensate into that and let it flow through that little pan, and ontop of it youll have your syrup and de pan. 200 degree condensate has to help syrup stay warm right?? :rolleyes: Not sure if this is a good idea or not but it crossed my mind so I thought I'd share.

[lastwoodsman]

I got my small cart from Harbor Freight when it was on sale.
It is one of those red work carts, something about 18"x24"
The only mod' that I did to it was I mounted the top shelf upside down so as I had a flat surface to set the filter press.
I keep my filter aid and papers on the bottom shelf. I also made up some clamps/hooks to hold the hoses off the floor.

When I was at the LEME, I think it was Fri night, Glenn Goodrich answered a question about the importance of using a filter press.
He mentioned that He uses a custom made pan/tank that he uses to feed the filter press. The bottom is and upside down pyramid. He says with this design after dumping in the filter aid and waiting a few moments the filter aid will have settled down into the point of the tank and what is drawn out first will be filter aid that will be used to pre-charge the filter press prior to the majority of the syrup hitting the filter press.

Cool idea but I can't figure an easy way to heat the syrup if it cools off.

Dennis
Thanks for the tip, I have been looking for a cart with locking wheels for Daryls press in my price range and there is a harbor freight a few miles from my house.
Did you get the two shelf cart or three?

Woodsman

[Dennis H.]

I got the 2 shelf version.
It was what was on sale at the time.

[lastwoodsman]

Here is what they have on sale now.

http://www.harborfreight.com/16-inch-x-30-inch-steel-service-cart-5107.html

Looks like it will work--I will ck it out on the way home today..

Woodsman

[Dennis H.]

Thats the one I got, I wasn't sure the exact size in the last post but that is it right there.

If you want a flat work surface on top just flip the top shelf and you are goos to go.

[PerryFamily]

I think I may have it. Going to use a stainless milk dump station. Modify the bottom so it will drain completely. I think the bottom is flat enough so the heat should be fairly even. Mount it all on a cart and wallah! Filter press with a heated tank. Sounds like a winter project.

[heus]

Wiam- My press is a wes-fab 7" short bank. I think it has 3 or 4 hollow plates. Not sure without looking. I think I might just build a stainless tank with a welded nipple to feed the press. I like the cart idea. I would like to put the burner on there too. There were some small stainless pans on craigslist but I cant find them. I actually have a cart and burner so with some fabrication and a pan I just mighf have something.

Perry that is the filterpress that I plan on getting. How much syrup can you filter through it before it plugs up?

[PerryFamily]

heus- I have no idea. i have yet to use it. I really wanted to convert it to electric but after talking to bascoms I think I would be better off to use the hand pump one for this year then sell it and get the 7" expandable electric version. When buying new they are only $400 difference. The pump alone is over $300 I think.
They kinda intimidated me at first but the more I read and talk to people I think it will be great. I just want to set it up so I dont have to handle anymore than I have too.

[heus]

Ok thanks. I didnt realize that you hadnt used it yet.

[PerryFamily]

No problem. I would like to know that info as well. Like how long it would take to filter 5-8press gallons? I know as the season goes it will take longer but just a ballpark.
Also how long does de and filters last? That bag looks pretty big.
Thanks.

[wiam]

I make around 400 gallons (normal season) and use about 3/4 of a 50lb bag. My 7" press is electric. When I use 4 plates I can run about 15-20 gallons thru early season. Gets worse later and I then use more plates.

[Shaun]

What is the least amount of plates you can use? Say you only had 5 gallons to filter, can you use 2 solids and just 1 waffle plate? The short banks only have 3 waffles and 4 hollow plates,seems as if you had very little syrup to can it might work?