DE and flat filters

[PerryFamily]

I think I read on here to use DE with flat filters as well as presses ?

If so what ratio of DE to gallon of hot syrup?

Thanks

[Dennis H.]

I used flat filters and filter aid.
I did not use that much filter aid per batch. My batches at the time were about 2 or less. I added maybe 1 cup of filter aid to the batch of syrup.
I gave it a good stir and poured it onto the filters. I did use prefilters along with the felt filter.

[spencer11]

did you think it helped and was worth buying the filter aid?

[Dennis H.]

I think helped out.
Before using the filter aid when I went to filter the syrup the 1st prefilter would stop flowing very quickly.
With the filter aid I made sure I stirred it really good before putting thru the flat filter, I wanted to be sure I gave the filter aid as best a chance to gather the niter/sugarsand.
I very rarely got any sediment to settle out of my syrup doing it this way.


the only down side that I could find to using filter aid was that I could not rinse the filters and prefilters in the flue pan. I didn't want and filter aid getting into the flue pan.
So I lost a little sweet by rinsing them out in the sink.

[spencer11]

Well i might give it a try this season

[PerryFamily]

hi Dennis-

The loss of sweet is what I was wondering. I often rinse my draw off pail with hot sap or water and just put it back into the flue pan. Probably couldnt do that anymore.

As far as the filters, if you pulled the four corners together with all the filtered junk on the inside, tied the filter together really good, could you then rinse in the flue pan?

Maybe not worth the risk.

[maple flats]

Ask Mountainvan, he has a large operation and uses flat filters with filter aid.

[mountainvan]

I got a filter press when I started making 100+ gallons a day. I used 1 cup for 5 gals of syrup. the filter aid helps get more syrup through the filter. I could filter a barrel with one filter.

[sugarsand]

mountainvan, by rinsing over the flues with hot sap do you lose the filter aid into the pan?

sugarsand

[mountainvan]

I've only poured hot water through the filter in the filter rack, but the de stayed in the filter.

[spencer11]

can you clean the DE out of the filters? how do you? cause i dont think you would want to throw the filters away like with a press...