At what point should you look for a filter press?

[Nobrihaven Farm]

Okay everyone - I'm real new to this entire process. Last year I had a stainless steel pan made for my barrel stove (with the standard Vogelzang stove kit). Was hoping to produce somewhere near 10 gallons because my wife, the 3 kids and I go through so much - we usually consume a gallon a month:o . But we use it in everything - its basically our substitute for sugar. But last year only made 2 1/2 gallons - I was so depressed. We tap around 85 trees. Anyway - my question was - last year we used coffee filters for our first 8 or so batches....then bought a cotton cone filter. We had quite a bit of residue in our mason jars, and after looking at this site - its appears filtering is a big quality control. So what would you recommend - to look for a hand filter press - if so, where do you find them? Thanks for any and all help!!

[Daves Maple Farm]

Daryl Sheets make a great little 5 inch filther press, hand operated for around 850 I think. Would work great for you. Give him a call 814 337 0103. Geat man to talk too!
Dave

[blac]

If money was not an issue I would have one, but try two pre filter inside your cotton filter and slide the cotton into another. You can change out when it gets really slow, we bottle in glass and it looks great! Patience is key when filtering... my2¢

[Nobrihaven Farm]

If money was not an issue I would have one, but try two pre filter inside your cotton filter and slide the cotton into another. You can change out when it gets really slow, we bottle in glass and it looks great! Patience is key when filtering... my2¢

The same goes for me - money right now is a big issue, so 850 is out of my league at this point. Where do you get pre filter's? Thanks for the info!!

[Nobrihaven Farm]

Do you ever see used hand filter presses anywhere?

[blac]

If you have a place you buy your supplies nearby they should have them, if not google maple syrup pre filters and pick a place. There is also some good info on here if you use the search feature on filtering. Some don't have any problems with filtering others do or it could be one year and not the next. I'm no expert by any means but I believe the niter changes year to year.

[mustanger]

I struggled through about the same process as you have already. When I first started, I tried a variety of filtering schemes. Coffee filters, funnel with a filter pad in it. Went out and bought a cone filter with pre-filters, tried that. Each step was an improvement, but I still had niter. I made a flat filter and that worked the best, but still, niter. I finally broke down and bought filter press from Daryl. I bought some filter aid and tried it out with some syrup from last year. Heated it, filtered it, NO NITER. That press is worth every penny. Kinda hard to come up with that chunk of money, but I don't have any regrets. Last price I heard was 825, but that might have changed or shipping might make it higher. Call Daryl and talk to him no matter what you do. He is a great, down to earth, reasonable fellow to talk to. I think I must have talked his ear off the last time I saw him. That was when I got my press. If you don't want to spring for the press just yet, then you can get some pretty good results with a flat filter. You can make your own with a frame with some wire mesh stapled to it and overlay it with a layer of filter, several layers of prefilter and use filter aid to help you get a better job done. You can get the filters and the aid from places like Bascom's. Several of teh maple syrup supply places have it.

[mustanger]

Do you ever see used hand filter presses anywhere?

I looked for a used one for a long time before I broke down and bought Daryl's press. I didn't find any. I'm sure they're probably out there, but not very obvious.

[stoweski]

Where do you get pre filter's? Thanks for the info!!

Drive across the bridge(s) to Swanton and pick up a few at Leader!

Flat filters do work quite well though. I use 2-3 prefilters first, pulling them off as they get gunked up. For glass bottling I use a new synthetic flat filter with new prefilters. I've been getting good results with that. If I'm bottling in plastic I use the filters I've used previously for glass. Not sure if it makes a difference but I haven't noticed any sediment in the glass bottles yet.

[adk1]

I am still using cone filters and will start each season with 2 new cone filters and 10 new prefilters.. can never get the cone filters totally free from grime

[Nobrihaven Farm]

Thank you for all the info everyone!!! Right now I'm in love with this website!!!

I have a few more questions. The first is niter? What is that? Is that what you call all of the black grime in the unfiltered syrup? The second question I have is in regards to my cotton cone filter. It seems like so much syrup gets lost in its fibers - is that typical? Should I expect it - it hurts so bad to boil for hours on end and leave that much behind, but if that's common than I can't complain. Thanks again!!

[adk1]

yes, that black slimy stuff or gritty stuff is niter. IT will also accumulate in the pans of the same color or even a white "sugar sand" best to remove it with periodic rinsing and cleaning of the pans as it will create a hot spot there and give an off flavor to your syrup.
I use a cone filter with several prefilters. when the prefilters get clogged, I dump what syrup is left from the top prefilter into the bottom prefilter and it continues to filter easily. you will have some syrup left in your cone but is shouldnt be allot. You could squeeze it out if you would like back into your pans

[blac]

You definitely have a lot of great answers here that should get you on the road to better quality syrup. A filter press is #1 on my list of future upgrades for sure. Your addiction will grow!

[maple flats]

At 10 gallons for personal use I would not buy a filter press. The filters made for syrup are either Orlon (synthetic) or wool (natural). Most use orlon. Never wring out a filter, just squeeze it . When using, place the filter (either cone or flat) in position, then use 4 or 5 pre-filters. As each pre filter clogs, carefully slide it out and let the next do the rest. Repeat if necessary. As you remove a pre filter, slowly slide it out with the remaining syrup flowing to the next pre filter. After liberating the pluged one, find a way to hang it over the others to slowly drain/leach thru. To improve the clarity, some add Filter Aid, just like for a filter press. This will result in clearer syrup. To do that, before filtering the syrup, make sure it is hot (190-200 is good). Then stir in 2 cups of FA. When blended, just pour theblend onto the filters as described above. When done, the FA will be on top of the filter, along with the sugar sand. Just rinse the pre filters, and filter, squeeze, don't wring, and hang to dry. To wash, only use good clean water, change water until it stays clear after rinsing the filters in it.
Good luck!
You should also realize, the sediment is excess minerals that were in the sap, that precipitated out. As long as you are using no lead bearing equipment, while it may be unsightly, it'll hurt nothing.
Another method some use, is just let the syrup settle in clean covered containers. Then pour off the clear slowly, and combine the remainder with the others and let settle again. Repeating this and letting it settle 2-4 weeks each time, after 2 or 3 times, you will have a vast majority of the sugar sand removed. Then heat to 180-190 and bottle it.

[mike z]

What little remains in my cone filter at the end of the day gets gently squeezed into a quart jar that I keep in the fridge. I just keep adding to it as the season progresses. I don't like to loose a single drop. Sometimes I have a small amount at the bottom of the filter that just won't go; that ends up in the jar to.

[Rhino]

I do what maple flats suggested how some producers filter. Since there is way to much going on, and things to do during the season, We don't even think about the bottleing part until everything is done and put away. This gives the syrup that we are going to bottle the chance to settle out so that what i am filtering, is pretty much rid of the thick niter that clogs filters fast. I bottle around 280 gal. every year useing a combination of a prefilter, a orlon cone filter secured to the end of the output pipe on the heater, then through a flat filter that is covering my canner. I do 20 to 22 gal. per batch and on some days when it rains, and i can't do my regular job, i do 6 batches. I know you probably don't want to reheat your syrup but if you want to filter quickly with just orlon this is the way to do it. Syrup just flies through the filters, I have a 18 gal. square canner so when i hit the output valve from the overhead heater, I have to do at least 2 gal. of quarts right away or risk haveing the canner run over. Another advantage is since such a large amount of hot syrup is filling the canner, i never have to start the heat on the canner, it stays hot right up to the end. (i usually finish with quarts and not small containers to make sure i get good heat at the end yet). Syrup comes out crystal clear because the filters don't have much niter to filter out in the first place, and i am running it through 3 different filters.

[lafite]

in a good year, I can make up to 15 gallons. Last year, I saved and bought a filter press. It was the best thing I ever did. 2 hours of filtering and "almost" fights in the kitchen with my wife turned into less than 10 minutes of filtering batches of 2-3 gallons of finished syrup. The best thing is the price of the press doesn't depreciate over time. If I ever decided to call it quits, I could get close to the current market rate for selling it.