Syrup finishing/filter : quick question

[smokeyamber]

Ok, is this a good method ?

- pull near syrup off evap
- finish to correct density on gas / stove
- filter and cool...
- re-heat to close 190 deg
- filter
- bottle

Steps in red are the question...I always seem have a bit of sediment and while I don't mind this year I may be trading some syrup for stuff and would like it as clear as possible...I think the step in red gets the last of the niter ?

Advice appreciated...

[northwoods_forestry]

One filter step more than needed I think. Filter after finishing and then package at 180-190 deg. As long as you filter well and don't reheat above 200 when you package there shouldn't be any additional niter formation.

Good Luck.

[smokeyamber]

So you would not do the reheat/ filter ? So you filter after finishing , do you let it cool to 190 before filtering ?

[Zamkev]

Last year when I finished my syrup, I filtered through a cone filter into a 5 gallon filter tank and bottled straight away. The syrup was very hard to filter (last yr especially), and by the time the last of it got through it was under 180. I bottled anyway and kept those bottles for myself as an experiment. I got some small mold build-up between the syrup level and the cap.

I don't want that to happen again, so I was also thinking of finishing, filtering, cooling, re-heating to 185-190, filtering and then bottling.

Here are the follow-up questions, further to SmokeyAmber's question.....
1. Will the niter build-up occur at re-heating to 185-190?
2. Will the filtering after re-heating go much faster the second time around and thus retain enough heat in the filter tank to bottle?

Thx.

[Pibster]

The hotter the syrup, the easier it filters. I filter directly into a coffee urn, allow it to cool to 185, and then bottle immediately. I think you could safely reheat the syrup to 185 without niter forming so there would be no reason to filter a 2nd time.

[bowhunter]

This guy does some nice video's on youtube that might be helpful. He may be on the forum...not sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64jxWzUvT3s&list=SPD926B48780E9DA36&index=3

[smokeyamber]

So you can get to finish temp say 219... filter and then bottle at 190 without filtering and not get any niter ?

Last year I filtered right after hitting finish mark, and got niter, just trying to avoid it this year... maybe my filtering was the issue, I used a prefilter and a flat synthetic filter.

[wnybassman]

This guy does some nice video's on youtube that might be helpful. He may be on the forum...not sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64jxWzUvT3s&list=SPD926B48780E9DA36&index=3

Not sure I agree with his "the only reason it's cloudy is because it is hot" statement though. lol

[Zamkev]

Just for clarity......

If I re-heat to 185-190 after finishing and filtering I won't get any niter right?

Anyone?
thx.

[SevenCreeksSap]

I'm doing exactly the steps Smokeyamber described - except- the last filter in red on his list. we've started using the double stock pot method with water in the bigger pot to heat the syrup, same concept as a water jacketed bottler. then pour it immediately off into our water heater(coffee urn) bottler and bottle without filtering again. Using the water to heat the syrup seems to do the trick and not cause niter, because as I understand its the hot spots you get on the bottom of a pan from direct heat/flame contact that cause the niter to reform. we bottle into plastic jugs so its hard to tell, but I always get the very last 1/2 pint from the bottler, which would be the dregs, and pour it off into glass so I can see the color and check the batch for niter. Have not had any in a batch yet, so I think it's working.

Its definitely easier to let the syrup filter on the flat filter after finishing and not worry about rushing to bottle it right then. I've even been storing it until I get a couple of gallons to bottle at once.

[Middleton Maples]

As I boil in the sap house, I draw off small batches of syrup at a time till I get about 2-3 gallons then bring it right to the garage and filter it. I draw off about a quart every 15 minutes so the syrup stays hot. After I get some syrup in bulk I then put it in a gas/stove bring it to boiling and get it perfectly to syrup with the hydrometer. I then filter again and immediately jar it after it filters. I have never seen mold in my syrup :cool:

[northwoods_forestry]

We filter at finish temp - 219 +/- and the filtered syrup goes directly to the canner. We then reheat to 180-195 (in a non-water jacket canner) and then pack it. No niter and no spoilage issues yet.

[bowhunter]

Does anyone see a difference in niter formation based on how hard you boil? I just got some pine scrap 3-4 boils ago and it will really get hot. I noticed that when I boiled as hard as I could the niter formation seemed to increase significantly. This makes sense, but wasn't sure if that's what really happens.

[Too Tall]

I finish at 219 +/- then filter through a cloth filter. Usually by the time it's all filtered through the temp is 160 or so. Then I bring it back up to 180 and filter again. Then I bring it back up to 180 and bottle it.

Maybe that's one extra filter step but I don't ever get niter this way. I did when I skipped that second filter step.

[smokeyamber]

Thanks to all for the feedback, I hear both methods, one of not doing the second filter and one that does a second filtering working for different people. I have had niter with the one filter method after finishing so I guess I will try the following :

1 - draw off at near syrup - I do filter this via a orlon pre-filter... get big stuff out
2. - reheat and finish, then let cool down to below boiling... say 160ish
3. - re-heat to 190, filter and store. I will be cooling it down and storing in a food grade bucket in freezer for later bottling as I don't have time to bottle this season, I will do it later after the dust... err mud dries ;)

[chief613]

would it be safe to say you should filter at or below 200 to avoid niter ??

[smokeyamber]

That's kinda my real question... seems it can't hurt to not let it boil again before bottling if you have already finished the syrup.

[sugarin' in the hood]

If you already filtered and have it in storage prior to bottling I would heat to 185 and bottle, much hotter than that gets the niter involved again. 180 kills the germs in the bottle and if you turn the bottle upside down it takes care of the air space and cover.