cloudy syrup using filter press

[BoarsNest]

First year for using a filter press and we had clear syrup last weekend this weekend it's cloudy. Everything seemed to be the same. What could we have done wrong?

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

couple things come to mind. One is that if you reheated syrup after using filter press above 195, it could have caused the cloudiness. Two, if it was the first batch through the filter press for the day, it could come out cloudy if you don't run syrup back into itself til DE is caught in filter. I'm not 100 % as the same thing happened to me on a batch. I'd be interested to learn other opinions.

[maple flats]

Along with the reheating aspect,a couple of things come to mind. First, did you pre charge the press? To do this, mix the DE into the syrup and then run it through the filter and back into the same pot. Keep recirculating until the syrup is crystal clear. Then move the filter discharge to your canner. I prefer to do this without stopping the flow by using a pitcher to catch it while I move the hose to the canner (or the barrel), then I dump the pitcher back into the syrup to be filtered. I do this because a few times I found some cloudiness from stopping and starting the filter. Another cause can be a small hole in a filter paper (blowout, less likely). If this is the case the cloudiness will usually be heavy. This needs to b refiltered since DE can be in the product. Also, did you use enough DE? on mine I run about 4 gal to charge the press with 2 heaping cups of DE (even more in late season). The the following batches I only usually need 1 heaping cup (I do several batches one after the other for a 20-28 gal total so the filter is still hot. If it cools and sets too long you either need new papers or a new initial charge because of the possibility that the filter cake in the press settled. This new charge won't need to be as much DE as the first however.

[pipeline]

we have seen same thing ! uneducated guess is to high pumping pressure or letting air in while pumping causing pressure surging in press and pushing DE through papers just my thoughts i havent proved it one way or another ! I have seen cloudiness after pumping up at 60 to 80 psi on pump. we just refiltered and was clear.

[Dr. Bucket]

Something else to consider is the sap. Sap from the same grove varies from year to year and throughout the same season. Abrupt weather changes are thought to contribute to the amount of solids in the sap. Perhaps the sap was the root of the cloudiness in your syrup.

I don't think you did anything wrong - don't be discouraged!!

[BoarsNest]

This morning I think it's DE. I have a very fine layer of white forming at the bottom of a mason jar. The pressure was never very high so I wonder if the air in the line was the problem or a bad filter paper. What a waste of good jugs. I probably should keep if for our own use or reheat and try again.

[maplesyrupstove]

Did you have the press together right, one piece backwards makes a mess.I know I did it already , one time. Darrell

[BoarsNest]

I'm pretty sure it was together right. One thing I noticed is the first batch yesterday we had some syrup left in the press. The second batch had hardly any syrup. I don't know if that means anything or not.

[MapleMomma]

It might your filter press. We had problems with ours passing DE through the press. We did all the usual- checked the setup, looked for plates in backward, checked our papers, checked our pressure all with no problem. We finally borrowed a different filter press and ran them side by side and the borrowed filter press only let sparking clear syrup through, while ours was passing DE like crazy and left a half inch of powder in a mason jar. Needless to say, we replaced our filter press.