Finish process

[Diesel Pro]

I have approx 2.5 gallons near syrup tested at 56.6 brix. It got late and we just threw in the towel at this point. Now I need to finish and bottle

If I follow correctly this will work:

Cook the near syrup until finished.

Filter into another container.

Warm finished and filtered syrup back to 180° and dispense into bottles this time no need to filter again provided heat is kept steady and not excessive.

Am I on the right track here?

Contemplating splitting into batches and finishing on the induction cooktop, but I'm worried about scorching.

[wnybassman]

I'd bring it back to the 185º to 188º range. 180º is just the minimum.

The rest sounds good!

[Diesel Pro]

OK so I am correct in my thinking that it is far better to filter in bulk then dispense to bottles w/o filter?

[wnybassman]

OK so I am correct in my thinking that it is far better to filter in bulk then dispense to bottles w/o filter?

Yep, filter the finished syrup just before you bring back to bottling temps, and bottle. The more you can pour into your filter at once, the better it will filter. When my syrup becomes finished, I turn off the burner, wait 10 or 15 seconds to let it stop boiling, then pour the whole works (often 1 to 1 3/4 gallons) right into the filter. My filters sit right in my coffee urn bottler, so as soon as I pour it in, I start bottling out of the spigot.

[PerryW]

Cook syrup until finished (check w. hydrometer HOT TEST)

Immediately pour the whole batch throuh the filter into an insulated container with a spicket (wrap towels around the container for insulation if necessary).

Start filling the bottles immediately.

Stop filling the bottles when the temp drops below 185.

Put any remaining syrup (that dropped below 185) into a container and refrigerate.

NOTE: I use 185 instead of 180 to allow for any cooling that occurs before the cap gets screwed on the container.

[Diesel Pro]

Suggestions for a 3 gallon or so "dispensery"?

I have a turky cooker pot with a spigot, but the spigot will not allow total evacuation. Not even close. I hope to have a pot built with the drain nipple right on the bottom.

[psparr]

Suggestions for a 3 gallon or so "dispensery"?

I have a turky cooker pot with a spigot, but the spigot will not allow total evacuation. Not even close. I hope to have a pot built with the drain nipple right on the bottom.

Coffee urn. Works great and keeps syrup at temp.

[Eric in Kinburn]

Coffee urn. Works great and keeps syrup at temp.

I heard that coffee urns may "burn" or heat up the syrup too much close to the heating coil. Any truth to that in your experience?

[wnybassman]

I heard that coffee urns may "burn" or heat up the syrup too much close to the heating coil. Any truth to that in your experience?

I have not noticed it myself. You need to run the urn through its brewing cycle with water in it. When it clicks into the warming mode, you dump the water, give it a shake out, then pour the finished syrup right into it. I put my filters on the urn and filter right into it. As long as the syrup is right near the temp the urn holds temp at, there shouldn't be any noticeable niter being formed. When the urn is originally plugged in, use an extension cord so you can move about the kitchen after the water has been dumped so you don't have to unplug it. Once unplugged, the brewing cycle begins again.

[psparr]

[QUOTE=Once unplugged, the brewing cycle begins again.[/QUOTE]

Mine just has a temp sensor so after the brew cycle I can unplug and re plug without it going back through cycle.

[wnybassman]

Mine just has a temp sensor so after the brew cycle I can unplug and re plug without it going back through cycle.

That's cool, wish mine did. Actually I wish it just had the warming element that you could switch too or something from the get go.

[to100]

So Psparr what brand and model of coffee urn?

[psparr]

An old west bend, doesn't have and markings. Sorry.

[jnmartin]

If it's filtered hot at 60 brix then finished, will niter continue to precipitate out during the finishing to 66-67 brix?

[psparr]

Yes. Niter will form above 190 degrees. It won't hurt to filter almost syrup and get most niter out but you'll have to filter again when finished.

[Diesel Pro]

Took me all morning, but I got most of it filtered and bottled. I did the cotton cloth method, but found they plugged after a pint or so. By the time I was done my brix was across 70. I need to retest, but it was perfect to start.

I'm going to have the coffee filter as well as jelly bag on hand for next batch. I alsi have some prefilters and orlon bag filters. They are just so darn big and awkward.

[Run Forest Run!]

Diesel Pro, when I use the prefilters I fold over the tops a few times (like making a cuff) so that I don't have all of that extra material getting in my way. Otherwise I'm sure I'd bump it while filling and topple the whole thing over, hot syrup and all.

[to100]

So deisel pro when you say across 70, what temperature where you at? To me as I understand it you where at 60 then you may get sugar crystals in your jar. Correct me if I am wrong.

[Diesel Pro]

I tested with digital refractometer and it runs at 71 strong. I haven't tried any yet, only a drop or two off a butter knife, but I just sent some to family to test. My guess is we may end up cutting a bit.

Next batch I plan to have my filtering setup down pat so I don't have to try to hold at temp so long.

[maine guide]

I found a used coffee urn at my local junk store in a box for $5. I followed the instructions shown here and I tell you it worked great. I was using the synthetic cloth cone filters. The syrup had sat on the stove for a couple of days cause I had broken my hydrometer and had to drive to the sap supply store to get another one. The niter and funk had settled in the bottom of the batch and after I filtered 2 gallons perfectly. I looked at that slop in the bottom of the pot. It was nasty thick and muddy . I figured lets see what happens got a new hot wet filter and poured the sludge in the coffee urn. Out came 2 more pints of almost perfect syrup. clear no niter. There was at least a cup of nasty brown niter stuff in the filter but the syrup was perfect. I know this was only one run but I think anyone who has problems filtering should hit some yard sales this season and pick up a coffee urn. I could not believe how well it worked for me.

[Diesel Pro]

So i went and did it. Bought a Filter press. I am thoroughly impressed with how crystal clear my syrup is now!

Now I just need to work on a bottling solution and add a bit of capacity to the Turkey cooker.

Last night I did 27 pts through the press then finished off another batch of 21 pts and ran it through too without major issues. The press had cooled down between batches, but I went slow and let it warm back up and it handled it well.

Right now I use the same pot for both finishing and bottling. I'm hoping to get a pair of pots that handle closer to 10 gallons w/o splatter. One with a ball valve for finishing and feeding the filter press and the other with a dripless faucet for bottling. Both would be deep bottom draw.

[ForFun]

Diesel Pro,

Where did you pick up the filter press...Maple Hollow?
I collect and cook sap in Mosinee and am looking into getting a filter press as well.

Thanks