How Much Filter Aid?

[Paddymountain]

I purchased a used 5" hand pump press this spring and have been using it to re-bottle some bulk syrup. I've been mixing in a cup of filter aid when my syrup gets to 200
and running it through the press. I'm only using 3 plates; each waffle and cake. somehow I'm pushing filter aid into my finished syrup. We had to tear the press down and
put new papers in it ,after that our syrup looks great. I'm thinking when I re-bottle the next time I'm going to try not using any filter aid and see what happens. It's nice
to be able to try the press when we're not under the gun like in the spring! but we need to get the bugs worked out now.
thanks

[maple flats]

On a 7" press I use 1.5 cups for syrup right off the evaporator (when using 3 plates), when re-bottling I use about 3/4 cup if the syrup looks clear, 1 cup if not. A 5" press is 1/2 the surface area (7x7=49, 5x5=25) so I suggest you use 1/2 what I do. Do not use it without filter aid, that is what does the filtering, the papers will not filter, they have pores larger than any fine sugar sand but smaller than the filter aid. You should generally mix filter aid with a proportionally larger ratio for the initial syrup being filtered, and then mix more in the rest at a lower FA concentration. On a 5" press you might use 1/4 cup on the first half gal, filter that and then add 2 or 3 more gal, mix another 1/4 cup and filter that. The basic ideas is to coat the papers with a filter cake before you filter more at a lower concentration of FA. Also, be sure to run the initial mix back into the mixed blend being filtered until it is crystal clear, then start filtering into your canning pot (or whatever you use. You may need to experiment some with the amo9unt to use, but you were using extra extra at 1 cup for previously filtered syrup, likely even more than needed for unfiltered syrup with a 5" press.

[Paddymountain]

That's what I'm thinking; too much DE. After I pull the papers and change them ,there is still a small amount of filter aid in my syrup before I run it through the press. Next time I"ll try a 1/4 cup and see what happens. Other than that I'm doing as you say recirculating back into the batch with the filter aid in til it runs clear

[relseek]

Just out of curiosity do you need to use a filter press when using filter aid or will it work with cone type filters as well?

[Mountain Winds Farm]

before we went to the filter press we used filter aid with our flat filters and definitely made a big difference in filtering time