Press by Daryl [Archive] - MapleTrader.com

nymapleguy607

01-23-2014, 09:17 AM

Just curious why everyone goes with Daryl's hand pump over the wees fab pump...is it due to having power available....difference in price us only about 2-300$.
I can only speak for myself but I bought one of Daryl's presses because I like that it was a 5" press vs the 7" wes fab. For a small producer the smaller press seems to be a better fit, Daryl said you can filter around 8-10 gallons before the press plugs depending on the quality of syrup. The short bank wes fab will do closer to 15-20 gallons. I plan on just using a few of the plates and filtering as I take syrup off the evaporator, with the 7" I would need to store unfiltered syrup and then reheat and filter. I don't like the extra step.

butler

01-23-2014, 09:28 AM

Thanks for the info....I am similar to you...around 300 taps, I just want to make sure I by the right press, because I will probably expand in the future....sounds like Daryl's press is the way to go my size operation....

HowardR

03-28-2015, 08:25 PM

Daryl's 5x5 has worked pretty well for me, but I had to learn to use it. I made lots of mistakes along the way, including the following:

1. When using the full press, I tried putting all 4 cups of the diatomaceous earth into the charging fluid (about 1/2 gallon of boiling hot sap mixed with 1/2 cup of diatomaceous earth), instead of saving 3½ cups for the almost-syrup. The purpose of the 1/2 cup of diatomaceous earth in the charging fluid is to pre-heat the press while putting a thin coating of diatomaceous earth on the filters. The bulk of the diatomaceous earth should be stirred in with the almost-syrup. It mixes with the sediment and keeps the sediment from caking within the press into almost-impenetrable barriers.

2. Trying to filter the almost-syrup when it is already syrup. Other people report doing this successfully, but when I have tried it, the syrup doesn’t flow well enough through my filter press.

3. Trying to filter the almost-syrup when it is above boiling temperature. This is very hard on the diaphragm of the pump whose food-safe material is only made to handle temperatures up to 212. Now I filter with the almost-syrup between 180 and 190 degrees.

4. Keeping going even after the filtering has slowed to a trickle. This has been very hard on the filter press pump and its diaphragms. I ended up replacing several diaphragms and even the pump. The proper procedure, when the outflow from the pump slows to a trickle, is to put through some clean hot sap so as not to waste the syrup that is in the press. Then wash the press, install new filter paper, send through the charging fluid again, heat the almost-syrup up to 180, and then finishing pressing.

The Bosworth Company now makes a new pump top and a new diaphragm for their Guzzler pump, which is the pump that Daryl sells as part of his press. Here's the page for the pump on their website:

http://www.thebosworthco.com/pproduct.php?ID=GH-0400N-3

The old diaphragm material was white silicon. The new alternative, which is supposed to last longer, is black Buna-N (Nitrile), which was recently approved by the FDA for food uses.

The new top solves a problem with the old pump because the old tended to go down at an angle, which was one of the reasons why the diaphragms tended to break. The new cast aluminum pump top always goes straight up and down. Not only that, but the new handle is longer, making it easier to put a lot of force into the stroke.

If you want to order the new pump, choose "Edit" next to "Handle Style" on the URL above, and then choose "Horizontal/19 inch/Tethered." You have to buy a whole new pump, but when you get it home, just take the top off your old pump and replace it with the top off the new one.

HowardR

03-29-2015, 10:49 AM

I have never found a good clear description of how people use Daryl's press online, so I thought I would let others know how I do it. Attached is a photo of my upgraded version of Daryl's press along with my accessories:

11445

The picture shows the following from left to right:

1. 15 gallon stainless steel pot that I bought from a beer supply store. It came with a bulkhead near the bottom and a thermometer which measures the temperature of the almost-syrup in the pot. At the end of the bulkhead I have attached a short flexible pipe ending with a 1/2" Male Quick Disconnect. I put my almost-syrup into this pot, add 3 1/2 cups of diatomacous earth, stir using the 2 foot spoon, and press it when it is about 180-190 degrees (pressing above 212 destroys the diaphragm on the filter press's pump). My wife stirs the pot during the 5 minutes it takes me to press it through the filter press.

2. A 1 gallon pot that I use to charge the filter press. I fill it with 1/2 gallon of boiling hot sap into which I have stirred 1/2 cup of diatomatceous earth. Just before I press the almost-syrup through the filter press, I charge the filter press by pressing through the contents of this pot. Doing so pre-heats the press and gives its filter papers a diatomaceous earth coating.

3. Coming out of the top of the pot is a three foot flexible pipe. On the end of the pipe is a 1/2" Male Quick Disconnect that I bought from learntobrew.com. Most people who press using Daryl's press use this pipe for both the charging pot and the almost-syrup pot. Doing so means that you don't have to disconnect the pipe from the filter press at all, which makes the process much simpler. But I bought my 15 gallon pot with a bulkhead from a beer supply store before I realized this.

4. A box of 200 5" Filter Press Papers that I bought online from Atkinson Maple Syrup Supples. Each pressing requires 10 papers, so one 200 paper box should be enough for a season. Daryl's press is set up so that part of the press can be used without using the entire press. For example, up to 1/2 gallon could be pressed through the press with just 2 filter papers and just 1 cup of diatomaceous earth. I normally filter 4 to 7 gallons of syrup at a time and use all 10 filter papers and the full 4 cups of diatomaceous earth.

5. A 10 lb. bag of diatomaceous earth that I bought on E-bay. I use about 10 lbs. each season.

6. My upgraded Daryl Sheets (814-337-0103) filter press. I have replaced the top part of the Guzzler pump that came with the press with an expensive upgraded version made of cast aluminum that I just bought from Bosworth, the maker of the Guzzler pump. On the left side of the press is the inlet pipe which ends in a 1/2 inch Female Disconnect.

7. Under the outlet of the filter press is the ten gallon pot. Before I put it here, I catch the pressed-through charging fluid in a plastic jug (not shown). Then I reheat the charging fluid in the 1 gallon pot, and keep it simmering until I have finished pressing. Then I move this ten gallon pot under the outlet, and press through the almost-syrup. As a last step, I pour the hot charging fluid into the almost-syrup pot and press it through.

8. Then I take the 10 gallon pot into the kitchen, put it on the stovetop and do the final boiling to turn it into syrup.

wnybassman

03-29-2015, 11:11 AM

8. Then I take the 10 gallon pot into the kitchen, put it on the stovetop and do the final boiling to turn it into syrup.

Sooooo, the way I read this is that you boil it to finished density AFTER you press it? Isn't that kind of counterproductive? Wouldn't you need to filter it again?

HowardR

03-29-2015, 11:15 AM

Maybe I get a tiny bit of sediment in my syrup, but it isn't noticeable.

mellondome

03-29-2015, 11:18 AM

You should always filter after you have finished syrup. Not sure what the point is to filter before it is syrup.

HowardR

03-29-2015, 12:41 PM

I always pack into clear glass jars. Even if I pressed syrup, instead of almost-syrup, I would reheat in order to put it into the jars as hot as possible.

Daryl

03-29-2015, 01:04 PM

As soon as I get the new version of the pump in stock, I will be offering that upgrade as a option. The new diaphragm will be a lower price than the white one that it replaces
My correct phone number is 814-337-0103. It is a more direct to get thru.
Daryl

RileySugarbush

03-29-2015, 01:11 PM

We use almost exactly your method with great results. The big difference is we charge/warm with hot condensate water and DE instead of sap. And we always filter slightly over dense syrup at above 190°F. In our experience, any boiling after filter can add cloudiness to the syrup and often does. After filtering, the syrup may be below 180°,so we reheat to over 190° in a water jacket bottler to avoid any local boiling that can happen with direct gas or electric heat. Result: Crystal clear!

We also upgraded to the new pump parts which is a great improvement.

HowardR

03-29-2015, 01:20 PM

There are mixed reports about hand presses in these Maple Trader forums.

Dennis H. reported in a different maple trader forum (http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?11375-5-quot-Filter-Press-by-Daryl/page6) that he had no trouble pressing two gallons of syrup through his press. He wrote:

I had the chance today to try my new 5" filter press that I bought of Daryl up in NW PA.

Man is this thing the cats meow!! I filtered 2 gals of syrup thru it and the syrup came out sparkling.
It was money well spent.

Later in the same thread, he specified the temperature he used:

I heat to 180ish then push thru the filter press into the bottler which brings the syrup back up above 180, I aim for 185. Then bottle.
You will loose some of the heat while filtering so you will most likely will have to warm it up a little to bottle.

But Russell Lampron reports in another maple trader forum (http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?24673-hand-pump-filter-press) having had the same problem that I was having, but with a 7" hand press (not Daryl's 5" press). As a result, he switched from the hand pump that came with the press to an air powered double diaphragm pump. He also reported pressing the syrup above 212, which would be above the recommended temperature for the hand-pump diaphragms. He wrote:

I've got the Wes Fab 7" hand pump filter press. I have replaced the hand pump with an air powered double diaphragm pump now. When I was using it with the hand pump I found that I could get about 5 gallons through it before it was too hard to pump. The trick to filtering with it is to have the syrup at a boil or close to it when you start.

I haven't tried my new hand pump with syrup (instead of almost-syrup); I may never do so. I'm satisfied with the results that I am getting, and so are my customers! I am especially pleased that my present method is quick and easy.

Daryl

03-29-2015, 01:58 PM

Howard,
I see a problem that could cause the syrup to not filter good.
The DE needs to be from a maple supply as the filter aid that you are using may be food grade , it is not for filtering maple syrup. This is something that I have found out talking to maple suppliers.
Filter papers are not all the same and that can present problems. Our maple assoc had a run of papers made to save $ for the producers and they would not filter as well as the original suppliers papers.

HowardR

03-29-2015, 02:05 PM

Daryl,

What filter paper supplier do you recommend?

Daryl

03-29-2015, 02:15 PM

I have papers and CDL also has the papers. They are the same papers.

Dennis H.

03-29-2015, 04:12 PM

Daryl are you saying that there are different food grade filter aid?

maple marc

03-30-2015, 11:17 AM

I have been using Daryl's 5" press for three seasons. It really does make your syrup sparkle. We bottle into glass, and in my experience, attempting to get crystal clear syrup without a filter press and a water jacket canner will bring you a lot of heartache and frustration. Howard, thank you for the notes on the pump upgrade--very interesting, and I look forward to hearing more from Daryl on this. But buying an entire new pump doesn't make a lot of sense, especially at a premium of $150 over the regular one. I have a call in to Bosworth to discuss parts.

But Howard, if you are reboiling your syrup after you filter, you are defeating the purpose of the filter press. Why go to the expense of the press if you aren't bottling perfectly clear syrup? You are destined to created niter during the re-boil. Even simply re-heating to bottling temperature of 180 in a stock pot on a burner usually leads to formation of niter--your clear syrup is ruined. Might as well put it in plastic. Why do so many producers use plastic? It's really easy and it hides a lot of sediment. Plastic is also a lot cheaper. Our premium glass pint bottles now cost more than $3.

But back to the 5" press. I'd like to exchange ideas on how to get more out of this little press. With my late season syrup, I can't get more than about 4.5 gallons through it. I heat it to 200, charge the press with about 1.5 cups of DE in a gallon of syrup, then add about 1/3 of a cup per gallon of syrup to the batch and pump. It's really frustrating to have the pump stop when you still have more syrup in the pot. Taking a hot press apart is a real bummer. Forcing the handle to try to get more through sounds like a bad idea. "Don't force it," my dad taught us as we were growing up on the farm. Best advice he ever gave me. That's why I don't understand a longer handle. Easier to pop the diaphragm? The new design to help the clevis travel more vertically is a good idea, though.

Hoping to hear from more folks. Thanks for sharing ideas. I've learned a lot here, and I'm glad to give back.
Marc

HowardR

03-30-2015, 05:19 PM

maple marc,

I appreciate your input very much. I hope other users post also, maybe even someone who has figured out how to get more than 4.5 gallons of late syrup through the press without problems. Maybe I'll even experiment with it myself!

The new pump could be the solution for four reasons:

1. The handle is longer, permitting more force.

2. The vertically-traveling clevis spreads the force more evenly over the diaphragm.

3. The new black diaphragm material can take more force.

4. The new pump pumps a larger volume of syrup in each stroke, making the job faster. I can't explain why, but if I pause for a minute in the middle of pumping a batch through, when I return the pumping is immediately harder and slower.

Dennis H.

03-30-2015, 09:35 PM

I have one of Daryl's filter presses but I had it converted to a gear pump.
Before converting it I upgraded the hand pump with the cast aluminum top ring that holds the handle. The old plastic top ring would flex and it started to pull out one of the inserts at the handle pivot end.
That solved that problem right away. But I still had trouble with blowing the rubber diaphragm, the filter aid and hot syrup just takes it toll on it.

Now the question about late syrup. Even with a gear pump with a bypass I am currently only able to get about 5 gals thru it before it is done. The sugar sand and niter is just so bad right now. When I tear it down the plates are nice and full of filter aid but the filter is a very dark brown from all the niter.

HowardR

03-31-2015, 02:05 AM

Dennis H.,

In the great minds think alike department -- the new pump top solves the plastic-ring-pulling-away problem the exact way that you solved it -- with a metal ring! Perhaps the black diaphragm material will solve the deterioration problem with the white silicon diaphragms. Bosworth reports that the black diaphragms were much more durable in their tests.

What is the recipe that you use when you run the filter press with a big batch of syrup? Do you do what maple marc does (1 1/2 cup of DE in the charging fluid; 1/3 cup per gallon of DE in the syrup) or do you do have a different recipe?

By the way, your post and maple marc's post have encouraged me to give filter pressing syrup (not just pressing almost-syrup) another try.

nymapleguy607

03-31-2015, 08:13 AM

I have one of Daryl's 5" presses as well, the most syrup I have ever pressed through was 8 gallons and that was mid season. 2 years ago at Verona maple school Wendall's maple did a presentation about operating the filter press, one thing they suggested was to not fill the pump fully with syrup, instead let the pump suck a little air. The air acts as a bladder and seems to keep the pressures lower letting you put more syrup through before the DE and papers plug. I have been doing this with my press and it really helps, it takes significantly less force to filter this way and you can definitley get more syrup through at a time.

beltechc

03-31-2015, 09:07 AM

beltechc

03-31-2015, 09:17 AM

Another quick question about Daryl's press. Lately as the pumping get harder I can push through a pumps worth but then it will not suck more in. As it sucks more into the line on the downstroke it will push it right back out of the hose. I thought it was the flapper valve but it seems okay. It always works well to start with but then starts doing this as it gets harder to pump. Has anyone else experienced this? It's like the pump needs primed but it can not get enough suction to prime itself. Maybe it is because the cavities are clogged and not enough is being pushed out to draw enough in.

HowardR

04-01-2015, 11:32 AM

I just pressed through between 3 1/2 and 4 gallons of late season syrup -- not the almost-syrup that I've been pressing. And it worked great! I did my usual recipe, but with a few small differences:

1. Instead of using sap for my charging fluid, I used permeate (i.e., water) from my $1,000 reverse osmosis machine (http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?23321-Must-a-cheap-RO-be-5000&p=254261#post254261). After pressing the boiling-hot charging fluid (with 1/2 cup of D.E) through once, I reheated it (this time without the D.E., of course) and pressed it again to get the press extra hot.

2. I let the syrup cool to about 200, and then I added the 3.5 cups of D.E.. The syrup was 192 degrees when I pressed it through with my wife stirring constantly while I pressed. I used slow steady up and down strokes. The longer handle and straight up-and-down motion of the new pump made it possible to do those long steady strokes with lots of volume of syrup in each stroke. I heard a little popping from the black diaphragm on the uptake for the last gallon or so, but other than that, nothing that slowed me down. It took me about 8 minutes to press it through.

3. After I finished pressing, I put the charging fluid through to clean the remaining syrup out of the press. This time I kept that half gallon of half syrup separate to be thrown into my last batch of the year, which I will make tomorrow.

4. At this point the temperature of the syrup was 170 degrees. I rigged up a double boiler by putting the syrup pot into a larger pot with about 2 inches of water boiling on the bottom, and room for steam to escape. In this way, I heated it up to 195-200 and my wife put it into jars.

My conclusion is that this new hand pump works great with pressing syrup. I pressed almost 4 gallons of late-season syrup without approaching the limit of how much it could press.

HowardR

04-01-2015, 11:42 AM

beltechc,

The flapper valve must be deteriorating, despite its appearance. You shouldn't be getting any air pumping backwards through it.

It's just a small flat piece of silicon, cut to the right shape and it isn't supposed to last forever. Daryl's invention (the case that holds the flapper valve) helps it last longer than usual, but it is so often replaced that Bosworth normally ships several with each new pump.

HowardR

04-01-2015, 12:13 PM

A number of people have posted here about using 4 cups of DE. Is that the maximum that Daryl's press will hold? It seems like there would be an upper limit based on the space in the plates. How much DE do you guys use for 4-5 gallons of syrup. I am having a hard time getting it all through. Should I use more DE, will that help? But there does seem like there would be a max.

I just cleaned out the filter press after pressing almost 4 gallons using 4 cups of DE. I don't think that the press has room for more than 1/4 to 1/2 cup more. Only one spacer, the furthest from the entrance, was not filled with D.E./sediment. That spacer had room for at least 1/4 cup, but not for much more than that.

Most of the spacers could possibly squeeze more DE in. They basically had two layers of DE in them, one lining each of the filters, and there was a narrow channel through the middle that was clear.

As far as the amount of DE that you actually need (I use more than I need), that actually depends upon the total amount of sediment, not the total amount of syrup. Late season syrup has more sediment in it, so it requires more DE. If I understand it correctly, the purpose of the DE is to keep the sediment from forming impenetrable barriers. When sediment is mixed with DE, liquid can still flow through the sediment.

maple marc

04-03-2015, 12:17 AM

Thank you all for your input. Howard, it sounds like you are having some better luck. Charging with water is interesting. Daryl has advised me to do that, which I did when I first starting using the press. He says that charging with syrup that is not fully stirred could clog the papers. My problem with water charging is that it is a pain to get all the water out of the press before switching to syrup. It doesn't take a lot of water in a 3 gallon batch of syrup to lower the density significantly. Since then I have been charging with syrup. Seems to work OK until later in the season. Now I'm having real trouble. I'm also have some problem with the top of the diaphragm leaking at the clevis. I just replaced the diaphragm, so it must be an issue with tightening something.

I talked to Bosworth, the pump company this week. They are nice folks, aware of us maplers and our issues. Unfortunately, buying the upgrade parts is not any cheaper than buying a new pump with the metal parts. Doesn't seem quite right. I just need to find a way to get more syrup through. My batches are usually about 5 gallons or more. Maybe I will trying water charging again. Maybe I need a bigger press.....

Marc

HowardR

04-03-2015, 12:56 AM

maple marc,

I pressed through a 3 gallon batch of very dark syrup today, again without problem. Although I switched from sap water to permeate water in the charge, I don't think that doing so made much difference. I only did it because RileySugarbush posted that that's what they did and I was no longer planning to throw the charging fluid into the current batch of syrup.

The improvements that I made over the years which enabled me to press through syrup now, whereas I couldn't before when I first tried it were: (1) adding a charging step so that the press would be hot when I started, (2) reducing the D.E. in the charging fluid to a minimum, and (3) stirring the syrup-D.E. mixture constantly while I pressed.

I used to think that the D.E. helped the paper filters keep out the sediment -- WRONG. The paper filters are fully capable of keeping out sediment by themselves. The purpose of the DE is to mix with the sediment so that syrup can flow through it.

One last bit of advice, and this probably applies to everyone using a filter press: When you wash out the filter press, examine the contents. If you are doing it right, the D.E. and sediment should be mixed together forming an evenly colored tan cake. If you are doing it wrong, you'll see white patches (D.E.) and black patches (sediment).

HowardR

04-05-2015, 12:02 AM

I pressed through 4.5 gallons today of syrup - last batch of the year. I could have pressed more.

I did it without charging first, though I did heat the press by washing the plates with hot water just before I started. I was thinking of Maple Marc's concern that he didn't want to thin the syrup with the water of the charging fluid.

By constantly stirring all 4 cups of D.E. in the syrup, I achieved the most even distribution possible. In the post-mortem, the spacers were evenly filled. Most were a dark tan or a chocolate-brown mixture of D.E. and sediment. Only one spacer had some gooey gunk in it, indicating that it was probably blocked up with sediment. The others still appeared to be porous.

Conclusions:

1. It is possible to press through more than 4.5 gallons of late season syrup if you mix all four cups of D.E. with the syrup and stir constantly while you press. (My wife stirs with a two-foot long stainless steel spoon while I press.)

2. The charge is optional, though heating the plates before you begin may not be optional. If you don't want to thin your syrup with charge water, it is possible to heat your filter press by washing the plates in very hot tap water just before you begin.

3. The new pump and new diaphragm make it possible to pump harder without stressing the diaphragm, provided that the temperature of the syrup is in the 190 to 210 degree range. Temperatures above 212 weaken the diaphragm, so they should be avoided. I pressed 4.5 gallons of late season syrup, and it never slowed to a trickle.

Dennis H.

04-05-2015, 09:15 AM

Here are the papers and filter aid from the last batch that I filtered.
Very dirty syrup.

11560

stoweski

04-05-2015, 10:52 AM

Here are the papers and filter aid from the last batch that I filtered.
Very dirty syrup.

11560

Just what I get to look forward to. When you draw off do you use a pre filter before running it through the press? Just curious as your DE/sediment looks like the color of the crap in my paper filter!

I will be running several gallons (around 40) through the press over the next week - in stages of course, so it was nice having the info above to read ahead of time. I did use sap when chargin the press last year and it worked great. Not sure if I'll have the opportunity to do it again this year as the season up here is just about over. One more day of boiling as they are running a bit today. Otherwise we're done.

Thanks to all for the info!!!

HowardR

04-05-2015, 01:17 PM

Dennis H.,

That's dark and sticky -- you've clearly reached the limit of what the press can filter. My dark ones are about the same color, but, except for one, were not as sticky looking.

How many gallons of syrup were in that batch that you pressed?

HowardR

04-05-2015, 05:58 PM

Next year I'm going to change the way I press:

No charge. Instead, I'm going to heat all of the filter press plates in a pot of boiling water just before I put them and the filter papers in my press. And I'll put together my press just before I filter. I'll get my press very hot without diluting my sap with charge water.
Press at 210 degrees. I'll put all 4 cups of the D.E. into the syrup as soon as it becomes syrup then I'll press as soon as it gets down to 210 degrees. It will lose another 10 degrees while being pressed, but should still be hot enough for the jars without any reheating.
Heating empty jars. I'll warm my empty jars in the oven while I press. That way they won't much cool the syrup that gets put into them.
Bulkhead on my collection pot. I'll put a stainless steel bulkhead with a downward pointing stainless steel elbow an inch and a half from the bottom of my 10 gallon collection pot. Then I'll use the valve on the bulkhead like a faucet in order to quickly put the syrup into jars while it's hot.

Dennis H.

04-05-2015, 07:49 PM

There was maybe 4 gals in that batch.
I also used 3 pint mason jars full of filter aid.
It has been like this for me for about the last 2 weeks. At the beginning of the season I was able to get over 6 thru it with out any problem and it took well under 5 min. With this last batch it took at least 5 min for that 4 gals.
I still have the end of the season syrup to finish and filter yet and it is some really nasty dirty looking stuff. I am tempted to try the precharge thing with water and filter aid. The way I have the filter press made up with the gear pump I should have no problems getting most of the water out before pushing the syrup thru.
Otherwise it will have to be multiple batches with tear downs in between.

When you draw off do you use a pre filter before running it through the press?
No I do not, but I am thinking that I should. It might be one of the changes that I make for next season. I just have to reconfigure my drawoff setup to be able to have the filter under the drawoff spout and the small syrup tank I am using.

HowardR

04-05-2015, 07:57 PM

Dennis H.,

6 cups of filter aid in one batch! I didn't know that would work. We're really testing what people say about using this press!

Kirk

04-05-2015, 09:09 PM

We have a 15 gallon gallon leader canner that we use with daryl's press. We draw off the evaporator at syrup and dump into the canner. Canner has a screen on top that holds paper filters. We use 2 paper prefilters for each pail of syrup into the canner. The prefilters take out a whole bunch of niter. When the canner is totally full we bring it up to 219 and connect the inlet side of the press to the outlet of the canner. The press is charged with 3 cups of de and about a gallon of syrup. We bottle right off the outlet of the press - the canner burner stays on and maintains maintains 210+ through the batch. Got over 17 gallons through the press yesterday using this method.

We set the prefilters covered in niter and syrup aside, later rinsing with hot sap in 5 gallon pail. When all syrup is pressed, dump this pail into the canner and press out. Pushes last bit of syrup out of press and captures sugar off prefilters. Dump this pressed sap back into back pan, or front. It's high in sugar content.

Dennis H.

04-05-2015, 10:26 PM

Oh, it fits but just. All the plates are basically filled. Maybe a 1/16" gap in between the cakes.

maple marc

04-08-2015, 11:24 PM

Howard, I really like your scientific approach to our problem. Thanks for your testing ideas. Thanks to others as well. We have a full range of ideas here--from no DE in the heating of the press, to charging it with 3 cups DE. Maybe it all works--to a point. Seems like most of us can't get more than about 4 gallons of late syrup through. It's hard to believe that the press can hold 6 cups of DE. One of my last batches I used Howard's approach of 1/2 cup of DE in hot water to charge, then 3.5 cups in the batch of 4.5 gallons of syrup. Barely got all through. But then the next batch of 3.5 gallons would not go through--very dirty, I guess. One thing I try to do is let my syrup settle at least overnight, then pour it off the dregs, leaving the sediment behind. It seems to help a little. But next year I will try Howard's latest idea of not charging the press, but simply heating the plates in hot water (I have those Orca gloves which should help handling).

One big improvement I made this year was to upgrade my hoses. No more clear hose with the white fiber in it. That lousy stuff collapses and kinks. I got the milk transfer hose, 5/8" ID. Great stuff, may be silicone. No kinks or collapse. Very flexible as well.

I still don't understand how Bosworth can charge as much for upgrade parts as they can for a full new pump. It guess it's like cars. Maybe Daryl can buy a bunch wholesale and give us a deal. Daryl, are you listening? :) Still, I'm disappointed that I can't get more than 3 or 4 gallons of late season syrup through. Hoping for more ideas to come. Thanks all.

Dennis H.

04-09-2015, 01:30 AM

I just filtered the last syrup of the season and decided to try to precharge the press by running water with filter aid thru it first.
For me I did not get good results.
Since I have an oven in my sugarhouse I threw the filter press plates into the oven set at 200 degrees. I then precharged with 2 cups of DE with nice hot clear water.
And since all my hoses have camlock I was able to drain off most of the water before filtering the syrup.
I then put about 2 cups of DE into about 3 gals of syrup and filtered, It almost did not make it all thru.

I took the filter press apart and got it ready for my second batch of 3 gals of syrup, this time I took 6 cups of DE and mixed it into the syrup directly.
While keeping it mixed I ran all 3 gals thru it without any problems.

The second way that I did it I can tell you that the plates were completely full and the DE looked the same color thru out. The 1st batch I ran thru had very dark sediment right next too the papers.
Maybe I should have put more DE into the 1st batch after precharging, not sure but Since it was still another step that I had to do I most likely will continue with placing the DE directly into the syrup and keeping it mixed as I am filtering.

HowardR

04-09-2015, 02:05 AM

maple marc,

I've never heard of orca gloves. Can you tell me where you get them? I went through three different pairs of waterproof gloves this year.

sweetwater sugar shack

04-09-2015, 09:24 PM

I have had my press for 2 years now all I do is add 3 cups of De to anywhere from 2 to 3 gallons of syrup circulate till syrup is clear then put in canner just did last 2 gallons no problem make sure syrup is hot

bcarpenter

04-11-2015, 08:45 AM

This is our second season and we don't do quite as many gallons as most. Instead of charging with water we charge with the syrup we are about to filter. Our process is 2 cups of DE into our syrup which is at 219F and circulate it back into syrup pot for until the syrup in the pot starts to clear up. we then add somewhere between a 1/2 cup and 1 cup of DE per gallon we are filtering and move the hose from our syrup pot to a new pot to hold the filtered syrup.

Love the press, just need to figure out where to source the filter papers for Daryl's press. I don't really need any yet, but just curious if I need to get them through Daryl of if they are readily available through other supply houses. Does anyone with Daryl's Press know about the filter papers?

Dennis H.

04-11-2015, 09:12 AM

CDL cares them, in boxes of 200 papers.

OGDENS SUGAR BUSH

04-11-2015, 09:13 AM

Either thru Daryl or CDL dealer

HowardR

02-27-2016, 07:33 PM

I just pressed through 5.5 gallons no problem. Basically, I heated the plates to boiling. Built the press. Did not charge the press. Then I pressed through the hot syrup mixed with 4.5 cups of filter aid heated to 208 degrees. It took me 10 minutes to pump it through.

I did have a problem earlier this year. Turns out that not all food grade diatomaceous earth is the same. The food grade diatomacous earth that I showed in my posted picture in this thread doesn't work well because it is too finely ground. Even though I posted it in my picture, I didn't actually use it last year. (I had it in reserve in case I ran out.) When I tried it, I discovered that the texture was much more fine. Pumping through it in the press was a real chore and my post-mortem revealed that the diatomaceous earth didn't properly spread out to fill up the gaps in the press. So, the moral is: Be sure to buy your filter aid from a maple syrup supply store, not from ebay!

HowardR

02-27-2016, 08:34 PM

In summary:

1. The purpose of charging is to heat the press. But you don't need to heat it if you put it together with the plates hot.

2. The filter aid keeps the filtered particles from clumping. So my wife stirs it constantly in the syrup while I press.

3. 4.5 cups of my filter aid (Dicalite diatomite purchased from Leader Evaporator) completely fills the five spacers -- that's just under 1 cup per spacer.

Dennis H.

02-27-2016, 09:27 PM

Good info right there.

mellondome

02-28-2016, 01:38 AM

The purpose of charging is to coat the papers with DE so that it starts the filtering process. Before a layer is created, fine particles of DE will actually pass through the papers. The filteraide doesnt keep anything from clumping. It creates the effect of layering filters. As it layers its self inside the press, it is creating new filter surface. Stirring while filtering will keep the DE in suspension which helps to constistantly build the filtering layer inside the press.
Do not charge with water. Doing so will allow the DE to fall away from the paper between charging and running syrup. Rhis will cause the first filtered syrup to be cloudy as well as watered down.

HowardR

02-28-2016, 08:18 AM

The purpose of charging is to coat the papers with DE so that it starts the filtering process. Before a layer is created, fine particles of DE will actually pass through the papers

I just held up a couple of jars of the syrup I filtered last night (without charging) and there isn't even a hint of any precipitate in that crystal clear syrup. The papers in the filter press are sufficient by themselves to keep out every particle of precipitate from the filtered syrup. The challenge is to keep them from getting clogged by a gooey coating of precipitate. When the D.E. enters the press in a mix with the precipitate particles, it keeps the precipitate particles separated from each other so that the liquid can continue to flow and reach the papers. Here's how the Dicalcite website (http://www.dicalite.com) describes the structure of D.E. and why it is helpful:

Diatomite is more than just a crystal or mineral that formed in a rock. It consists of delicately constructed silica skeletons grown by uncounted microscopic organisms, each with its own design. Deposits of these skeletons are collection of solid and perforated rods, disks and hemispheres, crescents and polygons. Because of their unusual physical structure the particles interlace and overlay in a random, three-dimensional matrix which stiffens, reinforces and improves the durability of filled systems....

Filtration is the separation of solids from liquids by forcing the liquid to flow through a porous medium and depositing the solids on the medium. A filter aid is a finely divided material which, when added to the liquor to be filtered, helps control flow and solids removal. The septum, usually screen or cloth, serves principally as a support for the cake. The filter aid forms a porous layer on the septum and thus the filter aid is the filtering medium that traps the solids being removed and prevents them from blinding the septum. Filter aid filtration is mechanical, not chemical in nature. Irregularly shaped particles interlace and overlay in a fashion that leaves 85 to 95 % voids or open spaces. These voids form billions of microscopically fine interstices between the filter aid particles. The size of these openings is so minute that the unwanted solids are strained from the liquid. The vast number of openings compensates for their small size resulting in fast flowrates and brilliant clarity.

Good filter aids are light in weight, chemically inert and form high porosity filter cakes to maintain free flow of the liquid. The structure of the particles must be such that they will not pack too closely. This not only permits high initial liquid flow but also provides pore spaces to trap and contain the filterable solids and leave a high percentage of channels remaining open for flow. Particle size distribution must be tailored to permit precoating on coarse wire and yet give the desired flow rate and clarity.

HowardR

03-09-2017, 03:41 PM

I just finished up the 2017 season. The press only clogged once. It happened during the biggest run of the year. The syrup was dark, but not as dark as end-of-the-year syrup. I was putting through a batch of 7.5 gallons and got hung up after 7 gallons. So I saved the last half gallon of sap-diatomaceous earth mixture and pressed it through as part of the next batch. The next batch was just as big, so I broke it up into two batches and pressed them separately. Here's my current recipe:

1. Heat 1 gallon of permeate water (or sap) in small stainless steel pot. Keep it on simmer until it is needed.

2. Put plates of the filter press into boiling water to heat them.

3. Heat syrup up to 212 degrees.

4. Build filter press using hot plates. (I wear rubber gloves so that I can do this.) Double check the ridge on one side of each plate to make sure all plates are lined up correctly. Also make sure that the filter papers between the plates have their two holes at bottom. Hand tighten the nuts with handles on the filter press as tightly as possible.

5. Stir the diatomaceous earth into the syrup (1 cup per filter press spacer), causing the syrup temperature to fall to between 206 and 210 degrees. (Pressing through syrup that is 212 degrees or higher could ruin the filter press pump's diaphragm.)

6. Pump the syrup through the filter press using long-steady strokes with my wife stirring constantly to keep the diatomaceous earth evenly distributed in the syrup. This step takes 10 to 12 minutes.

7. If the filter press clogs (pumping slows to a trickle), don't keep pumping or you could break the filter press pump's diaphragm. Instead, save the remaining syrup-diatomaceous earth mixture, and throw it into your next batch. (If you anticipate this problem, avoid it by breaking a huge batch into two smaller batches so that you don't lose the quart or so of syrup that is in the filter press when you get stuck.)

8. When filter press starts sucking in air, pour the 1 gallon of simmering permeate water (or sap) into the remaining syrup-diatomaceous earth mixture and pump the diluted syrup through the filter press in order to capture the last quart or so of syrup that is in the filter press so that it can be added to the next syrup batch before pressing.

9. If the syrup has cooled too much, heat it on the stove to the canning temperature (180 to 212 degrees). Can the syrup by pouring it into clean containers whose lids that seal when they cool.

This whole process takes me about an hour and 15 minutes. Most people preheat the filter press by charging it. Instead, I preheat press by heating the plates in boiling water just before I put it together. I have yet to see a speck of precipitate in my clear glass jars of syrup.

maple marc

03-16-2017, 03:24 PM

Howard--thanks for your detailed description. Interesting to hear how you do not charge. You indicate you are using "one cup per spacer." Not sure what you mean here. Not a function of total syrup to filter? If you are using a full bank (9 papers), how much DE are you using? And how much syrup are you getting through with that setup?

This year with my Daryl press, with a 6.5 gallon batch of syrup, I charged with 1.5 cups of DE in a gallon of hot syrup. Then added 2.5 cups of DE into the syrup before running it all through the press. Bingo--piece of cake.

You really need to ditch that hand pump. Life is so much better with my air pump.

HowardR

03-16-2017, 07:57 PM

Marc,

If I go with a full press, I use 10 filter papers, one on each side of each spacer. Since I use 1 cup of DE per spacer, I use 5 cups of DE for the full press. If I use 3 spacers for a small batch of syrup, I'll use 3 cups of DE. So my DE use is based upon the number of spacers, not the total amount of syrup. However, the number of spacers is related to the amount of syrup, though I tend to use more spacers than I strictly need -- because I hate clogs.

We do things in different ways. You use an air pump, while I use a hand pump. You precharge the press, while I simply preheat the plates. But we've both worked things out to our own satisfaction.

cabinetcap

04-08-2017, 09:32 AM

HowardR, when you start to pump the de /syrup mix do you recirculate it back to your de syrup tank until clear or do you send it straight to the bottler. Thanks.

scottdevine

02-14-2018, 09:53 PM

I spoke with Daryl today and ordered my 5" hand pump. The information i have read on this thread is invaluable! Thank you to all, I can't wait to start using the pump this weekend. I'll let you know my process and post results.

HowardR

02-15-2018, 11:28 AM

HowardR, when you start to pump the de /syrup mix do you recirculate it back to your de syrup tank until clear or do you send it straight to the bottler. Thanks.

I don't recirculate anything. I just send everything straight to the pot that I use for bottling.

cabinetcap

02-21-2018, 09:31 PM

Ok thanks Howard, it was late season and I did not have time to practice with the 5” hand pump last year, I wound up plugging it up with de. I’m going to try your one cup per cake plate ratio and see how that fills. Also has anyone upgraded the Bosworth hand pump with the aluminum housing and long handle and is it worth it or make a difference. Thanks

Dennis H.

02-22-2018, 12:06 AM

I did get the aluminum top ring and the long handle upgrade.
The Aluminum ring is worth it but I found that unless you clamp the entire filter press down there is just way too much leverage and when the filtering starts to get hard you will just tip over the filter press instead of pushing down on the handle.

So I just used the short handle with the aluminum ring and all was good. Well until I put a gear pump on it!

BTW the reason I did the upgrade was after a bunch of uses I was noticing that I was starting to pull the threaded inserts out of the bottom on the side where the handle hinge is.

HowardR

02-22-2018, 12:08 AM

[H]as anyone upgraded the Bosworth hand pump with the aluminum housing and long handle and is it worth it or make a difference. Thanks

I upgraded. Daryl now has his press available with the aluminum pump option, and I think that pump is worth the extra cost. The stem of the plastic pump tended to go down at an angle, which was one of the reasons why diaphragms would break, but the aluminum pump always goes straight up and down. Also, as Dennis H. points out in Comment 65, the threaded inserts tend to pull out of the plastic pump, while the aluminum pump is made to last.

Daryl

02-22-2018, 06:41 AM

The only part of the pump that is aluminum is the clamp ring that holds the diaphragm in the press. It guides a shaft to make the diaphragm go up and down straight and not to allow the diaphragm to rock. Bosworth does not make a aluminum pump body.

HowardR

02-22-2018, 11:53 PM

I found that unless you clamp the entire filter press down there is just way too much leverage and when the filtering starts to get hard you will just tip over the filter press instead of pushing down on the handle.

So I just used the short handle with the aluminum ring and all was good.

I have no problem with leverage because I connect my press directly to the 15 gallon pot that contains the syrup that I am pressing. When I press down on the long handle of the filter press, the heavy pot stabilizes holds the left side of the press in place. Here's a photo showing the pot on the left connected with the filter press on the right. Coming out of the pot is a bulkhead, then a valve, then a short length of flexible pipe, then a quick connector. On the inlet side of the filter press is the other half of the quick connector. (It only takes a few seconds, and doesn't require any tools, to connect the two sides of the quick connector together.)

17776

By the way, the thermometer at the bottom of the pot is a great help when making syrup in the pot. I got the pot from a beer supply store. It came with the thermometer and bulkhead already attached, but I had to move the thermometer so that it would be closer to the bottom of the pot.

cabinetcap

02-23-2018, 09:33 AM

How many gallons can I expect to get through the press. I’m thinking 3-5 gallon batches. I hate to do more knowing how hard it is at the end and do not want to tear down halfway. Also on small batches I would think that precharging is not nessesary. Thanks for your thoughts.

Kashmoney

02-23-2018, 11:24 AM

How much are they

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Daryl

02-23-2018, 12:26 PM

I recommend to precharge the press before use. if you don't, you will plug the press faster.

Daryl

02-23-2018, 12:27 PM

The press sell for $825.00 delivered in the US.

marlmucker

03-15-2018, 05:48 PM

leaky bucket

03-15-2018, 08:48 PM

Cdl has the clear hose for these, it's thick wall and will take over 100 c

Haynes Forest Products

03-15-2018, 10:16 PM

I have never had a failure with the thick wall hose. Now I have closed off both discharge valves and had thin wall hoses bulge under 90 PSI.

prairietapper

03-15-2018, 10:42 PM

I scrolled through a bunch of the pages on this and did not see a picture. A couple questions, Daryl what are you making the press out of Alum. ? Stainless? or?
and I take it from the dialog that 5 filters are the max #. ? the current price does have me intrigued since a press is in my near future.

Daryl

03-16-2018, 07:07 AM

The press is made out of aluminum. It has 4 wafer plates and 5 hollow plates which use a total of 10 filter papers.
The hand press does not make the high pressure that the air diaphragm or gear pumps that are used on the larger presses so special hoses are not needed.
Problems which I have seen is people try to be cheap and use food grade nonmaple DE with the press or low temperature syrup thru the press. The pumps are made to handle the hot syrup if you use common sense with the handle pressure.
Any questions, please call me @ 814-337-0103

3% Solution

03-16-2018, 09:36 AM

prairietapper

03-16-2018, 09:38 AM

thank you Daryl! I do believe yours will be my first press.

HowardR

03-18-2018, 02:51 PM

I just purchased one of these presses from Daryl. Today I ordered stainless quick disconnect fittings, but I'm wondering what hose people use between the syrup and the press. I went to a farm store who sells hoses for dairy operations, but they were hesitant to sell me anything because they weren't sure their hoses could withstand heat (i.e. 210 degrees).

I bought braid reinforced 1/2" inner diameter, thick wall silicone tubing (https://www.nybrewsupply.com/collections/silicone-tubing/products/silicone-tubing-braid-reinforced-1-2-i-d-x-800-o-d-thick-wall?variant=42200511892) from NY Brew Supply. The cost for 1 foot, including shipping, was less than $10. In general, I've found beer brewers' supply stores to be excellent sources of maple syrup plumbing. They have good prices and low shipping costs.

HowardR

02-24-2019, 06:20 PM

I learned something about the black diaphragms -- replace them when the woven reinforcing material tears. Last year I replaced two of them, right after they tore, worried that, if I didn't, the diaphragm would get a bubble or hole while I was in the middle of pumping the next batch. This year I tried not replacing one to see what would happen, and on my 4th batch, the second of two 6.5 gallon batches, the first batch in which the pumping got tough at the end, the diaphragm developed a bubble when I was pressing out the last quart and popped when I kept pressing.

I need to figure out how to avoid ever tearing the woven reinforcing material on top of the black diaphragm. It doesn't tear when I am pumping hard; something else causes it to tear. I have two hypotheses about what causes the woven reinforcement material to tear:

Pressing two hot. I've usually been pressing between 200-210. With this next diaphragm, I'm going to always press just below 200.

Letting a bit of water get on top of the diaphragm. Sometimes when I wash the press, I leave a bit of water on top of the diaphragm. It seems like, whenever it tears, I see water on top of the diaphragm. It could be that the temperature difference between cold water on top and hot syrup inside causes the diaphragm to tear. I'm going to be careful to make sure the diaphragm top is dry before I press in the future.

Hopefully, with these precautions, I'll be able to get more use out of each diaphragm.

GramaCindy

01-11-2020, 10:37 AM

HowardR

02-17-2020, 09:33 PM

I am in the process of changing out my diaphragm from the original white reinforced one that Daryl installs, to hopefully the correct replacement from Bosworths. I am not quite sure I have the correct one. Any help out there?

Gramma Cindy,

Here's a page you can use to order the Buna-N (black) diaphragms or the Silicone (white) diaphragms.

https://www.thebosworthco.com/products/producta.php?baseid=SK-0400N

You've kept the white diaphragm going for quite a while. You must be stopping whenever the pumping gets hard. I wish I had your discipline!

I just pumped through a seven and a half gallon batch of early season syrup (5 cups of DE) at about 200 degrees with no problem. But at the very end, I paused for a full minute before I threw in the hot water to capture the syrup in the pump for the next batch. When I finally got back to pumping again, the pump handle wouldn't even go down. Instead of giving up, I pressed extra hard on the long handle, and the reinforcing material of the diaphragm tore! So, the extra half cup of syrup cost me $18.80, the current price of a new black diaphragm!

HowardR

02-19-2020, 11:54 PM

Here's a photo of me today pressing though just over 6 gallons of early season syrup at just under 200 degrees (preheated plates with no precharging step) using my Filter Press by Daryl. The long handled stainless steel spoon in the feeder pot is the one that my wife uses to stir the DE in the feeder pot (when she's not taking my picture). The saucepan in the foreground has boiling-hot permeate water in it to be thrown into the feeder pot when there is just a tiny bit of syrup left at the end of pressing. I pressed through that watered down syrup while my wife caught it in the same saucepan for adding to the next batch of syrup:

http://mapletrader.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=20918&d=1582171996

Then I took the pot of sediment-free syrup out of the sink, heated it up to 210 degrees, and used it to fill the jars. And here's the finished product of today's batch:

http://mapletrader.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=20917&d=1582171695

GramaCindy

02-20-2020, 09:00 AM

Dang, that's a bummer Howard. I did order the black diaphragm and replaced it. That long handle looks like a very good idea. Looking forward to tapping in a few weeks.

Daryl

02-25-2020, 08:37 PM

I changed over to the black diaphragms several years ago. I have made more changes this year also.

HowardR

02-28-2020, 09:05 PM

Daryl makes a great press. I put through three 7 gallon batches this week without problem. I think he now sells the aluminum pump as an option, and I recommend it.

I can't remember how the top metal washer (the one on top of the diaphragm) was positioned when I first bought the aluminum pump, but after a diaphragm liner tore, I installed it the wrong way, and the sharp edges of that washer tore the next diaphragm liner as I was pumping. I now install both the top and the bottom washers so that their edges are turned away from the diaphragm. Here's a photo which shows the top washer turned upward, away from the black diaphragm:

21076