Breaking Press Papers

[butler]

Keep breaking papers with my 7" short bank...we filter around 5 gallon batches...start with around 3 cups of filter aid to charge and we always heat to 205 to filter...am I tightening press to much?

[WESTMAPLES]

i wet the filter papers first and use plenty of filter aid to keep it filtering evenly seem to work for me with zero problems since day one. sometimes theres a small leaker here and there after quite a few gallons even with proper filter aid use. im sure others have interesting techinques for working there own press.

[Shon]

did u figure it out yet.i had troubles with a batch of mine on the weekend an took longest while to figure out i had a plate in backwards.there is notches on outside of the plates and only on one side an they have to be all lined up.as far as tightening i dont think you can over tighten.im on my third season now with mine an giver all i got when i tighten.i too do about 5 gal batches an use about 3 cups filter aid to charge.when my syrup starts to go through press it right off my finisher at approx 220.once you get the hang of it you will love using it.no regrets here .

[Russell Lampron]

When I got my filter press it had a hand pump on it. I switched that out to a double diaphragm pump and started blowing papers. The papers that came with it were light duty papers that couldn't handle the additional pressure. I bought heavy duty papers for it and haven't had a problem since. The largest batch I made this season was 16.5 gallons and I was able to run that through without changing papers or blowing one out. I wet the papers, tighten with a pipe wrench and use 1 cup of filter aid per 2 gallons of syrup to a max of 7 cups. You are heating it enough but could go a little hotter. I bring my syrup to a boil or just under add the filter aid and run it through before it has a chance to cool.

[maple flats]

In my 10 or so seasons with my filter press, I think I only blew 1 paper. I think it may have had a flaw. I now have 5 sets of plates. I just packed another 40 gal barrel at the end of my day Sunday. This is the first barrel I haven't finished on 1 set of papers, with about 5-6 gal to go I had to change papers. I only changed 3 sets and left the last 2 full of DE + niter and still on the press. Then using just 3 sets I saw how much different it is with 3 sets rather than 5. I started at 20-25 PSI and before I finished the last 5-6 gal, I was up to 30-35 PSI. When I ran all 5 sets, my pressure stayed between 15-20 until I had about 20 gal thru the press, then it gradually climbed over the next 10 gal when it got to 40 psi and I gradually opened the bypass, trying to finish on that first set of papers. Then at 34-35 gal I saw I was going to need to change the papers and shut off.
Back when I was using only a 3 bank I rarely got a 30 gal barrel on 1 set of papers. I highly suggest you consider adding a set or 2 of plates. My press is maxed unless I order longer rods to make room for more plates.
When I start, I just put dry papers in the press and then on that last batch when I started the barrel, I mixed abut 2.5 cups FA and mixed it well in about 3 gal syrup, then I charged the press. In the rest of the batches, as I'm drawing from my finisher to my 7 gal mix tank, I add about 1.5 cups FA when 1/2 full, and mix while the tank is still filling. Then when it is about 75% full i turn on the press, while still adding from the finisher. I keep adding until I have about 6-6.5 gal in the batch. On that barrel I ran my charging batch and 2 more did not increase the pressure above the 15-20 PSI and I was about 1/2 thru the next batch before the pressure started to climb.
I have noticed a big improvement in syrup I can filter since I added a draw off tank (about up to 25 gal) on the evaporator. While settling in that tank lots of niter lays on the bottom. After pumping the tank I have lots of niter laying in the bottom. With it well drained, the niter is much like fine sand and I just remove it and toss it out. This used to plug my papers far sooner and I now get lots bigger batches on a set of papers.

[butler]

I never wet the papers...some are saying don't and others say yes....what is proper...and how do you wet them...dunk them right into a bowl? The papers are getting the odd small hole...and the pressures are never above 20 psi....

[wiam]

I never wet the papers...some are saying don't and others say yes....what is proper...and how do you wet them...dunk them right into a bowl? The papers are getting the odd small hole...and the pressures are never above 20 psi....

I dip mine in a bucket of permeate. They then stick to the plate when pushing the next one into place. I also think they seal better. I wonder if you have a burr on a plate. They are definitely not over pressurized at 20 psi. I have had my press up to 80 psi without blowing papers.

[butler]

I have broke papers on the first plate and the last plate so don't think it's a burr...papers were always broke when tight against one of the waffle plates...and I have never had the press over 25-30 psi ever....what the He$&@@ !!

[Russell Lampron]

From what you've told us so far it sounds like you are doing everything right. When your papers break is it inside the press so that filter aid comes out of the discharge with the syrup or is it squirting to the outside between the plates? If it's breaking inside it could be that your papers aren't the heavy duty papers. If it's an external leak you may need to tighten the nuts more. Some external leakage is normal.

I was having all kinds of trouble with my press when I first swapped out my hand pump for a dual diaphragm air operated pump. Broken papers and syrup squirting our between the plates. I tried all kinds of fixes and finally found that I needed heavy duty papers. I tried wetting the papers. I tried doubling the papers on the end plates and I tried putting a C clamp on the press to squish it together tighter. What is finally working is using heavy duty papers and wetting them when I put the press together. Tightening the wing nuts with a pipe wrench and the most important part, heating the syrup to a boil or close to it and running it through the press before it has a chance to cool much.

I wet my papers by dipping them in condensate from the steam hood.

[WESTMAPLES]

Russell is right, I just checked my box of filter papers and they are heavy duty style. honestly when I bought my press from Bascom`s used I asked if they would include filter papers, hose, and a bag of filter aid in the advertised price and that's what sam gave me . using heavy duty papers and wetting them before seems to be the way to go. hope the info helps

[Foremaple]

we have been using a short bank 7" Wes Fab for at least 14 years and the biggest problem we have with it is when I put one of the plates in backwards by mistake. That thing would go from 0 to 60psi in about 3 seconds. May be something to look for. All the raised bumps have to be aligned.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I use the HD papers from Bascoms and in 7 or 8 years, I have never blown a paper and I take the press to 50 PSI. I never wet them just put them in dry.

[butler]

I bought my press from cdl brand new this year and I bought the papers they supplied...how do I know if there the heavy duty ones...and I guess there is still a 50/50 debate wether to wet papers or not?

[WESTMAPLES]

Bascom`s sells 7in hd filter papers by the case check them out and wetting the papers for me is a piece of mind to me knowing that each paper is ready to flow, because when I used cone filters and prefilters when they where dry it would take a few moment to get the filtering started, and when i wet them it filtered thru the moment the syrup hit the filter. I read a few posts pertaining to filter press use before I fired mine up for the first time and proper plate direction, wetting, proper filter aid, and syrup temp were the key to have a great experience using my press. honestly I would narrow it down and try which every method you see fit. good luck

[butler]

Thanks so much off the tips guys...hopefully up here in Ontario...we will have a couple more good runs so I can test it again.
The press makes the syrup beautiful when I finally get a batch through without the papers breaking.

[Russell Lampron]

I bought my press from cdl brand new this year and I bought the papers they supplied...how do I know if there the heavy duty ones...and I guess there is still a 50/50 debate wether to wet papers or not?

Look for any labels or markings on the box that the papers came in. If they are heavy duty it should say so somewhere. The heavy duty papers are pretty stiff and kind of thick while the regular ones are flimsy and much thinner.