Filter press problem

[samhill]

I have a 7" wes fab short bank that has worked well for a number of years, but now...problems
I heated 10 gallons of syrup on the stove(to 190+) and added 7-8 cups of DE. Mixed well and recirculated it with the press with no problems. When I open the valve to filter, it works ok for about a 1/2 gallon, then stops. Had syrup seep out the pully shaft on the pump. Tightened that nut, then tried again. Seepage on the plates no matter how hard I tightened. Slight spray out of the center pump gasket. The syrup filters at a tiny thread into my canner (smaller than pencil lead) and eventually just stops moving syrup...Just sits in the intake hose. Pressure never goes over 20psi. The only thing I can think of (other than the pump failing) is that I changed from a brand of DE that my syrup dealer sells to a food grade organic DE that I had as an additive for my cows. Any ideas would be appreciated

[DrTimPerkins]

Any ideas would be appreciated

Go back to the original DE and see what happens. DE comes in several different size ranges, and it sounds like the DE you're using is too fine for the press and just plugging it up.

[samhill]

Thanks, I'll try that.

[jmayerl]

I took my press to my neighbors the other day. He bought Food grade DE on the internet. It plugged the press in the first half gallon. Cleaned and changed papers. Ran 30 gallons thru it with my DE no problem. Moral of the story...only use DE from a maple supplier.

[lpakiz]

For some interesting reading, go to the "Dicalite" web site. Click on "diatomaceous earth" then on "flux-calcined".

The leader product that I just purchased from a dealer is called "Speed-Ex" and note where it ranks in permeability. Then move down to "5000" and see what it says there. Also note the description column, where is says Speed-Ex is rated medium coarse and 5000 is rated coarse. One Leader dealer sold "5000" to a friend, and he says he can filter several times the amount of syrup per press-full with it. He has made lots of syrup in his life, won several major syrup contests, filtered untold amounts of syrup, and says the syrup is perfectly clean, same as using the old product, except several times more syrup per press full.

He is also using the strategy of keeping track of how much DE his press holds and using that amount of DE per session, thus being able to accurately predict when the press is full of DE. An added benefit to pre-measuring the DE is when he does break the press down, the press is completely full, and the cake is completely dry, with no syrup wasted or making a dripping mess. And his re-heat pan is empty, not with a left over few quarts that couldn't make it thru.

[Russell Lampron]

He is also using the strategy of keeping track of how much DE his press holds and using that amount of DE per session, thus being able to accurately predict when the press is full of DE. An added benefit to pre-measuring the DE is when he does break the press down, the press is completely full, and the cake is completely dry, with no syrup wasted or making a dripping mess. And his re-heat pan is empty, not with a left over few quarts that couldn't make it thru.

I measure my filter aid and use the max that my press will hold too unless I am only doing a small batch. The extra filter aid used is a lot less expensive than the syrup lost.

[regor0]

Last year I bought a new bag of DE from a maple store, I couldn't get more than a gallon through the press. Spent a few hours on the phone with Daryl, and we were both stumped. I then bought a new bag of DE, the same kind, same store, it worked fine. So it's possible to have a bad bag


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