Filtration question

[Urban Sugarmaker]

I've read as much info as I could find on here about filtering but I'm still a little confused.

The Plan:

Draw off as close as possible to correct density (a little light in density) in to a milk bucket with a pre-filter clothes-pinned on the top.
Then pour in to 12x20 filter/finisher unit with flat filter setup...lined with felt filter and 3 pre-filters on top of it.
Then finish to correct density and bottle.

Too many steps?
Will this method create more niter because I still have to get to the correct density?

The alternative is to draw off unfiltered, pour in to finisher to finish, then drain the finisher, clean it and then filter.

I can't really figure out what to do. Thanks.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

You need to filter the syrup after you reach the correct density. Each time you reheat syrup above 195 degrees, more nitre will form and need to be removed. It certainly will do no harm to filter out what you can before reaching density as that will make the final filtration easier.

[adk1]

Check each draw with a hydrometer and watch your thermometer to get what the temp is for syrup. Then once that temp is reached for correct density, draw off and filter. I have been using come filters with prefilters for the past three years. It's a pita really. This year I plan on getting a filter canner and will draw off directly into it that way I am filtering hot syrup right into the canner. Once there is enough syrup at the end of each night I will reheat directly in the canner to 180 degrees and bottle. It will save me allot of steps this way.

[Big_Eddy]

I draw off slightly over density into a stainless pot, collecting throughout the day. No filtering right now, but I'm planning to implement an initial filtering stage here in the future.
At the end of the day I heat the stainless pot on a propane burner until boiling, then thin with boiled sap until perfect density. (I do it this way rather than drawing light, as I can go from over-density to correct density in <5 mins, whereas trying to reduce 15l of slightly under syrup in a 20l pot takes forever and inevitably ends up with syrup boiling over)
The boiling syrup is poured into the filter canner with a steamed cone filter and 4-6 prefilters and the lid goes on. I bottle from there into pre-warmed glass.

The steaming makes a huge difference in the flow rate through the filter. With a hot filter and the lid on, I can easily bottle 15l of syrup before the temperature drops below 180.

Sediment has never been a problem using this method. Never squeeze or wring out the filter, and replace when needed.

[PerryW]

I draw off directly into my 12"x20" filter canner. I repeatedly fill my hydrometer test cup several times during the draw-off and also watch the dial thermometer to decide when to shut the valve.

Not sure why you would want to draw off a little light in density. My syrup goes into 5 gallon drums usually a little heavy. then is is a simple matter to add a little water to thin the syrup to correct density when reheating the syrup for packaging.

[maple flats]

I also draw mine a little heavy, Then I thin it with permeate (before I had an RO I used distilled water, but any GOOD water is OK) in my finisher. I then draw it into my mix tank, blend Filter Aid, filter and either send it to a barrel or the canner for packing in retail containers.

[Urban Sugarmaker]

I draw off directly into my 12"x20" filter canner. I repeatedly fill my hydrometer test cup several times during the draw-off and also watch the dial thermometer to decide when to shut the valve.

Not sure why you would want to draw off a little light in density. My syrup goes into 5 gallon drums usually a little heavy. then is is a simple matter to add a little water to thin the syrup to correct density when reheating the syrup for packaging.

The idea to draw off light came from the North American Maple Producers Manual. They claim that by the time sap hits 60 brix most of the niter/sand has come out of solution and sap at that density and viscosity is much easier to filter. However, they say the finished syrup must be filtered again. If I have to finish in the finishing tank, I will have to drain it once I get the correct density, wash it out, re-heat the syrup in another container, then filter it in to my finisher for bottling. Or, I can try to draw off a little heavy and dilute. If drawing off heavy, why not just draw off as close as possible to correct density? I understand it can be very challenging to finish syrup in the evaporator though. Maybe auto-draw off is the only way to accurately do that with consistent results. In any case, experience will no doubt help. I'm a hands-on kind of guy with learning some of this stuff. Thank you everyone for your suggestions.

[Super Sapper]

I am still fairly new but I draw off a little heavy into a container with some per filters and store in pails until I get enough time or syrup to filter and bottle. Filtering is the least fun part so I try to do it in larger batches to cut down on the cleanups. When I heat it to filter I check density and get it close and then filter into my homemade water jacketed bottler. I check density again and adjust as you will concentrate at little while heating and pumping through the press. I have been using a wine press with a little filter aide and have put 63 gallons through it and have had very clear syrup. It is showing signs of warping from the heat but still works. I will get a real press if I can swing it but I need to invest insome tubing first.

[Schiefe4]

Tell me more about this wine press you are using? I bought a Buon Vino Super Jet (www.buonvino.com/superjet.html) several years ago for filtering wine. Looking to remove the electric pump and add a hand pump. Maybe make something like this: http://www.mapleguys.com/product/MJFP.html.

[nymapleguy607]

it will be much faster to make heavy syrup on the evapoator and then thin it rather than trying to finish the syrup on the canner. There are alot more btu's in the evaporator firebox than under the canner. When I started I had thought about doing it the same way you want to, but my neighbor convinced me to try it this way and I have never gone back.

[RC Maple]

Final filtering is much easier if you can filter some at every step of the process. I try to draw off close to syrup but a little heavy. I find the advice that it is easier to thin to syrup than boil it more to be right on the money. The dirtiest the filters ever are is when it comes out of the evaporator and to get it done at that time makes the rest of the finishing process much better. Good luck with your plan.

[lpakiz]

I also finish a bit heavy on the evaporator. One big problem is if you let it sit in the barrel for a while before using, you will get sugar crystals in the bottom of the container, which are hard to salvage.

[Super Sapper]

http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?18877-Wine-Press-for-Syrup&highlight=wine+press

[RC Maple]

I don't have much of the crystallization problem since I bring my pot of syrup in at the end of the day and adjust it the next morning with a thermometer and hydrometer. I use the chart in the Maple Syrup Producers Manual and add sap to thin to the right brix.

[BillinTennessee]

I don't want to start another thread on filtering so I will ask here.
I have a small operation and live in Tennessee so I will not likely ever progress beyond backyard sugaring. Right now I believe I can produce about 4 gallons of syrup from my place if the weather is right. My biggest problem so far is filtering. I seem to loose a lot of volume from the filtering process. I am using Cheese cloth to pre filter and synthetic Orlon filter for the final filter. Problem is I am filtering small amount at a time and it seems I have to wash the filters out so often I am losing a lot of syrup. I am using a kitchen screen that is about 8 inches diameter and 6 inches deep. I filter hot syrup right before bottling but the filter is so small I can only run about a pint at a time before I have to wash the filter. I seem to wash away a lot of syrup. I started out with 10 quarts of finished syrup and only had 6 quarts when I was done so I lost about 40%. That does not seem acceptable to me. Any suggestions on how to solve the problem are greatly appreciated. I am very happy with the quality of my finished syrup. It is lighter color than the Vermont "Grade A Dark Amber" I bought from the store and I think it tastes better.

[MISugarDaddy]

Your Cheese cloth pre filter is probably not doing much, if any good for you. You should purchase pre filters made for that purpose. That way you won't have to wash out the final filter as often. Check out Sugar Bush Supplies. They carry Hobby Filter Packs designed just for situations like yours. You can view them online in their catalog. The final filter should last you for years and the pre filters are designed to be disposable. Until this year, we have been filtering all of our syrup using a 12" by 20" flat filter setup and we have done over 30 gallons of syrup some years. Check it out online in their catalog, I think it might be the answer to your situation.
Gary

[BillinTennessee]

Thank you Gary. I will check out Sugar Bush. That sounds like what I need.

[kiteflyingeek]

If you haven't found their website yet: www.sugarbushsupplies.com (http://www.sugarbushsupplies.com). And here's the hobby filter pack (http://www.sugarbushsupplies.com/2014_Catalog/filtertankscanningunits.pdf) on page 2 of that PDF. Hope that helps.

--andrew

[asknupp]

Pre filters that are made to go inside Orlon filter make a huge difference. You will still have residual syrup left in Orlon but soak it in your next batch of sap when you go to boil again.

Andy

[BillinTennessee]

Thanks. I found the website and will order the filters and hobby kit Monday. It has gotten colder again and the sap is flowing so I expect to be boiling in a couple days. I am still surprised at how much syrup I lost in the filtering. I hope I do better with the Pre filters and hobby kit. I'll add the cheese cloth did very well at filtering but it held so much syrup in the cloth I guess that's where I lost it. That and I was only doing a few cups between washings. The end result was very clear syrup.

[Urban Sugarmaker]

Now that I have actually drawn off some syrup and filtered, I wanted to update. I am drawing off into a milk can with a single pre-filter clipped on to it. Works fine. Then, I reheated and filtered into my finisher using 3 pre-filters and 1 orlon square filter. I bottled in plastic and couple glass containers to see what it looked like. So far so good. But...

1) The square filters are huge for my finisher and get in the way. Should I cut to fit?
2) What do I do with the filters between uses? Only a gallon so far, and it went through smoothly. Should I wash and store after each use?

[Run Forest Run!]

I put my filters into a plastic bag and put it in the freezer. When I'm boiling my next batch of fresh sap I gently dip the syrup-laden filter through the warming sap while being careful not to dump the niter into the sap. That releases almost all of the syrup back into the next batch. After that, I wash and dry the filter. Waste not want not!

[5050racing]

Same here forest,learned that here !!

[Urban Sugarmaker]

Another update. I tried 1/8th cup of DE for each gallon of syrup, reheated to about 200, then filtered through 4 pre-filters and the orlon filter. Worked great. I had to remove one pre-filter toward the end to finish. The syrup came out more clear than the first batch. I definitely think the DE has an impact.

[pennslytucky]

i soak my filters in the sap pan too. i try to keep every drop of syrup in the system i can. when i first started i tried to use coffee filters and paper towels to do it, but neither worked much at all. my wife got some viva paper towels on sale and i tried those. they are almost like soft cotton. they work very well. i still use em for little batches. i double em up and they clear a gallon of syrup without slowing down much at all. rinse and pitch. saves a bunch of cleaning