Filtering advice for small batch

[bonus18]

Looking for a step by step way of filtering maple syrup given I'm only boiling off 600 litres of sap.

From what I have read am I correct in assuming to take the sap to 219/220. Filter and then bottle?

Is filtering using a cotton shirt or table cloth (new of course) adequate and should this application also be pre-boiled hot so the syrup filters through it?

Given there are many various filtering options what would be best suited for this amount?

Also, if there is a large amount of syrup to filter and bottle do you recheck the temperature and if its below 180 degrees are you reheat the syrup to 180 degree and continue filtering and bottling?

Thanks as always!

[Pibster]

I would recommend buying a hydrometer to measure the density of the syrup. Temperature is only a rough guide, for true syrup you need the correct density. I would also suggest buying a felt cone filter and some prefilters. A cotton shirt will not produce clear syrup like the proper filter does. Always filter hot syrup, much easier.
Make sure the syrup stays above 180 while bottling, reheat to 185 if it drops below.

[optionguru]

You should really do a quick search on the site and you will find numerous methods for small batch producers. I do not believe a shirt or table cloth will be sufficient to get all of the sugar sand out. Spend $20 or $30 and buy a couple of prefilters with an orlon cone filter. Most here use a hydrometer to be sure the syrup is done since temperature can change with barometric pressure. Generally 219 and sheeting on the spoon will tell you pretty close. Take off run through filters right away, filters slow down a lot as the syrup cools. If it cools below 180 reheat or keep that syrup in the fridge.

[1arch]

I have some 2 quart mason jars that sat in the sugar house since last season. The syrup was crystal clear with about 1/2" sedement on the bottom. Although we filter press our syrup now gravity sure does a fine job also. To get the majority of syrup out without disturbing the sedement I would envision the syrup could carefully be siphoned off and stop the siphon just prior to pulling sedement off the bottom.

[Cedar Eater]

How clear does your syrup have to be? If you're making small batches, I'm guessing that you're not going to be selling commercially, so I'll tell you my method, which I'm still experimenting with. I'm down to using a single layer of unbleached muslin, but I filter twice, if I even bother to filter the second time. The muslin was purchased at JoAnn Fabrics. It comes in white and natural, the natural is the unbleached.

I screen the sap through a very fine stainless steel strainer as I pour it into the pot or pan for evap. I don't consider this to be filtering, although technically I guess it is. I filter the first time through the muslin between the evap and the finish. The condensed sap goes through the muslin quite easily and the overwhelming majority of the niter is removed. If not much niter forms during the finish, there is no reason to filter it again. If niter forms during the finish boil, I run it through the same filter, which has had the niter rinsed out and is usually still damp. Sometimes the flow slows down and the filter and pan have to be placed in a warm oven to inspire the last of the finished syrup to filter through. It sometimes initially looks a little cloudy, but after a day or two, I get very clear syrup from this. Sometimes a tiny amount of dark sediment settles out over time. Just a wisp, not even 1/16th of an inch thick.

[Jebediah]

We don't filter at all. No problem. Nor do we sell. We refer to the niter as "roughage." Neighbors like it.

[bonus18]

Thanks for the great replies. I do own a hydrometer and yes its strictly for self consumption. I just was wanting to improve the production of maple syrup by using a better filter system rather than cotton dish cloths.

I've read that using the Orlon with 3 to 4 prefilters will suffice. My question is how does one use the Orlon given the length and the depth of most buckets? How does one keep the Orlon upright (i.e. do you use clothes pins or binder clips to the bucket?) and secondly, when the maple syrup is filtering how does one keep the Orlon filter from not touching the finish filtered syrup?

Interested to hear.

[Cedar Eater]

I saw one guy using an inverted tomato cage (http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/400/75/75ac500b-166d-4b21-89c4-ae2e9ae20fb5_400.jpg).

[saphound]

I saw another guy that used a bucket with a hole cut into the bottom so the tip of the cone just poked out. It was on a stand with room underneath for a collecting pot. Filtering is a PITA, but I've heard Dr. Tim say you shouldn't eat it...and I think I read young children and the elderly should definitely not eat it.

[grizzlym]

Fluid Conditioning 10 micron bag filter PE10P1-L and stainless steel kitchen strainer. I filter twice, once out of the pan and then at temp before bottling. Wash with warm water between batches. If the filters get to plugged I use them for sap. Hope this helps.

[BobMac]

Just take a 5 gallon bucket ,cut a circle in the lid to fit a 2 gallon bucket,clip your orlin filter to it.Then slip your pre filters in and away you go.Still a pita
but makes a good holder sorry for the bad picture from my phone

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c357/rwmccor/cbb334d5-038f-4cc8-8c46-dabc07e2fd32.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/rwmccor/media/cbb334d5-038f-4cc8-8c46-dabc07e2fd32.jpg.html)

[donka]

I filter with a cone filter and prefilters. The system I use consists of 16" stainless flashing triple wrapped around the top of a 24 quart stock pot and secured with stainless rivits. The flashing rests on the stockpot handles and slides on and off easily. I attach my filter to the top of the flashing which suspends it above the pot. I boil until 1 degree under finished on my hydrometer then dump the whole batch into the filters and quickly cover, remove first prefilter after a few minutes and second prefilter at about 5-10 minutes after.

Good Luck

[wnybassman]

I think you'd be pretty happy with the results of stacking 4 or 5 prefilters inside of a 30-40 cup stainless coffee urn. Take urn through brewing cycle with water, DON'T unplug urn, dump water, put filters in place, dump finished hot syrup right in and start bottling. I have heard not all prefilters are created equal but the ones I have used do a really good job.

[bonus18]

Thanks for this, I think I may do this. So you don't use the Orlon felt filter with the prefilters inside of the felt filter? You just pin the pre-filters inside the coffee urn and have at it?

Thanks again,

[Matts maples]

Thanks for the great replies. I do own a hydrometer and yes its strictly for self consumption. I just was wanting to improve the production of maple syrup by using a better filter system rather than cotton dish cloths.

I've read that using the Orlon with 3 to 4 prefilters will suffice. My question is how does one use the Orlon given the length and the depth of most buckets? How does one keep the Orlon upright (i.e. do you use clothes pins or binder clips to the bucket?) and secondly, when the maple syrup is filtering how does one keep the Orlon filter from not touching the finish filtered syrup?

Interested to hear.

Hi I use those office paper clips/chip clips to hold the filter in a large pan.i just push the filter down in a pot then chip clip it all the way around.