Should I unplug the coffee urn after warmring it up?

[Weekend_Warrior]

After heating up a coffee urn, do people unplug it? Or, use the urn to keep the syrup hot while bottling?

I used a coffee urn to bottle my syrup last year and I had some niter in the bottom of some of my bottles. It didn't cause any crystals to form. Just a layer of grey on the bottom of the bottle. This is what I did.

1. Finish syrup on stove to the correct density.
2. Turn on coffee urn until the ready light is on and then dump out water.
3. Immediately, pour syrup (which has cooled to 190 degrees) into a filter sitting in top of the urn. (I made a basket out of copper wire to hold the filter.)
4. Bottle as it comes out of the filter.
5. Remove paper filter as needed and add more syrup.

I usually bottle about 1- 1.5 gallons at a time.

I'm thinking that the heating element turned on while I was waiting for the sap to flow through the filter. That heated up some of the syrup that is next to the heating element and caused niter to form. Anyone else have this issue?

Thanks for your help.
Ted

[RileySugarbush]

Any direct heat, like the electric element in your urn, will have the possibility of forming niter. If you can avoid it after filtering you should. If you need to reheat, use indirect heat like a water jacket bottler.

[Pibster]

I always turn off my coffee urn once I dump the syrup into the filter.

[beaglebriar]

Good info. Hadn't thought about leaving it plugged in.

[adk1]

Honestly I never turn mine on I just use it for the spigot

[RUNOFBANK]

If the niter exists in the syrup, it will precipitate out and be visible when packaged in glass. Product should be at least 180f when packaged doesn't really matter how you get it there or maintain it in regards to niter or other impurities. The direct heat may change grade and or flavor of syrup, but should not promote or create niter formation in the bottle. Look at your filter practices instead. This problem is also syrup specific. If you are not using a press to filter, pay attention to amount of niter in pans and filters for batches and use the visibly cleanest syrup for glass packaging. FILTER FILTER FILTER makes for the best looking product in glass.

[Z/MAN]

When my syrup comes off the evaporator I draw it through a paper filter before entering a stainless milk can. When finishing I fill the coffee urn with water and plug in to heat while I am getting the syrup up to temperature. When the syrup is finished to the correct density I pour the water out of the coffee urn and immediately pour the syrup into the "unplugged" urn. It passes through a felt and 3 paper filters going into the urn and I can it right there starting at 200+ degrees. I remove paper filters as necessary and I am able to get 2-3 gallons through before it cools to less then 180 degrees. I installed a thermometer in my urn so I can keep an eye on the syrup temp as I bottle. My syrup is always nice and clear with no sediment.

[bcarpenter]

I in plug our coffee urn after we dump the preheated water from it. My process is slightly different though


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[bcarpenter]

Yes unplug the coffee urn that is what we do and we've had great success


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[Daveg]

I wrapped my urn with 3/4" backpacker foam to insulate it. The bottom, too. I draw off at 67% or so because the filters get a quick steaming near the hottest part of my flue pan and then get placed in the urn right before I open the draw-off valve. I didn't get additional niter buildup with the urn "on", just a little scorching of the syrup in contact with the heater element. In the future I'll turn it off when the syrup goes in.

[dblact38]

I do exactly the same way, Z/Man does it, it comes out perfect all the time