Wes Fab 7" short stack filter press

[Jal-Bear]

Looking to upgrade to a filter press for next season. I'm not a big producer (20-30 gallons a season) and have been considering the wes fab 7" short stack with gear pump, since I like to bottle almost all of my syrup in glass. Just curious if anyone has used one and how they like it. Thanks.

[highlandcattle]

We got ours years ago at our dealer days with a discount. Best money we ever spent. You will love it!

[n8hutch]

Jal bear. I heard webbs in Bangor has the 7" short stacks for 909.00 on sale this month. That's with a hand pump but might be an option for 20-30 gallons. I have been thinking about one myself.

[West Sumner Sugar]

We have one and wouldn't go without it. Simply amazing how they clean the syrup.

[MISugarDaddy]

This was our second year with a 7" short bank like you are considering and only wish we had gotten one sooner. We bottle everything in glass and it sparkles.
Gary

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

We got an amazing deal on a used 7" short bank. We only make 20-30 gallons/year but it was the best investment we ever made. I wouldn't go without one again, that's for sure!

[Fiddlehead]

I have that exact one from Wes Fab. Had it about 8 or 9 seasons and it works perfectly. Get the gear pump. Worth the extra.

[VT_K9]

We have been using a Wes Fab 7" short stack for about 3 years now. What a difference it makes. If you can find one in your price range or close enough you'll kick yourself for not doing it sooner.

Mike

[Foremaple]

We like ours that has been chugging away for about 15 years on about 125gal/yr. The only issue I remember is the time a hungry bear, after the season, ripped the sugarhouse door off and decided to give the press a thorough cleaning. There must have been a few drops on the belt guard so he tore it off to get a few licks!!!:o

[1arch]

If you have filtered by other methods in the past and upgraded to a filter press the initial response will be wow this is a great investment.
Now keep in mind that there will definitely be a learning curve to mitigate losses of syrup at the end of each filtering session. There are posts on this site explaining how to add the DE and Get every oz of syrup out at the end of the filtering session.
We batch filter 5 to 15 gallons at a time in the sugar house while cooking syrup so the filtered sweet we chase out gets added right back into the evaporator eliminating losses.
Enjoy!

[Jal-Bear]

I went ahead and got it. Can't wait for next year already to see how it works! The only thing I wish it came with some sort of manual, especially for a first time user like myself.

[MISugarDaddy]

Dr. Perkins put a manual on the forum last season that was very helpful.
Gary

[NhShaun]

Couldn't find a manual for the hand pump version but found this and thought i'd drop it here for future readers.
https://www.rothsugarbush.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/wes-fab-filter-press-manual.pdf

[Bricklayer]

I stopped adding the syrup that I drain out of the filter plates to the evaporator. I just pour it back into the draw off tank at the evaporator. I found that after doing it a bunch of times I had DE building up in the pans. And the syrup in the press is already syrup that DE is going to get added to anyways. So why not. Yes there should not be DE in the syrup draining out it should be in the plates. But somehow it’s in there
I crack open the wingnuts when it’s real hot and drain all the hot syrup out. Let the press cool down and break apart and clean. Very little syrup wasted. I even tip the press on its side and drain whatever is in the pump and lines out.
Run a little hot water through the pump on bypass and open the press valve just a crack to blow some hot water through it and she’s ready to go for the next day.

[tgormley358]

Hi everyone, like many here I’m considering upgrading from flat filtering for efficiency and quality clear syrup. My syrup off the flat filter is pretty clear already but it can be slow especially when I count the hours to clean 2 sets of felt and pre filters each night of boiling. Some of you like Jal Bear said they got a really good on their Wes Fab shirt bank 7”, so I thought I’d ask what you think of a used, almost new one, at $1,050, with gear pump and installed on a cart, from a reputable retailer.

[NhShaun]

Hi everyone, like many here I’m considering upgrading from flat filtering for efficiency and quality clear syrup. My syrup off the flat filter is pretty clear already but it can be slow especially when I count the hours to clean 2 sets of felt and pre filters each night of boiling. Some of you like Jal Bear said they got a really good on their Wes Fab shirt bank 7”, so I thought I’d ask what you think of a used, almost new one, at $1,050, with gear pump and installed on a cart, from a reputable retailer.

Seems like a pretty fair deal if it has the pump and a cart to go with it. I bought mine used with the hand pump and it was worth every penny. I can't believe i wait 6 years to get one, it's a total game changer. Worked perfectly to filter my 30 gals in a few batches, obviously the hand pump took some effort but still beats dealing with cone and flat filters any day.

[Russell Lampron]

I had a 7" WF short stack press with the hand pump. It didn't take long to figure out that I needed a mechanical pump of some kind. I went with the AOD pump and never looked back. The hand pump version is built cheaper than the mechanical pump version and can't handle the pressure. The work around for that was to run the air pump at the lowest speed possible and just let it chug along. It pumped a lot of syrup before the pressure got too high and I covered it with a towel to keep syrup off of the ceiling when it did.

I upgraded to a WF full stack press with the AOD pump and really loved it. I recommend to anyone thinking of buying a new press to get the AOD pump over the gear pump or the new electric diaphragm pump. The new electric diaphragm pump isn't rated to handle the heat and because of that the manufacturer won't warranty it. You need to use a bypass with the gear pump to control the pressure and flow and you have the added mess of the 3rd hose to deal with.

Of course if you find a deal on a used press buy it. A press of any kind is better than gravity filtration.

[fred]

I would suggest a vacuum press. will do the same thing for same money plus it doubles as a canner with direct heat.