Filtering syrup?

[mooseman]

I am just a small timer. (30 taps) and am wondering the best way to filter finished syrup to get out the sugar sand. Every year I try something different but to no avail. Hopefully I will be finishing upa batch tomorrow night and want to get a good job done. Any suggestions for someone with no equipment.

[Gary in NH]

From one small time rookie to another..... I'm using a synthetic cone filter (see my previous post about synthetic vs. wool) with a cone pre-filter inside of it. The synthetic cone filter has loops that I can hook onto my kitchen cabinet doors to suspend it. I pour the finished syrup into the filters and catch it in a glass coffee pot. I bought a replacement coffee pot at Walmart for 9.86. The top is as wide as the pot so it's easy to catch the syrup from the filter. It's easy to pour afterwards too. The filters have made a HUGE difference in the finshed product. I get crystal clear syrup. Last year I was using only a synthetic filter paper and my syrup was a little cloudy. You wouldn't notice from a plastic container but in glass you could tell it wasn't clear. You can get them from Bascoms.

[SapSuckers]

I am alos a small backyard guy. I like the synthetic cone with prefilter. What i do is take the cone filter and put in a turkey fryer pot i use just for syrup. I attach 2 loops to the 2 handles, then wrap a bungee cord throgh the loops and around the pot. This gives a nice wide opening to pour through.

[Quadmom]

Hi I am a very very small hobbyist. This is my first post so hope I am doing it correct. I have 3 trees and 3 taps but still want to do the product right. I have a restaurant ss pan and a ss roaster pan to evaporate in then bring it in the house to finish. So far about 9 pints. My problem is I think what you are calling sugar sand. Suspension in the finished syrup. Where do I get the filters I have read about? I used a flour sack towel the first batch and strained at syrup point and it turned out pretty clear, a little stuff on bottom of jars. Then I tried the same towel but before I finished it off and it has a lot of suspension stuff in it. Third batch I tried a couple layers of cheese cloth and at syrup stage, still suspension. Can I still use it with this sugar sand suspension?
Sandy

[VA maple guy]

There is one thing you guys can do if you are not in a big hurry. Just let it sit for a week or two to let the sugar sand settle. Then pour off the syrup, heat it back up, it will filter much easier.
Gerry

[Quadmom]

Thanks Gerry, I'll probably try that.
Sandy

[mooseman]

OK using materials on hand,I used a white cotton tshirt to filter my almost syrup and when it hit syrup and before I bottled in mason jars, I used a white cotton handkerchief. It came out very clear. There is still a little sand left but it is manageable. Finished a Gallon and a half last night.

[lightsteve]

From another small time back yard newbie - i am using the cone filter with prefilter insert. my limited experience has been that if i filter after the syrup is finished it takes a very long time to go through the filter. i tried filtering at an earlier point but ended up with a lot of cloudy, sugar sandy stuff in the final syrup. this year a lot more than last, when i got away with earlier filtering. this year only filtering at the very end is working. but it takes hours for my syrup to go through the filter unless i squeeze it, which i think is not a good thing to do.

when are other people doing their final filtering? how long does it take?

Steve

[VA maple guy]

Lightsteve, don't squeeze your filter at all, you will only squeeze some of the sugar sand through your filter. When you are ready to filter, have your syrup at about 180 to 190 degrees. Quickley pour the syrup into the filter and fill it as full as you can. Then cover it with a lid to help keep it hot while it is filtering.
If you are filtering a gallon or more, you might want to use at least two or three prefiltres. Then carefully remove one at a time as they clog. That should help speed up things.
Gerry

[VA maple guy]

Lightsteve, just one more thing. Finish your syrup befor you filter it, if you bring it back up above 195 to 200 it will start to precipitate out new sugar sandsand and you will halve to refilter it to make clear syrup.
Gerry

[buck3m]

I also highly recommend sedimention for the small timer. In my experience, it works better than the filters, and is a whole lot easier. We prefilter it and then let it settle until the syrup on top is completely clear. Then we pour off the clear syrup until we reach the sediment which is clearly visible if you pour slowly. Then we combine all our "dregs" batches of sediment and settle that out and do the same thing again.

That system has worked for us 100% of the time. Even carefully using the best cone filters and prefilters we occasionally get sugar sand in the syrup, and I was surpised to hear both of the filter suppliers I usually buy from say that that is common, even if you're doing things right.

Plus you're not soaking all that syrup into filters, getting flecks of filter fuzz in the syrup, etc.

Simple is good. Just my 2 cents.

[davey]

Rather than going to Bascoms to buy the filters, click on the mapleguys.com webpage, you can link to it from the bottom of the trader page. Afterall, they are the ones paying for this webforum.

[tappin&sappin]

Small producer as well... Last year I got an old milk 'can' from another producer.

Purchased a wool filter and a pack of pre-filters from a local leader supplier (go to leader evaps website and find a dealer). For the amount of syrup us "small producers" make, the filters will last for a long time (years).

Now I put 3 pre-filters in the wool cone filter. Hang all 4 of them in the milk can and draw right off into the filters. When finished drawing off, I move the can out of the way. Usually, it has run through the filters by the time I need to draw off again.

If your doing little batches in a turkey fryer and finishing in the kitchen. I would still get the above mentioned filters and pour your syrup in them right after the syrup becomes "syrup".

And like someone else said, try to resist squeezing the syrup through the filters, as your bound to push some of the sand through.

My 3 cents anyways...

[Uncle Tucker]

I also am a small timer. What I found works best for me is filter as soon as it is finished syrup. What I do is let it filter over night, then the next day I reheat to 185 and bottle it. One thing I made to help is, I found a short piece of ether 8 or 10 inch plastic pipe for drainage (it doesn’t need to be food grade because the syrup doesn’t touch the sides it falls in a small stream in the middle) and I cut it to about 18 inches long. Then I screwed sheetrock screws on four spots to loop the filter on and set it on 2 pieces of wood over my bottler (turkey deep fryer). Poor the hot syrup in put a cover over the top and see you in the morning. The next morning the filter is empty except for the sludge i.e. sugar sand.

I hope this helps.

I can post pix if any one wants.