Vacuum Filtering

[troynh]

So, today was the day that I maidened my DIY vacuum filtration system and it worked great! 1.5 Gallons in no time for the final finish. Crystal clear end product...

-Tim

Here's the video:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6qJIjvhDmo

Updated Video 2-25-23:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zreKgP7C04

[fisheatingbagel]

That looks like it really works well. Are you using regular flat filter and pre filters? What about DE? Where did you get the pans that fit together?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[troynh]

Thanks. Yes, 1 flat filter and 1 pre filter. No DE. The stock pots are from WalMart.

-Tim

[Bricklayer]

Looks cool. I've used pre filters, flat filters,cone filters, bucket filters, coffee filters, you name it to filter syrup. There is always residue left on the filters when I'm done filtering. No matter what size batch I filter. Were did the sugar sand, Niter go in this setup. Did it get sucked through with the syrup?

[barnbc76]

Ive never seen anything like this could you explain how it works. So far as i can tell it just looks like "hollywood magic". Lol, wish my filtering took that long.

[troynh]

First, No... The sugar sand doesn't go through the filters. The end result is crystal clear syrup. 2nd, I flat filter off the pan after boiling. This is where 90% of the sand gets caught. (Next week I'll be vacuum filtering straight off the pan for anther demo video.)

Basically I take a 3 cfm vacuum pump and use a 10 gallon auxiliary tank for a vacuum storage tank. The tank is stored at 30 inches... Plumb it to a couple of modified stock pots and suck away while finish filtering. http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?29681-Vacuum-Filter-for-final-finish

The whole process is super fast!

-Tim

[fisheatingbagel]

Tim,
What type of clamps are those between the top and bottom stock pots? They look similar to table leaf clamps, but I don't remember seeing them for sale anywhere.
Do you have any kind of support under the filter pad, or is it sufficient to clamp the pad between the 2 pots (I'm assuming you cut the bottom out of the top pot)

[82cabby]

That is amazing. Would you mind posting a picture of the individual pieces disassembled ?

[Atgreene]

I'm looking at buying one similar, but nobody has any info.
https://evaporateurfaucher.com/produit/siroptier-et-presse-vacuum/

[Michael Greer]

Well you got everyone's attention with that one. Please make a video of the process of creating this marvel.

[Andrew Franklin]

Tim gets my vote for "Best Innovation of the Year", small producer category. Well done!

[Helicopter Seeds]

Well you got everyone's attention with that one. Please make a video of the process of creating this marvel.

Yes, Please. or more pics of the details. If I had to guess, for the top pot, you cut off the bottom and somehow made small corrugations like stove pipe sections to get them to fit. If so, then the filter is just pinched between and won't go anywhere, even without clamps, but they probably help. Then the bottom pot just has the bulkhead fitting?

[Andrew Franklin]

I neglected to put together a "stock pot" version of vacuum filter and now sap is flowing, so while washing buckets the other night I wrapped tape around the base of one so it only fits into the one below it by a few inches. Drilled about a hundred or more holes into the top one and cut flat filter medium to fit and a few layers of prefilter and fit them into the base of the top bucket. I drilled a hole just below where the top bucket meets the bottom that a small diameter shop vac fitting will fit into, with a piece I screw into the top of the vac fitting that keeps the syrup from getting sucked in (also, no holes drilled in a portion of the bucket above where the vacuum hose is). I installed a lead free spigot on the bottom of the bucket so I can hang it over the edge of the shelf a few inches and with its slight angle it will pour right into bottles. From my research, food grade plastic buckets are safe at long periods up to 230 degrees, and since I will only be filtering 2-3 gallons at a time the heat loss will be minimal as I bottle so I should stay over 180 unless the vac process cools it too much. This (not counting what I had on hand) is what appears to basically be a free vacuum filter that will save me tons of time and more importantly for a small scale guy MUCH less syrup wasted in the filter as it appears to suck almost all of it through. Anyone care to tell me what I've missed or doing wrong here? It seems too easy...

[fisheatingbagel]

I made something similar to Andrew, but used a large coffee urn as the base. I bought a stainless steel bucket, and drilled a bunch of holes in the bottom - this bucket just so happens to fit nicely in the top of the coffee urn with a nice tapered fit. I cut a hole in the coffee urn for the vacuum hose, and made a fitting that points down inside the urn (to keep the vac from sucking up the syrup as it comes through the bucket).
Haven't tried it yet, but have about 10 gallons in the fridge ready to filter and bottle, which hopefully I'll get to this weekend. I'll post some pics afterwards!

[Chickenman]

This is my version of the vacuum filter. I still need to install a few springs to pull the top colander used as a ring down onto the filters sitting on top of another colander to make a better seal. I may have to increase my vacuum storage. Would like an air tank but I had there E size medical gas cylinders on hand.1935919360

[Chickenman]

Finished up my filter. Hope to give it a test drive this weekend. 19369

[Andrew Franklin]

I ro'd about 100 gallons of sap to about 9% and boiled it down tonight. Poured it through a couple of filter papers at about 60% and then finished it off and poured it into my redneck 5 gallon plastic bucket shop vac filter. Crystal clear and much less liquid wasted in the filter medium...and MUCH faster. Game changer for a little guy like me!

[troynh]

V2.0 is ready to go...
My original version didn't have enough vacuum after the second boil. Now it's obvious to use a shop vac! Duh!

-Tim

[highlandcattle]

We would like to try this. Do you have a parts list?

[troynh]

I put links to the pots and parts used to make V2.0 in the description of the video:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnRftiNn8FM

[fishman]

I bought a vacuum filter a few years ago and it works like a charm. Really cut down the time it took to filter compared to the orlon bag filter and 3 pre filters.

[Beerclouds]

Nice jar Tim..where did you obtain that style?

[troynh]

Thanks. I make them... Sandcarving around a vinyl sticker.

-Tim

[Swingpure]

I am in the process of building a vacuum filter having taken inspiration from 4Walls. He posted a video on the Northern Ontario 2022 thread. Mine will be pretty identical, but instead of using the more professional clamp system, I will be using 8 small bungee cords. They hold the top pot very tight. I should have all of the components this week.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/03fVyZuW6IwYkA54Q0i-tb7zg

Just researching how to drill the hole through the stainless steel pot. I know there is a professional “punch” tool that does a great job, biput I don’t have one of those. I was thinking of using a metal hole saw.

[wobbletop]

I tried using a step drill bit but it wore out very quickly.

[voluntucky tapper]

hi i saw your post ,i just finished making and used once a vacuum filter ,from stock pots stacked , the orlon cone was horrible... anyway the flat orlon polyester filter material came in today ,,,,theres a felt side and a harder kind of shiny side ,, what side faces up ????

[Swingpure]

I tried using a step drill bit but it wore out very quickly.

I have been watching a few videos on it. A few different ways of doing it. All of them had low speed high torque settings, all recommended using a cutting oil or at the very least 10w40. Another thing in common was to always have the bit cutting and never spinning and not cutting. Frequent pauses as to not overheat the steel.

One guy used a Masonry bit for drilling the pilot hole. A lot used the step drill bit snd some used a special stainless steel cutting bit. They look sweet, but a little pricey. The punch looks like the thing you would use if you were a professional.

[Swingpure]

hi i saw your post ,i just finished making and used once a vacuum filter ,from stock pots stacked , the orlon cone was horrible... anyway the flat orlon polyester filter material came in today ,,,,theres a felt side and a harder kind of shiny side ,, what side faces up ????

I found this thread on that: http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?34186-Synthetic-flat-filter-which-side-up

It sounds like it does not matter, as long as you always do it the same way.

[voluntucky tapper]

thanks for the info ,,,,,,,,

[Swingpure]

For the circular flat filters that you would use for the vacuum filter, when you wet them, how wet is wet? Would you grab the group of filters ( my plan is to have two primary filters and four or five pre filters), and submerge them quickly in a pan of water, or just mist them with a water sprayer bottle?

Today I trimmed the filters slightly to fit my top DYI vacuum filter pot.

Thanks

[Pdiamond]

They need to be damp not wringing wet. DO NOT wring them out. Rinse when done with hot water only and hang them up to dry. Same goes for the heavy felt filter.

[Swingpure]

So on my real life test, my homemade vacuum filter did the job, although one of my flat pre filters came loose, perhaps because I dumped the syrup into the top pot too quickly.

I do have another option to use as a filter that fits the top pot of the vacuum filter. It is my heavier bucket filter, with similar shaped pre filters. The flat filters meant for a vacuum filter unit are much thinner.

Do you see any real downside to trying the heavier filter, which I know for sure would stay in place?

https://share.icloud.com/photos/03fQ9u7XnHF34vQDr6tPm5gZQ

[Lanark]

I'm going to be trying my homemade vacuum filter today, I bought the 36" x 36" flat Orlon and pre filters and cut out 8" circles to fit my stainless steel bucket. I'm going to add 1/4 cup filter aid per gallon of syrup and keep my fingers crossed.

[Swingpure]

My homemade vacuum filter is doing an excellent job.

Based on advice on another thread, the poster had mentioned that he liked retesting the Brix reading of his syrup the next day, because after it has cooled down it could be different. I tested my first batch and it had a lower Brix than I wanted, so I reheated it and got it to my target Brix.
I then refiltered it.

When I poured it out of the storage pot into the finishing pot, there was zero sediment in the storage pot and when I ran it through the filter again, there was only a very minuscule amount of sugar sand in it. Both of those facts tell me that the vacuum filter is doing it’s job well.

The syrup it produced was crystal clear!

https://share.icloud.com/photos/042MBMsvHLhISAyM3fWtjjfmA

[Lanark]

My big mistake was buying a shop vac with 1.75 HP, it pulled some of the syrup through but wasn't strong enough. Today I'll buy a 5HP shop vac and hope that the syrup I couldn't filter and sat over night will be ok since it still has filter aid in it. However, the small amount of syrup that did get pulled through was crystal clear.

[DrTimPerkins]

Today I'll buy a 5HP shop vac and hope that the syrup I couldn't filter and sat over night will be ok since it still has filter aid in it.

Since it will have cooled, it'll filter a lot harder. Maybe filter again next time you have hot syrup to add to help warm up what was left over.

[troynh]

Just researching how to drill the hole through the stainless steel pot. I know there is a professional “punch” tool that does a great job, biput I don’t have one of those. I was thinking of using a metal hole saw.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E4DPI00/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

-Tim

[eustis22]

I would use a step bit instead:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=step+bit&crid=1ILHZ9JBV54SB&sprefix=step+bit%2Caps%2C116&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

[wobbletop]

My step bit wore out very quickly on the stainless steel pot.

[DRoseum]

Be sure to use cutting fluid or something like tap magik

[Swingpure]

My step bit wore out very quickly on the stainless steel pot.

Mine did as well. At first it was cutting the hole, but in the end it almost bent the metal to created the opening. Fortunately I was able grind the edges smooth enough for a good seal. I was using an oil to help keep it cool, but it was not specifically designed for cutting.

If I had to do it again, I would use a hole saw meant for stainless steel.

I also found some pots are easier than others to drill through. Likely because of the thickness of the stainless steel, but I also think, without knowing it as a fact, that some stainless steel is harder than others.

[DRoseum]

Also keep your RPM lower to reduce work hardening of the stainless. Heat from drilling/cutting work hardens the material. The right speed and cutting oil help immensely. I have had outstanding results with good step bits, lower RPMs amd tap magik.

[Bushman]

HI Tim
I am thinking of making a vacum filter. I checked out your video and like what i see.
I have been unable to find the link to your parts list and assembly video. is it possible to send me the link.

Best Regards Bushman

[Swingpure]

HI Tim
I am thinking of making a vacum filter. I checked out your video and like what i see.
I have been unable to find the link to your parts list and assembly video. is it possible to send me the link.

Best Regards Bushman

These were the links he shared in his you tube video:

My. original video from 2-25-17 - © • Maiden Voyage of Lessons learned today was don't add too much DE...
One synthetic filter and one pre filter...
LINKS:
BOO...
Base Mega Pot - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/
Upper Pot - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07..
Drill - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Bulkhead - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...
Turnbuckle - https://www.mcmaster.com/30315T33/

4walls also made a similar vacuum filter.

https://youtu.be/a8nbZd8EOT0

[Bushman]

Thank for the info
Regards Bushman

[troynh]

I finally made a proper updated video of this thing in action. I only had enough sap for 2 gallons this week.

-Tim


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zreKgP7C04

[Swingpure]

So you use your vacuum filter directly off the evaporator?

[troynh]

So you use your vacuum filter directly off the evaporator?

Yes. Been doing that since day one. Every batch boil gets two filterings. One off the arch and then the final.

-Tim

[Swingpure]

Yes. Been doing that since day one. Every batch boil gets two filterings. One off the arch and then the final.

-Tim

Thanks, I think I will be using a cone filter at the arch and the vacuum filter at final. I still have to see if the cone filter is too slow at the arch. I don’t think my arch has the height for the vacuum filter at the draw off valve, but I will check that out:

[hodorskib]

I made a little video on how I have been able to get my CDL 12" vacuum filter to work well. Hope this helps.
https://youtu.be/eEGZv0mkh5I

[Pdiamond]

Very nicely done video. Short, precise, step by step, well done. Just make sure to rinse the shower out real well sticky is yicky!!!!!! Yeah I have a hard time makin syrup. Can't stand to be sticky. You should've seen me when the kids were young.