Hobby producer needs expert filtering advice

[red gate maple]

I am a hobby producer managing 50 buckets and a 2x4 wood fired evaporator and need some advice on filtering. The sap goes through cheesecloth before going into the evaporator where I cook it to "almost" syrup. The syrup is finished, filtered and bottled in my home kitchen. I use a cone filter and paper liners. Should I filter as I draw off the evaporator or filter in my kitchen prior to bottling? I have been filtering in my kitchen after I get an acceptable reading with my hydrometer but then I have to reheat the syrup prior to bottling. Is is acceptable to filter my"almost" syrup as I draw it off the evaporator and be done with filtering? I would greatly appreciate some advice!

[buckeye gold]

yes filter off the evaporator, but only use one or two prefilters. Finish to density then final filter and bottle at 185 -190. if you go over 190 you will create new nitre. I finish off the evaporator on propane and this is my routine. I run it through one prefilter off the evaporator @ 216 degrees, I put it on the finisher and bring it to a boil and when it's bouncing betwen 217 and 218 I run it through one prefilter and a final filter and pot it back in the finisher. When it is verified finished with a hydrometer I run it through a prefilter and final filter again and then bottle at the end of the day. This may seem like a lot of filtering, but doing small amounts it works well for me. All the big niter clumps are caught off the avap. and most everything else is caught in the first final filter. It usually shoots right through the last filter and that is nice clear syrup. I bottle in all glass to sell and I want it really clear. If your just making personal use syrup one final filtering is probably enough. I always rinse my filters on the last filtering back into my pan to save sweet. That is my approach. I don't use cone final filters. I have a stainless wire basket and my wife sews up custom filters to fit it.

[johnpma]

I filter raw sap as it enters the evaporator. I filter thru two prefilters and a synthetic filter off the evaporator at 217 degrees I finish over propane and draw the finish product off thru two prefilters and a cone filter. Dump it back into finish pan and let it settle over night. I reheat to 185 with my custom steamer and bottle at 185

[Sugarmaker]

I think I understand what your doing.
If you are going to finish on the stove and filter after it is the right density then there really is no reason to filter coming off the evaporator. I mean you can filter off the evaporator and it may get some sugar sand and some big stuff but your going to make more sugarsand again when you bring it to finish density on the stove.
Almost everyone brings there finished cooled syrup back up to 180 deg F to bottle it. That way they can control that temp during bottling.
Regards,
Chris

[psparr]

If filtering is real slow and a pain in your rump, bring your syrup up to density then let it settle out a few days. Pour off the cleared syrup into a pot and bring it up to bottling temp slowly as to not create much more niter and bottle. No filtering needed.

[RileySugarbush]

If filtering is real slow and a pain in your rump, bring your syrup up to density then let it settle out a few days. Pour off the cleared syrup into a pot and bring it up to bottling temp slowly as to not create much more niter and bottle. No filtering needed.

But make sure you bring it up to temp in a water jacket, steam bottler or double boiler. Heating with any direct heat after your last filter can result in more niter as the local hot spots on the bottom of the pot and niter can form. The local boiling may not be visible, but that is the hissing sound you hear in a tea kettle before boiling and you can hear it in syrup too.

[Z/MAN]

I filter my sap going into the preheater thru a milk sock filter. When I draw off of the evaporator I filter thru one paper pre filter. When ready to finish I reheat on a propane stove until I get to proper density. I them dump the boiling syrup thru 3 paper pre filters and one synthetic filter into my coffee urn bottler. I install a lid on the canner setup and bottle my syrup immediately. I have a thermometer in the canner and the temp usually stays above 200 while I bottle. I might have to remove and empty a pre filter or two doing 2 gallons of syrup. The paper filter used to filter the syrup coming off the evaporator picks up the most niter. I really don't get much more after that. I bottle a lot of glass and my syrup is always crystal clear with nothing in the bottom of the bottles.

[red gate maple]

Thanks to everyone for all your advice!