Filter press end/beginning of day

[seanbutler]

I'm new to filter press management, so am just starting to figure out what my system will be. I'd like to know specifically what people do both when starting up their press at the beginning of the day, and shutting it down at the end.

At the end of the day, do you drain the remaining syrup out of it, or flush it with hot water or sap? Or something else?

What do you do when first starting up the press? I figured I would just recirculate, but if I've still got a bunch of cold syrup in there, it's hard to get it going. I guess the key is to not have a bunch of cold syrup in there?

I know someone who puts a heat lamp on their press to warm it up.

I'd be interested to know what tricks others have figured out.

[mellondome]

How big is your press and how much syrup do you make in a normal boil?
I start with an empty press and recirculate a couple gallons to verify the syrup is clear (no paper or plate issues). At the end of the day i run the contents of my pans through the press followed by 5 gallons of hot water from my preheater. I also boil off about 1 press worth of syrup per boil session ( 30 gal drum).

[seanbutler]

My press is a 7", 7 plate. It's supposed to be able to do about 60 gallons before the paper needs changing and the press cleaning. Yesterday I made about 50 gallons, which is pretty typical.

Yesterday I did flush the press out with hot sap at the end of the day, though I wasn't able to completely drain it, and now today I can see that the remaining liquid has frozen solid in it. That can't be good for the pump, right?

But how do I drain it without making a huge mess? My press is the kind you tip up to change the papers - should I tip it up to help it drain? Part of the draining challenge is that my inlet and outlet hoses are maybe 6 feet long each, making draining through them to a bucket challenging. But if I detach them from the press, there's no way of catching liquid that comes out of the press.

[madmapler]

You need a pan under the press.

[mellondome]

Pan under the press... then just loosen the nuts and a plate. It will drain out.
You shouldn't keep syrup in the press for long periods of time if it is aluminum. The syrup will pit the surfaces.

[JoeJ]

I'm new to filter press management, so am just starting to figure out what my system will be. I'd like to know specifically what people do both when starting up their press at the beginning of the day, and shutting it down at the end.

At the end of the day, do you drain the remaining syrup out of it, or flush it with hot water or sap? Or something else?

What do you do when first starting up the press? I figured I would just recirculate, but if I've still got a bunch of cold syrup in there, it's hard to get it going. I guess the key is to not have a bunch of cold syrup in there?

I know someone who puts a heat lamp on their press to warm it up.

I'd be interested to know what tricks others have figured out.
When I start filtering with a new set if papers, I add the pre-charge DE into 5-6 gal of 200 degree syrup and recirculate the syrup to warm up the press. The press is then ready to put syrup into a barrel. At the end of the day, if the press is plugged, I pump 8-10 gal of hot water into the evaporator float box to clean the syrup out of the DE then change the press. If the press in not plugged and I will leave the syrup in the press for the next day's boil. After starting the evaporator, I put my press under my steam away drain and once the water temp gets above 195, I let the water run onto the press plates and pump
for 10 - 15 minutes. After steam away water runs on the press for 10-15 minutes, you can't even hold your hand on the hot plates. Then I move the press back to my filtering location and start easily filtering syrup just like the press had never cooled off from the night before.

If at the end of a boil, the pressure in press is above 35 PSI, I will clean the press even though I might get another 15 gal or so through it. I don't want to be changing the press right at the start of a boil.

Joe

[Sugarmaker]

I run hot sap through mine at the end of the day. I forgot to drain the sap and it froze, hopefully It did not damage any thing.
Regards,
Chris

[seanbutler]

Thanks for all the replies. I spoke to my equipment dealer yesterday and he recommends changing your papers at the end of the day, even if you could still get more syrup through it the next day. I like this approach, as it both drains the press and ensures you don't have to change the papers in the middle of a boil the next day (unless you have a really big day!).

I also mistakenly let the sap freeze in the press overnight. No damage was done, but apparently it's not a good idea as it could wreck a seal in the pump.

I'm looking forward to it not freezing so hard at night!

[wiam]

Thanks for all the replies. I spoke to my equipment dealer yesterday and he recommends changing your papers at the end of the day, even if you could still get more syrup through it the next day. I like this approach, as it both drains the press and ensures you don't have to change the papers in the middle of a boil the next day (unless you have a really big day!).

I also mistakenly let the sap freeze in the press overnight. No damage was done, but apparently it's not a good idea as it could wreck a seal in the pump.

I'm looking forward to it not freezing so hard at night!

I would recommend changing papers at the end of the day if I was selling papers too. I do not change papers every day.

[markcasper]

How many of you try to re-use papers, like meaning salvaging them, hosing off with hot water and putting back in the same way for use a 2nd time?

[Russell Lampron]

How many of you try to re-use papers, like meaning salvaging them, hosing off with hot water and putting back in the same way for use a 2nd time?

I never re-use papers. My time is worth more than the dime I'd save trying to wash and re-use papers.