Maximum bottling temperature for just-filtered, non-reheated syrup?

[buck3m]

I am working to speed up our filtering and bottling process.

If I filter boiling or near-boiling syrup into a canner and then immediately bottle the syrup at, say, 200 degrees, would niter in the bottles be a concern?

It is my understanding that it's the REHEATING of syrup above 190/195/200 (depending on the source) that is the problem.

Thoughts?

[psparr]

What do you use for a canner? If it's direct fired, then a low flame just to maintain above 180 will be fine. If it doesn't have heat, 200 is fine, just so long as it doesn't drop below 180.

[buck3m]

What do you use for a canner? If it's direct fired, then a low flame just to maintain above 180 will be fine. If it doesn't have heat, 200 is fine, just so long as it doesn't drop below 180.

I've got a Smokey Lake Steam Bottler System. It works well, but it's slow to warm partially cooled syrup back up to bottling temperature. That's why I'd like to filter near-boiling syrup and immediately bottle it at very high temps without reheating.

[wnybassman]

I've got a Smokey Lake Steam Bottler System. It works well, but it's slow to warm partially cooled syrup back up to bottling temperature. That's why I'd like to filter near-boiling syrup and immediately bottle it at very high temps without reheating.

Are you filtering right into the canner? If so, why is it not maintaining the heat as it goes in? I have my steam going while filtering and it never goes below 190º

[buck3m]

I'm filtering right into the canner. After we got going, it was easy to maintain heat. Maybe having the steam tray water even hotter would have helped.

I always lose some heat in filtering. I'd like to filter it near boiling and then can it super hot without reheating at all, IF no niter will form.

[maple flats]

If not reheated and also not allowed to lose moisture due to evaporation it seems 200 should be OK. While I have a water jacket canner and not a steam one, the lid seems to hold the syrup without getting more evaporation, your steam one should be similar if the cover is in place.

[wnybassman]

I'm filtering right into the canner. After we got going, it was easy to maintain heat. Maybe having the steam tray water even hotter would have helped.

I always lose some heat in filtering. I'd like to filter it near boiling and then can it super hot without reheating at all, IF no niter will form.

I fire up the burner for the steam tray and get that nearly boiling before I even put a drop of syrup through the filter, plus this starts warming the layers of filters. Once the syrup starts filtering the steam tray is boiling nicely already with very little flame. Once the syrup hits the temp probe it maintains 190-193, and stays there until I bottle enough to take it below the probe again.

[wnybassman]

If not reheated and also not allowed to lose moisture due to evaporation it seems 200 should be OK. While I have a water jacket canner and not a steam one, the lid seems to hold the syrup without getting more evaporation, your steam one should be similar if the cover is in place.

I've always wondered what to do with the moisture on the bottom side of the lid when taking it off to add more syrup to the filters. Logic tells me to let that water drain right back into the filters because it came from the syrup, and the syrup was correct density before that steam came out of it. is that what others do?

[psparr]

Somewhat of a wash if your filters were moistened.

[Cedar Eater]

I think the question that you are asking is whether niter will continue to precipitate out of syrup that has been canned at 190+ directly after boiling and filtering (not reheated to 190+). I think the answer is "maybe a very little". Very little evaporation occurs after the syrup gets through the filter at 190+. Evaporation of water from mineral saturated liquid is what causes the remaining liquid to give up its mineral content in the form of a solid. When the evaporation is minimized, the precipitation will be minimized. At least that's my understanding of how this works. Will it be enough to see if it settles to the bottom of a glass container? Will it be more than would occur if the temp after filtering was <190? I don't know the answer to those. I would guess the answers would be "Maybe" and "probably not noticeably so".

[Russell Lampron]

Filtering directly into the canner and bottling without reheating won't create more nitre.

Reheating cold syrup above 193* will allow more nitre to be released.

[RileySugarbush]

That is a very specific number Russ! Where did that come from? We have found that if we reheat after filtering in a water jacket bottler we get no nitre even if we go above 200°F. At least we haven't seen any.

[wnybassman]

That's an interesting number because my Smokey Lake canner doesn't seem to get any hotter than 193º

[Russell Lampron]

That is a very specific number Russ! Where did that come from? We have found that if we reheat after filtering in a water jacket bottler we get no nitre even if we go above 200°F. At least we haven't seen any.


That's an interesting number because my Smokey Lake canner doesn't seem to get any hotter than 193º

I believe that Dr. Tim might have given us that number. I don't remember when I read it. It was probably 4 or 5 years ago.

[Sugarbush Ridge]

When I was up at Burlington VT I asked Ray Goodrich,,, Cabot VT. He said not to reheat to 190 degs,,,, but his wife said NOT to heat over 189 as more niger will form. I now try to stay 189 and under but over 180. Now I only asked Ray about reheating as that was where i was having my problem. Now straight out of press??? I don't have an answer.