Still problems with niter

[notacarpenter]

I know it's early, but I've been trying to figure out what the deal is with reducing the niter after I filter. I use the cloth filters with pre-filters that I change over as they get full of sludge. I also make sure that the temp. stays around 185 for bottling/canning, as I know that temperature control is key to keeping the niter from releasing. . Yet, I still end up with the sediment at the bottom once it cools. I've had some good years when it was practically perfect, but it seems like I'm regressing on my limited skills. Do certain maples produce more niter than others? Are there any fail-safe ways out there that I don't know about for reducing the niter?


Thanks

Greg from Wyalsuing

[jmayerl]

You can never guarantee to have 100% niter free syrupwithout a press.

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

I know it's early, but I've been trying to figure out what the deal is with reducing the niter after I filter. I use the cloth filters with pre-filters that I change over as they get full of sludge. I also make sure that the temp. stays around 185 for bottling/canning, as I know that temperature control is key to keeping the niter from releasing. . Yet, I still end up with the sediment at the bottom once it cools. I've had some good years when it was practically perfect, but it seems like I'm regressing on my limited skills. Do certain maples produce more niter than others? Are there any fail-safe ways out there that I don't know about for reducing the niter?


Thanks

Greg from Wyalsuing

every year can be different, also niter changes during the season, I agree with jmayerl, a filter press is the only way

[buckeye gold]

I have fought it for years as well. Some years it is worse than others, but most years I just have problems in the last 1/3 of the season. when it gets bad I filter one prefilter off the evaporator and put it in the finisher and then at almost syrup (when it's just a couple brix light) I filter it through 2 prefilters and a finisher. then I finish to proper density and add a little filter aid and run it through a clean set of 2 prefilters and a finish orlon filter. I do all this at full boil and usually around 218 - 220 degrees. That usually does it pretty well. I rinse that last set out in my flue pan to capture lost syrup. That is about as good as I have been able to do and then some years my late batches still have a tiny bit in them. That I keep for family use and give away.

[SeanD]

I know it's early, but I've been trying to figure out what the deal is with reducing the niter after I filter. I use the cloth filters with pre-filters that I change over as they get full of sludge. I also make sure that the temp. stays around 185 for bottling/canning, as I know that temperature control is key to keeping the niter from releasing. . Yet, I still end up with the sediment at the bottom once it cools. I've had some good years when it was practically perfect, but it seems like I'm regressing on my limited skills. Do certain maples produce more niter than others? Are there any fail-safe ways out there that I don't know about for reducing the niter?


Do you bottle right at the boil or do you reheat later. If you reheat, you may be scorching the syrup right where the flame hits the pan. Try heating more slowly and stirring as it comes to temp. The other option is to use a steam pan or bottler.

If you feel your thermometer and bottling process are reliable then it must be from the boil. I use pre and Orlon cone filters and have success, though clogging over the course of the season is my issue. I've had much more luck using the Optimizer and this year, I'm going to have brand-new back up filters on hand. Cleaning the pan between boils also helps as well. As I'm drawing off the sweet I'll clamp a paper pre-filter onto the outlet to catch more niter there.

Some bushes definitely produce more niter than others and it differs from year to year. I have the opposite ratio of Buckeye. The first 1/3 of my season has a thin, but sticky, caramel-colored niter in my filters. The rest of the season, my filters clog with a thick grey pudding-like niter.