10" half bank DE capacity

[Windy Acres]

Hi, I was wondering what the capacity was on a half bank 10"press, we are new to a filter press this year, any input is appreciated!

[maple flats]

Just measure the hollow plates and calculate the volume, then x the number of plates. If you need, take a flat plate, lay it flat on a smooth surface and fill it with DE, counting the cups as you fill it to level. This will only yield an est. because when wet the DE will be packed much more dense. Then multiply X the # of plates. This will give a very rough estimate.
Then in use just keep count the first time you use the press. As you filter, if the pressure rises too high and the flow slows to just a little, it is full. If you finish the filtering and open the press before that happens, guestimate what % full the hollow plates are and use that info to hone in on the answer.
All this being said, on my 5 sets of plates 7" filter press, after about 12 seasons I don't know how many mine holds. I just start by mixing about 1.5 cups DE in the first 2.5-3 gal of syrup and recirculate to coat the papers with an initial filter cake. Then I draw about 6 gal into my mixing tank, add about 1.25 cups more, mix and recirculate a minute or so, then send it thru the filter press and I keep repeating until all is filtered or the pressure forces me to keep opening the bypass valve more and more until the flow of filtered syrup is too slow, at that point it's full.
You will find that you will get a lot more early syrup thru the filter than late season syrup. As the season progresses you will get more sugarsand and while it takes up little space in relation to the DE it is filling some space.

[Walling's Maple Syrup]

How wide are the plates on an h2o press? I have a 10 frame 10" dg press (plates are 2"wide) and most of the time it will hold around 80 cups when full filtering "normal" syrup(de capacity changes depending on sugar sand in syrup).
Neil

[Windy Acres]

The H20 10" half bank is 3 hollow plates that are 2.5" deep

[Walling's Maple Syrup]

I would say 30-40 cups depending on syrup. I filter in 25 gallon batches, so the first batch I put in half the de that I will use for that boil. Each batch after that, I put a little in. I use a 4.5 cup measure.

[Windy Acres]

Thanks for tthe help!

[JoeJ]

Neil,

Do you have 5 hollow plats for DE space and 5 waffle plates or do you have 10 hollow DE plates?

"How wide are the plates on an h2o press? I have a 10 frame 10" dg press (plates are 2"wide) and most of the time it will hold around 80 cups when full filtering "normal" syrup(de capacity changes depending on sugar sand in syrup)."

Joe
Neil

[Walling's Maple Syrup]

Neil,

Do you have 5 hollow plats for DE space and 5 waffle plates or do you have 10 hollow DE plates?

"How wide are the plates on an h2o press? I have a 10 frame 10" dg press (plates are 2"wide) and most of the time it will hold around 80 cups when full filtering "normal" syrup(de capacity changes depending on sugar sand in syrup)."

Joe
Neil
Ten hollow. It's a 10" extended.

[JoeJ]

Ten hollow. It's a 10" extended.

Neil,

Just curious, are your 10 hollow plates full of DE when your press will not filter any more? And are you using Celite or Dicalite DE? From my experience, I think that the Dicalite I used was finer than the Celite. I have 5 hollow plates on my 10" press and when I used Dicalite, it took 70 cups to fill all 5 hollow plates. Not knowing that the Dicalite was finer than the Celite, when I ran out of the original bag of Dicalite and started using the Celite, my press packed after 56 cups. A sales person at CDL later told me that there was a grade difference between the two brands and the Celite would probably use about 20-25% less than Dicalite and it does.

Joe

[Walling's Maple Syrup]

Neil,

Just curious, are your 10 hollow plates full of DE when your press will not filter any more? And are you using Celite or Dicalite DE? From my experience, I think that the Dicalite I used was finer than the Celite. I have 5 hollow plates on my 10" press and when I used Dicalite, it took 70 cups to fill all 5 hollow plates. Not knowing that the Dicalite was finer than the Celite, when I ran out of the original bag of Dicalite and started using the Celite, my press packed after 56 cups. A sales person at CDL later told me that there was a grade difference between the two brands and the Celite would probably use about 20-25% less than Dicalite and it does.

Joe
I am using dicalite. There is two different grades to that too(4200 and speedex). The 4200 is a tad bit coarser and allows more particles through). I use the speedex because I package in glass a lot.
To answer your question, yes on a normal boil my goal is to pack the plates by the end of it. My average boil is around 200 gallons and I've put as little as 70 cups and as much as 120 cups to fill it. I've found it varies greatly by the sugar sand in the syrup(the more sand, the less de it takes). Sometimes it can be a guessing game from night to night on how much to use. For most of the season, around 80-90 cups packs the plates and will filter 6 barrels.