new filter press

[Bobbybreach]

right now im using cone filters and they are horrible. takes for ever and its just not a good filtering technique in my opinion. this is what im looking at buying for next year. https://www.smokylakemaple.com/product/stainless-steel-filter-press/. now im a small time producer making only 15-20 gallons for the season. every time I boil I make an average of 2 gal of syrup. so my question... this press can handle about 15-25 gallons of syrup at a time before the filters need to be changed. can I run 2 gal through it and then a couple days later run another 2 gal through it all while using the same filters? or is it best to change out the filters every time I boil? also the price difference between cone filters and a filter press is HUGE! is there a cheaper filter press alternative? maybe in the $400-$500 range?

[DrTimPerkins]

You'll need to rinse (chase out the syrup and sweet with hot water), disassemble, and clean the pump between each filter run. Given your volume, you'll likely either want to wait until you have a sufficient quantity of syrup, or start with a smaller press. This unit looks to be a 7" press. There are others that are 5" and would likely be far more suitable for your volume, UNLESS you're planning to expand a great deal in the next year or two.

[Bobbybreach]

ok gotcha. can you recommend a smaller press?




You'll need to rinse (chase out the syrup and sweet with hot water), disassemble, and clean the pump between each filter run. Given your volume, you'll likely either want to wait until you have a sufficient quantity of syrup, or start with a smaller press. This unit looks to be a 7" press. There are others that are 5" and would likely be far more suitable for your volume, UNLESS you're planning to expand a great deal in the next year or two.

[DrTimPerkins]

I haven't used a small press for several years. Our latest is a 10" Extended D&G model (actually 2 duplicate presses)....a bit beyond your needs. :)

Daryl Sheets (Sheets Tools) makes a nice small filter press. He has gotten several good reviews from folks on this list. I'm sure there are others but I don't recall any particular brands at the moment.

[Haynes Forest Products]

A filter press is a fickeled piece of equipment. Just when you think its the best thing in the world you will let it cool down and someone will come in and ask how does THAT THING WORK. You with a bit of swagger in your walk will go over to it and hit the switch to show them. You will splatter cold syrup over about 1/2 of everything withing 10 ft. They will about jump out of there wingtips back peddling out the door never to be seen again. YUP its a nice hydraulic pressure washer of the worst kind if you let er cool down.

Whatever you buy will hold its value and be easy to sell and move up to something bigger. If you get a 7" short bank just use 1 set of plates and when your done filtering just crack the locking bolts and let it drain out over night and you wont lose any sweet.

[BSD]

filter presses sure are nice, a friend came down to demo his for me and it makes a great product, but for your volume stick with a cone filter, just get an inverter. you increase the surface area exponentially. i can easily filter 7-10 gallons at a time on my cone filters, i use one prefilter for every 1-1.5 gallons of syrup i'm processing.

[Sugarmaker]

Filter press for 15 gallons per year is going to be a little over kill. But if thats what you want go for it. Cone filters work pretty good but as you say they have there issues too. Filtering smaller batches is going to be a issue. Like said you need to cleran the filter press between runs.
Regards,
Chris

[wiam]

You'll need to rinse (chase out the syrup and sweet with hot water), disassemble, and clean the pump between each filter run. Given your volume, you'll likely either want to wait until you have a sufficient quantity of syrup, or start with a smaller press. This unit looks to be a 7" press. There are others that are 5" and would likely be far more suitable for your volume, UNLESS you're planning to expand a great deal in the next year or two.

Is this another unwritten rule in sugarmaking? After seeing guys with 18 and 20 inch presses not clean everyday I started doing that with my 10”. Works well. I just run preheater water over my plates till I am ready to filter. I don’t see why it won’t work for smaller presses.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Is this another unwritten rule in sugarmaking? After seeing guys with 18 and 20 inch presses not clean everyday I started doing that with my 10”. Works well. I just run preheater water over my plates till I am ready to filter. I don’t see why it won’t work for smaller presses.

Works fine with smaller presses. We chase whats in the flue pan through to push out the syrup between batches. We may make 15 gallons some years, maybe 30 gallons on other years but I am sure glad we have a press. We also found ours used for $400 with a stand so it was a steal. Look around if you're not in a rush.

[DrTimPerkins]

Works fine with smaller presses. We chase whats in the flue pan through to push out the syrup between batches.

Yes, that is certainly possible too (flushing out the sweet between batches). You just don't want to leave it with syrup in it between batches UNLESS you have a bypass and very gradually open it up as it warms up. Even then, be prepared for problems if you try that. Flushing with hot water or backpan sweet can help reduce those problems, but occasionally you'll still have issues doing it that way. Since papers and DE are cheap, we've always just found it easier to break down the press, clean it, and start fresh the next time.

[BAP]

Cone filters are a pain over time. I started out with one and 2 years ago I bought a Smokey Lake flat filter canner with the steam tray. Filtering is much easier because you are using all the filter, not just the tip. I made 82.5 gallons last with it and I am up to 76 gallons this year and still going.

[325abn]

Have you considered a flat filter? I make about same as you and it works well. I draw off though a paper filter then run it though two flat paper filters then though a flat synthetic. I have stacked two paper filters on top of the synthetic too.

[SSS2017]

I will finish with just under 15 gallons this year. Like you I do about 2 gallons of syrup and just yesterday I did 4. Since I plan on doing this for the foreseeable future, I said the heck with it after messing with cone and flat filters last year with smaller finishes. Seemed like half my syrup was always left in the filters. So I bought a Maple Guys filter press and a Smoky Lake Steam Bottler with steam tray. I COULD NOT be more happy with my end product! No more wasted syrup, no more waiting and waiting for the syrup to and make its way through the filters AND no more sugar sand no matter how hard you try to prevent it! Yes, up front it’s a bit more money, but in the long run... and the short run headaches, these two pieces of equipment are well worth the money in my opinion. I change my filters each run on the press and it’s very easy to clean with a hose after your done just by spraying through the hose end on the press. I originally tried bottling right from the press but the syrup cools to much while passing through.

http://www.mapleguys.com/product/MAPLEJET.html

https://www.smokylakemaple.com/product/filter-finisher-bottler/

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

I should have clarified that we break down the press after chasing it through with sweet. I would think that's a must. Leaving syrup in our 7" press doesn't work. We did that once, then we used to break it down every time and save the syrup then we came up with the chasing idea. The latter works good. We save our syrup in the blue pails and filter 2-3 times during the season.

[3% Solution]

right now im using cone filters and they are horrible. takes for ever and its just not a good filtering technique in my opinion. this is what im looking at buying for next year. https://www.smokylakemaple.com/product/stainless-steel-filter-press/. now im a small time producer making only 15-20 gallons for the season. every time I boil I make an average of 2 gal of syrup. so my question... this press can handle about 15-25 ..
gallons of syrup at a time before the filters need to be changed. can I run 2 gal through it and then a couple days later run another 2 gal through it all while using the same filters? or is it best to change out the filters every time I boil? also the price difference between cone filters and a filter press is HUGE! is there a cheaper filter press alternative? maybe in the $400-$500 range?

Bobbybreach,

A press is such a wonderful thing ...
We bought a Daryl's press for ( 5" press ) our small operation ....
I can tell you three things about it; 1) It comes with a price tag .... 2) Almost the best thing since sliced bread for us .... 3) I'd invest the money again ...
We just ran 8 gallons through it last night ....
We was running flat filters but couldn't keep up with our production rate ....
Remember, if you have a small amount of syrup don't use all the plates ....... so if we are going to make 4 gallons of syrup we can use half the plates .....
Now I am in no way an expert on using a press .... I am still learning ......
But if it wasn't for some good folks on here (Dr. Tim, Haynes and others) we would not be where we are now in this learning curve ..... Thanks guys!!!!
It's not just the press ... it's filter papers and filter aid .....
One other thing ... your syrup will be clear and will sparkle .....
Hope this helps .......

[wiam]

I should have clarified that we break down the press after chasing it through with sweet. I would think that's a must. Leaving syrup in our 7" press doesn't work. We did that once, then we used to break it down every time and save the syrup then we came up with the chasing idea. The latter works good. We save our syrup in the blue pails and filter 2-3 times during the season.


Leaving syrup in the press overnight works fine. Just have to heat plates up (I run preheater water over mine) and start slow (I love my air diaphragm pump)

[Haynes Forest Products]

Giving a guy advice on his desire to by a filter press by suggesting better ways to flat filter is like giving a guy that's looking to buy his first tractor that maybe he needs better horses to pull his plow.

[mspina14]

Anybody have experience with a round vacuum filter press for small batches?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDWZWj-CUyo

Mark

[BAP]

Giving a guy advice on his desire to by a filter press by suggesting better ways to flat filter is like giving a guy that's looking to buy his first tractor that maybe he needs better horses to pull his plow.
No it isn’t, it’s being practical. 15-20 gallons a year is a really small amount to justify the expense of a filter press. Plus, you are making such a small amount each time, it is going to be hard to keep the press warm enough to get the syrup threw it easily.

[Haynes Forest Products]

A 5" press is very practical and can be used wisely with very little loss. You will have to change your ways a bit but building upon a solid piece of equipment will only lead to a better product. Less mold and less waste and quicker by far.

[325abn]

Did the flat filter "advice" trigger you? LOL

[Haynes Forest Products]

No not at all I just think that we get caught up in our own ways.

[BRL]

I would suggest Daryl's 5" press. We filter 8 gallons at a time through it. 4-4.5 cups of DE fills the plates. It has worked great for us, I think we are on year 4 with it.

[3% Solution]

I would suggest Daryl's 5" press. We filter 8 gallons at a time through it. 4-4.5 cups of DE fills the plates. It has worked great for us, I think we are on year 4 with it.

I agree ... very nice little press .....
We also get 8 gallons through it ......
LOL .... now that I have been educated on how much DE to use .... LOL

[Dill]

I need to upgrade to a press for next season. I'm currently making 10-18 gals a day. Probably going to bump that up a bit but not huge. So I'm probably looking at a 7in press, but would I be set with a short stack or do I need a full stack?

[woodey24]

I haven't used a small press for several years. Our latest is a 10" Extended D&G model (actually 2 duplicate presses)....a bit beyond your needs. :)

Daryl Sheets (Sheets Tools) makes a nice small filter press. He has gotten several good reviews from folks on this list. I'm sure there are others but I don't recall any particular brands at the moment.
Do you have a website for him? We are looking at upgrading to a filter press too... thanks.

[woodey24]

Never mind Doc, I found him. thanks...