Haynes Forest Products
04-12-2018, 12:14 PM
OK folks take this for what it is worth. I hate gravity filtering. We all have tried it and most likely came to the same conclusion its from the dark ages and will always be.
This year I tried something different and was very happy with the outcome. I draw off into a large 7 gallon stepsaver tank that is mounted on the side of my evap. and I would transfer pump it into my finisher that has a filter tray with flat filter rack. I would then curse the sugar sand clogging it after about 20 gallons and then the mess would start. I would end up over flowing it and then the finisher would end up with sand in the tank and the press would try and keep up.
This year I decided to introduce the DE into the draw off tank and pump into flat filter tray. I would add about a heaping cup to 5 gallons and using the famous food grade paint stirrer from HD i would transfer into the tray. I would do this for about 20-30 gallons. My tray is 24x24. I will report that if I do it this way my finished syrup was crystal clear in the finisher. If i scrapped the niter/DE off the filter it would cloud up.
I did a sample mid cook last night with a sample jar and this morning that jar was clean as can be and show Walmart and get the pure white all cotton Terry cloth bath towel (food grade) there in the Pharmacy section..................No they don't OK OK just funnin with ya. Take and wash the towel in a bucket by hand with a few drops bleach. Then re rinse in clear hot water a few times and just spin it in your clean washing machine. Cut it in 1/2 so you have 2 pieces. Get 2 brand new buckets from ACE hardware with lids. Take the moist towels and place them over the buckets so they hang down in about 1/2 way and secure with wire around the rim so they can sag down but not come loose....Screw the cloths pins you want the lid to set tight on top for heat retention.
What you will do is heat up about 6 gallons of finished syrup to a boil and take off the heat and place on the ground next to the 2 buckets and add the DE and pay attention to not spin the syrup out of the bucket and spatulate until its muddy looking and pour ASAP into the filters up to the very top of the rim. Cover them and GO TO BED. Dont peak into the bottom to see what is going on. DO NOT STIR. GO TO BED. give it 10 hrs.
This year I tried something different and was very happy with the outcome. I draw off into a large 7 gallon stepsaver tank that is mounted on the side of my evap. and I would transfer pump it into my finisher that has a filter tray with flat filter rack. I would then curse the sugar sand clogging it after about 20 gallons and then the mess would start. I would end up over flowing it and then the finisher would end up with sand in the tank and the press would try and keep up.
This year I decided to introduce the DE into the draw off tank and pump into flat filter tray. I would add about a heaping cup to 5 gallons and using the famous food grade paint stirrer from HD i would transfer into the tray. I would do this for about 20-30 gallons. My tray is 24x24. I will report that if I do it this way my finished syrup was crystal clear in the finisher. If i scrapped the niter/DE off the filter it would cloud up.
I did a sample mid cook last night with a sample jar and this morning that jar was clean as can be and show Walmart and get the pure white all cotton Terry cloth bath towel (food grade) there in the Pharmacy section..................No they don't OK OK just funnin with ya. Take and wash the towel in a bucket by hand with a few drops bleach. Then re rinse in clear hot water a few times and just spin it in your clean washing machine. Cut it in 1/2 so you have 2 pieces. Get 2 brand new buckets from ACE hardware with lids. Take the moist towels and place them over the buckets so they hang down in about 1/2 way and secure with wire around the rim so they can sag down but not come loose....Screw the cloths pins you want the lid to set tight on top for heat retention.
What you will do is heat up about 6 gallons of finished syrup to a boil and take off the heat and place on the ground next to the 2 buckets and add the DE and pay attention to not spin the syrup out of the bucket and spatulate until its muddy looking and pour ASAP into the filters up to the very top of the rim. Cover them and GO TO BED. Dont peak into the bottom to see what is going on. DO NOT STIR. GO TO BED. give it 10 hrs.