Installing a thermometer in a filter press plate

[bill m]

I have seen a filter press for sale with a thermometer installed in one of the frame plates and was thinking it might be a good idea. Has anyone done this modification or have a press with one installed?

[jmayerl]

I have seen a filter press for sale with a thermometer installed in one of the frame plates and was thinking it might be a good idea. Has anyone done this modification or have a press with one installed?
Smoky lake has it's an option for their presses. Not sure how tapping and drilling into an old cast aluminum press would work.

[bill m]

My press has steel plates and I would not be afraid to drill and tap them even if they were aluminum. Looking at my press this afternoon now I am thinking about installing a tee in the output of the press and putting the thermometer in that. That way I wont have to worry about damaging it when I take the plates apart for cleaning.

[wiam]

What is gained by a thermometer in your press?

[bill m]

The first syrup thru the press cools down a bit. Right now we recirculate back into the finishing unit till the press is hot then go to my bottling unit. Even though it has a water jacket I still would like to know my syrup is at least 185 when it gets to the canner. Having a thermometer on the output will tell me that.

[maple flats]

It just seems to make the most sense if you want to know the temperature of the syrup out of the filter, not in it. Just put it in the outlet hose. I think the best way for that would be a tee. Use it as an elbow with the other side having a threaded bushing to add the thermometer. Then as the syrup flows along the stem of the thermometer it will give you the temperature. This is the way I read the temperature from my pre-heater, it works well.

[johnallin]

What is gained by a thermometer in your press?

I agree. Not much you can do to change syrup temp while it's in the press...and it's easy enough to check either before or after. Sounds gimmicky to me.

[DrTimPerkins]

On the outlet side of the press (right side in this photo), we have a tee with a thermometer inserted. We've also put in another tee with a small spigot and valve to take samples from or to fill containers directly off the press.

We charge the press by putting DE into the drawoff tank and circulating. We allow the "cake" to build up, and monitor the syrup temperature. Once it is above 180 deg F and running clear, we will send it to a barrel. As more syrup is drawn off we will add a "small" scoop of DE to the drawoff tank about every 5 minutes and match the speed of the diaphragm pump to the drawoff rate. We can get about 4-5 barrels of syrup through a press in this manner.

To help warm the press, we use an electric car-engine blanket to take the chill off. That'll heat to about 140 deg F. Gets the press up to temperature faster. There are drop down air lines and electric lines right above the filtering area so no connections to fumble with or stumble over. We also insulated our drawoff tank with spray foam (low expansion) to keep the syrup hotter.

When this press is full, we push it back and connect it's twin brother in place. We'll then connect the syrup inlet to the hot water line and pump water through to purge it, with the outlet line connected back to the sap tank. We really don't carry any liquid around (sap, water, concentrate, filter rinse water)....it's all pumped where it needs to go.

18636

[johnallin]

I stand corrected. Dr Tim’s setup makes perfect sense. I had never considered that someone would go directly from press to barrel.

[DrTimPerkins]

.... someone would go directly from press to barrel.

And to continue that, ...to barrel, to barrel, to barrel, to barrel with drum overflow valve setups (photo below). We typically set up for 4-5 barrels in a row (about what one press will do before we need to break it down) next to the filter press behind the evaporator. So we set it up once before we start the evaporator and know that once we start sending it to the drum we're good to filter 160-200 gal of syrup before touching it again. Gives you more time to focus on other things, and you only need to start paying much attention after the next to the last barrel is filled. This also serves to homogenize the density of the barrels as one filters off the evaporator/drawoff tank a bit, so small variations in density are less problematic and also helps to heat the syrup in a partially-filled barrel to above hot-pack temps.

18637

[maple flats]

I also use one of the overflow devices shown by Dr. Tim, but I only have 1 barrel then a overflow pot, either a 4 or 5 gal SS pot. As soon as I see a solid flow thru the over flow tubing, I shut down the filter. At the times when I have enough for another barrel, I first tighten the bungs in BBL 1, move it and then set up to fill #2. In those cases, I then pour the over flow contents back into my mix tank and restart the pump.
Before I had the over flow device I had to keep a close eye on the barrel as it filled and I made a mess more than once. It has saved me untold gallons worth of syrup in the 5-6 years since I bought it.

[johnallin]

I stand corrected. Dr Tim’s setup makes perfect sense. I had never considered that someone would go directly from press to barrel.


And to continue that, ...to barrel, to barrel, to barrel, to barrel with drum overflow valve setups (photo below).

I am often amazed at the information that is placed on this forum, and more often amazed at what I still have to learn...It's all good.

[Haynes Forest Products]

OK where do you get them. I do the KEEP AN EYE ON IT method. I have a 16" SS pipe on my press discharge and it helps keep the hose from falling out. One year it with the elbow fell in the drum and I forgot about it until my buyer called to say they found it.:cool:

[DrTimPerkins]

If you mean the barrel overflow device, ours came from Lapierre, but I know that other companies (CDL, etc.) make their own version as well.

[maple flats]

I think mine is also a Lapierre. I bought it from Bascom at a show.

[Haynes Forest Products]

So this year I went with all SS drums and as we all know I can screw up a anvil with a rubber hammer. I do sample bottles on all my drums one for me one for my buyer. So I'm filling my drum from my 65 gallon finisher and the first thing I do is fill the little bottles cap them off and and write the date and drum number and put them on the drum until its full and labeled. Well the drum is filling and all is well until the heat from the syrup causes the drum top to expand going from convex to concave. Yea big words I know but the noise must have sounded like the Titanic hitting the ice berg. Those little bottles go shooting straight up in the air hitting the ceiling and then smashing on the floor. I about pinched a nerve in my neck going turtle wondering what just happened.

Do the drum fillers screw into the drum or have a rubber seal that expands into the hole? I can see that flying around like a fire hose under pressure.

[DrTimPerkins]

Do the drum fillers screw into the drum or have a rubber seal that expands into the hole? I can see that flying around like a fire hose under pressure.

They have a built in expansion plug. You squeeze the handle and put it in. Takes a little adjustment to get it snug, but not too tight. If it isn't tight enough, pumping more syrup in after it is full can create a fountain of syrup. I only got hosed down with syrup once this year when a plug let loose when I just happened to be walking by, but that is really pretty rare. The unfortunate thing is different barrels require slight adjustment differences. We tend to use the same barrels as much as possible to avoid having to make frequent adjustments.

The joke with my brother-in-law is that we spill more syrup in a day than he makes all year. :D

[TheMapleMoose]

The joke with my brother-in-law is that we spill more syrup in a day than he makes all year. :D

I always say that I spill more syrup than most people eat

[Haynes Forest Products]

I'm at the point now that I just say...................I'm just giving it back.

Its like beer we don't buy it we just rent it