Filtering Alternatives

[Helicopter Seeds]

After a fellow mapler (Thanks Scott) helped me re-process, filter and re-bottle much of last year's harvest (about 10 gallons), I definitely am convinced that I need to step it up from my cone setup (Yes I use sailor hat fold). None of the options are very affordable.

The default is to save up, follow suit and buy a filter press.. which in longer term may be wise. It all depends on how much more, if any, I grow in capacity.

I am waiting on a quote from CDL on the vacuum filter presses, but also thought of improvising water filtration cartridges. Wondering if other folks have tried? Seems to me they would offer a greater surface area than even plates.

Meanwhile, I had thought from many folks here, that the nitre came out of solution after cooling from a boil, which is why you cool and then re-heat. With the press, I am told you just add the DE to the syrup right away, still very hot, and filter away. Does the DE work at such a fine particulate size that it does not need to cool?

[Chickenman]

I use a flat filter, wool and 4 or 5 papers in a basket over a pot and filter straight off the pan. I have not had sediment or cloudy syrup. Are you using both a wool and paper?

[Helicopter Seeds]

Yes, I am using the orlon filter, along with pre-filters. I certainly have gotten nitre out of it, and I run it through a couple of times. The syrup is pretty clear, but I always have a slight amount on bottom of bottles after a couple weeks. Last year, I decanted, and re-did a few cases, and it was much better. This year the amount was worse, and I don't want to keep re-doing it. If I don't have an improvement initially, I will store it in 5 gallon glass carboys, and decant from those since I can see and avoid sediment.

[Chickenman]

After rinsing out the orlon, did you wring it out, or let it drip dry? Your wool filter may be damaged and letting "stuff" through.

[Helicopter Seeds]

After rinsing out the orlon, did you wring it out, or let it drip dry? Your wool filter may be damaged and letting "stuff" through.

Hmmm.. Typically I just rinse with hot water from sink sprayer, invert it do it again, then back to normal and rinse again takes a while until it appears clean. I don't wring it out to dry, as I always heard it was best to keep them wet before using.
But you have me wondering about hidden damage, maybe from repeated use and rinsing. How would I know, and how to rejuvenate it? Thanks for the help.

[Chickenman]

I don't think the fibers are fixable. Try a new one and see what happens is all I can say. I got a 36 in flat and cut it in quarters so I would have back ups and all are marked with a laundry pen so I only filter one direction. Been using the same felt since I started but it is looking a bit stained so I will start a new one this season.

[minehart gap]

You may want to look at a 5" filter press from Daryl Sheets. I really like mine and am glad that chipburner and paddy mtn talked me into it. I believe that they are about $800 or so but with 48 taps perhaps he would sell a press with less plates for less price, not sure. When I have less than 5 gallon to filter through mine, I only use half of my plates. Daryl is on here sometimes, maybe he will jump in.

[Helicopter Seeds]

Yes, that it the default I mentioned, and the one Scott demo'd. Really liked it, but wondering about less costly alternatives- still meeting quality. I very well may go that route, but cash-wise may wait until mid march. That may be OK if I just store my syrup at first.

[minehart gap]

Until you can get your filter press, mountainvan uses filter aid with a flat filter. http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...860#post254860
I have never tried it but supposedly it works well.

[Daryl]

I will be at the Ct. meeting this Saturday to put on a session with the 5” press

[3% Solution]

HS ….
Just came across your post …
Just remember, you have to do what you need to do and can afford (that's the biggy)
We have used cone filters with paper pre-filters …
We have used flat filters with pre-filters and have used DE with these … Mountain Van idea …
Now we have a Daryl Sheets 5" filter press …..
However, we grew into the filter press …. as you can see below we have an RO and almost 200 taps more than when we started … so we can't filter fast enough now with flat filters …
As far as Daryl's filter … it is just the ticket for us …..
If you do expect to expand say up to 250+ taps … I would definitely recommend the press … You don't have to use all the plates …… max we have gotten through has been 81/2 gallons … now if we are going to make 4 or 5 gallons we will use half the plates … so the press will grow as your operation grows …

If you are or will be filling glass … just expect some settlement with filters …. it can't be helped …
You cannot compare flat filters with a filter press …. they are so different
It would be like comparing a Chevrolet with a BMW …. both will take you down the road, but they do it differently ……
So with all this said ….. Would I buy another one of Daryl's filter presses???? …… **** right … in a heartbeat .

Hope this helps

[buckeye gold]

I can offer one more option. Use flat filters or cone filters and filter more times. I use a basket filter and my wife sews up filters to fit it. At the start of season I filter once through pre-filters off the evaporator and then through two pre-filters and one final once. About mid season I start filtering one more time. Since I finish on propane I filter it through one perfilter and a final filter at 217 then finish and filter through two prefilters and a final filter. That is once through a cone prefilter, once through a prefilter and final and one final filtering through two prefilters and one final filter. I typically have clear syrup and no settled sugar sand in my glass. Now i am only making 15-20 gallons. I have mixed in DE, but decided it didn't do that much.

I take the final set of filters and rinse them in my flue pan to recover syrup. They usually have very little nitre.

[tgormley358]

For my first two years I used cone filters with great frustration. It took forever and was a mess. Last year the best investment I made was a flat filtering setup, used for about $400. There is no comparison - just pout it in with both pre filters and cost filter, right off the evaporator, and bottle straight from there out of the filter pan. It takes 1/10th the time because it filters faster (larger surface) and I don’t have to reheat after filtering. I had thought about a filter press also which isn’t much more $$ maybe twice the price, but would require more space and plumbing than I wanted to take on.

[maple flats]

A few other questions. What temperature do you filter the syrup at? It needs to be hotter than the bottling temperature. I'd say at least 10 degrees, 20 is better. If you bottle at 185F, heat the syrup to 200-205 before filtering it. Then use some DE (never pool DE, just DE for maple syrup, mix it in the hot syrup and then pour the mix in your cone or flat filters. If you are not 100% positive the filter was never twisted to get it drier, get a new one. What is your well water like? You say you spray the filter using the kitchen faucet spray, is your water hard or soft? Does it have chlorine? Both bad. If yes to either, buy some distilled water. Heat it and wash the filter just by dipping it and pushing it down into the container with the hot distilled water. Once finished you can dump that water into your next batch of sap to recover the sugar. Repeat with more hot distilled water. If your water had neither hardwater or chlorine, clean it using this method but follow with a distilled water hot final rinse.
Not only mountain van but I bought a few tanks and some assorted equipment from a man who was retiring from maple about 12-14 years ago. He made lots of syrup but I forget the amount but he used flat filters and DE. He had a 1000 or 1200 gph RO so his quantity was large. In his sugarhouse he had 8 or 10 filter vats, each was about 2.5 or 3' square. He mixed in the DE and dumped it into one of them as a bucket worth was drawn off the evaporator. I do not know how many prefilters he used but he bottled over half his product in glass and it looked totally clear. With the next bucket drawn he dumped it, after mixing the DE in into another filter rig. I think he then added the next into the one he had dumped into the first time. He told me that on a good day he kept 5 or 6 such trays/vats filtering. Each tray had a cover to help hold in the heat. When he was finished he used a 100 gal steam kettle to reheat and bottle the syrup.