Cdl 7” short bank

[butler]

Had this filter press for awhile now... always been a bit slow for filtering... but this year with RO..ing our sap it seems to filter very slowly for some reason...?? Anyone have this issue after they started to use an RO?
Most I can get out is between 7-9 gallons... and near the end I’m up at 60-70 psi... what would be the difference if I upgraded to a full bank 7” or a short bank 10”.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

RO'ing can lead to more niter when boiling due to the higher brix concentration of the sap. That's way high on the PSI, I'm surprised you didn't blow a paper. How much DE are you mixing in? I would first try adding more DE, 1 cup at a time until it starts going through better. If that doesn't work, start backing off from what you are using but my bet is that you need more DE. We run 4-6 cups of DE in our 7" short bank but usually are only filtering 10-15 gallons at a time anyway so we rarely have any issues.

[Sugarmaker]

My guess would be you would double your capacity, so 14 to 20 gallons on a long bank. Since I don't have a plate press and don't R.O. either, its just a guess. I can get 15 plus gallons on the SIRO, 12 inch, which is supposed to be equivalent to a 7 inch long bank.
Regards,
Chris

[butler]

Thanks so much for the info...I am going to try 3-5 cups DE tonight because it definitely doesn’t seem right to only get 7-8 gallons before I have to change papers...

[Shaun]

The biggest thing I learned with a press is to keep the de agitated. I have a large whisk and stir the whole time the press is running to keep it the de in suspension. I consistently get 30 plus gallons through a full bank 7, even this year with heavy niter. The pressure stays under 20 psi.

[Russell Lampron]

It could be just the season and the trees producing more nitre this year. I've been using an RO since 2005 and a filter press shortly afterward. Until this season I've never had a problem filtering 15 to 20 gallons with my 7" short bank Wes Fab. This season the nitre was so bad that there were times when I couldn't get 5 gallons through it. The sap is going to produce the same amount of nitre whether it's concentrated with an RO or boiled raw. If anything the RO sap should filter easier because more of the nitre is released in the flue pan.