Press question

[Sim999]

My father and I are new to today's ways of making gold. We have been boiling for 6 years with nothing more than a 2×3 pan, a Turkey fryer, and a canning filter. We built a small r/o with culligan filters last year but decided to go bigger. We only make a gallon or so a week but we got a used 4040 r/o and a leader 11 filter press. My question stems from the "clientele" as we are a hobby not for profit. The ol timers want it thick enough to glue dentures in with! In turn came the problem with the canning filter. My question is can I remove frames from the press if I make spacers and yes clean it weekly, will it hurt the press? I dont want to lose half of our weekly gallon in the press. Thank you, sim.

[VTnewguy]

We have a 5 plate press but we always short stack it with a plate that slides in on the third plate. It uses less syrup to charge the press this way. At the end of the day any spilled syrup in the catch tray goes back in the flue pan to come forward the next time we boil.

[maple flats]

Yes, you can use fewer plates and add spacers to make up the space. As far as cleaning, you should clean it after every use, but when you clean it, you don't have to lose the syrup in the press, save it in a refrigerator, then heat it when ready to filter next time and put it thru the filter press.
When you say the clientele want the syrup thick enough to glue dentures in, that is not a good idea. You want to use a hydrometer properly and only go to 66.9 to maybe 67.1 or 67.2% sugar. Thicker than that the syrup will then have sugar crystals settle out in the bottom of the container.
To salvage most of the syrup in the filter, when finished filtering, as soon as it cools to just feel warm to the touch, open the filter and catch all of the drippings and save them for next time. Most of the filter aid DE and niter will remain stuck on the filter papers. If some of that falls off, just mix it in with the syrup. Store that at 35F or under and mix it into the next batch of syrup to filter.
If you reduce to too few sets of plates the pressure will go too high, to control that just have a bypass line from the pump line back to the mixing tank and attach a food safe hose with a ball valve. Then open that valve just enough to hold the pressure under 40 psi max, over 40 you could blow a hole in the papers catching the DE and niter.

[Father & Son]

You can also use hot sap to rinse the sweet out of the press and put it back into your rig.
That way there is nothing wasted or lost.

[maple flats]

Thanks Father Son, I should have mentioned that too.

[Sim999]

You can also use hot sap to rinse the sweet out of the press and put it back into you rig.
That way there is nothing wasted or lost.
This will work very well! Thank you!

[Sim999]

Yes, you can use fewer plates and add spacers to make up the space. As far as cleaning, you should clean it after every use, but when you clean it, you don't have to lose the syrup in the press, save it in a refrigerator, then heat it when ready to filter next time and put it thru the filter press.
When you say the clientele want the syrup thick enough to glue dentures in, that is not a good idea. You want to use a hydrometer properly and only go to 66.9 to maybe 67.1 or 67.2% sugar. Thicker than that the syrup will then have sugar crystals settle out in the bottom of the container.
To salvage most of the syrup in the filter, when finished filtering, as soon as it cools to just feel warm to the touch, open the filter and catch all of the drippings and save them for next time. Most of the filter aid DE and niter will remain stuck on the filter papers. If some of that falls off, just mix it in with the syrup. Store that at 35F or under and mix it into the next batch of syrup to filter.
If you reduce to too few sets of plates the pressure will go too high, to control that just have a bypass line from the pump line back to the mixing tank and attach a food safe hose with a ball valve. Then open that valve just enough to hold the pressure under 40 psi max, over 40 you could blow a hole in the papers catching the DE and niter.
We do use a hydrometer but by the time the first dump went through the filter I'm sure more evaporation happened for the second dump and so on. At times it would take an hour to get 1 gallon through. But we never had much of a problem with sediment? But this is great information! Thank you!

[Sim999]

We have a 5 plate press but we always short stack it with a plate that slides in on the third plate. It uses less syrup to charge the press this way. At the end of the day any spilled syrup in the catch tray goes back in the flue pan to come forward the next time we boil.
Excellent, thank you!