Weird Bottle Question.

[Coatesy]

Just finished a boil off and bottled three pints. Still have that dark stuff at the top of my bottles. Here's a pic

I'm guessing I'm not filtering enough. I filter off the pan once yellowish then finish boil on propane to about 218 filter then I finish inside on convection to about 220-221 and filter to bottles at 190. I'm using a standard coffee filter inside a camping style coffee urn with its own metal filter. Everything is sterile and clean. Even had my bottles warmed. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200314/96e820a4311aa6b871fbcdb45db5a947.jpg

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[Ravenseye]

I've never had luck with coffee filters. I use pre-filters along with a wool filter and I still get a very small amount of niter from time to time. Usually, it's crystal clear. I'd try a different filter.

[Coatesy]

Thanks Raven, so this is what is considered niter? Wondered what that meant. Will it negatively affect my syrup? How do I get rid of it? Could I crack the bottles and remove it with a turkey baster or something?

Has to be a filtering issue as it's happened to all 7 bottles I've made.

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[Mead Maple]

Coats,
Stop at your local maple supply place and grab a heavy felt filter along with a pack of prefilters. Put 3 or 4 of the prefilters together and then filter into the heavy one. Niter gone. Syrup, crystal clear.


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[Russell Lampron]

Could I crack the bottles and remove it with a turkey baster or something?

Has to be a filtering issue as it's happened to all 7 bottles I've made.

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If you let the bottles sit the nitre will settle to the bottom. Then you can pour clear stuff off the top and refilter the dirty stuff at the bottom. Coffee filters aren't fine enough to filter syrup.

[Ravenseye]

It's not the end of the world but it looks like it is. As mentioned, it will settle but then you'll look at the bottom of the bottle. If it were me, I'd order pre-filters and a felt one. Open your bottles, pour them out, heat them up and filter hot. Bottle hot too. I think you'll be surprised at how much more comes out. As a side note, sometimes you just get a lot of niter. For whatever reason this (odd) year, I have more than usual although I have had some pan problems. I think you'll be quite happy with better filters.

PS...I can't bottle without a beverage either!!!

[Coatesy]

Thanks alot for the replies everyone. Probably just live with these ones and better filter the next batches. I almost have another 50G stored so will boil again this week.
Alot of work this racket is but it is rewarding and my syrup tastes amazing. Wife made maple cake and icing tonight. Yum!!

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[Mead Maple]

A lot of work?! Must be we are talking about a different hobby, I found it easy and never frustrating?! Like when I am washing the (wooden) floor of the sugarhouse because my 9 year old didn’t close the valve on the head tank quite as far as it needed to. Or when it takes you draining the front pan ((2x3) several times to adjust insulation so your boil areas are correct. This is all such fun and did not make me consider on several occasions how much bulk syrup I could buy if I sold everything maple related right here and now!😂


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[hansel]

Being small scale as well, it doesn't make sense for me to waste time, money, syrup or aggravation filtering. I finish to syrup, let it settle for a few weeks, pour off good, combine the bad and let settle again, reheat and bottle good at 180F.21241 these have been settling for 1 and 2 weeks.

[barnbc76]

A good hydrometer to test syrup will be more accurate then thermometer alone. My thermometer is off by a few degrees so I dont really pay much attention to it. I suggest this as I tried to use a coffee filter last week for some syrup and it wouldnt even go through because it was too dense. I wonder if your syrup is only close to being syrup but not quite.

[Coatesy]

Well I took all the advice and filtered the piss outa the last batch and still have the same outcome I guess I'll live with the nitremare

[Mead Maple]

What are you using for filters? I have made 12 gallons to date and filter using 4 pre-come filters than the heavy filter. Might not be as clear as a filter press but you will be hard pressed to find much settling at all


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[Coatesy]

Do u have a link to the filters your using??

[barnbc76]

https://www.leaderevaporator.com/p-33-prefilter-for-maple-syrup.aspx

The prefilters are cone filter, also you can search that website for synthetic cone filter, that is the finishing filter, the prefilters stack inside it.

[Coatesy]

Thanks for the link