Does anyone own a 9" CDL Vacuum Filter?

[jdircksen]

If so, what vacuum are you using on it? And how much syrup can you get through before having to change the filters? I've heard they are out of stock right now, is that because of high demand?

https://webstore.cdlusa.net/content/images/thumbs/0004648_9-vacuum-filter-press-and-accessories.jpeg

[Goatogether]

Do you want one for this season? You could build one on your own pretty easily. Youtube diy maple syrup vacuum filter. We made ours pretty quickly, all for under $100, not including. Shop vac that we already had.

[Haytapper]

I have a 12” and I can get 4 gallons through easily without replacing the prefilter, however, it seems later on in the season it seems to take longer to suck through

[fred]

just a shop vac will do it. normal year 6 to 10 gallons through. this year i would guess 2 to 4. everything is clogging up more than usual. i though you were selling yours?

yes very high demand. i sold a ton this year. cant beat it for the money. no press comes close to these on price

[canaanmaple]

If so, what vacuum are you using on it? And how much syrup can you get through before having to change the filters? I've heard they are out of stock right now, is that because of high demand?



I used to own one and loved it and never had issues. I used it mainly as a finishing filter, and bottler. I always do cone filter coming off the evaporator though since it's so simple to do and gets all the real sludgy niter out so easily. So when I use the vacuum filter after finishing, it almost pours right through the filters without turning on the shop vac! I used the smallest shop vac there is.

one more trick I found helpful is using a few pre-filters stuffed in the top and one under the lock ring. that way you dont have to dismantle to remove a pre-filter.

[GBS]

We have a 9" one of these. This is the first year we have had it. We use it as a finisher/bottler. We pour through a paper cone filter off the evaporator which catches a lot of the junk before it even goes indoors. It beats the heck out of waiting for the syrup to dribble through on gravity alone. We have found that after two gallons the prefilter is pretty clogged and throughput goes way down. I like the tip about stuffing a prefilter inside the top canister, not under the lock ring. I'm going to try that.

I put it on a 2.5 gal, 1.75hp Craftsman. The smallest shopvac at the hardware store, $30 bucks. In a long filter session the hot air tends to start to collapse the hose. But overall it works like a champ and I don't think you can beat it for the price. The finished product is very clear.

[tgormley358]

Hi, I am considering up trading up to a CDL vacuum filter this upcoming season from my current flat filter system. Because it sounds like it does filter much more quickly with vacuum. But It doesn’t come with a steam tray, which my current flat filter system, to avoid hotspots and burning finished syrup when the level gets low in the pan. Does anyone know if these vacuum filter systems can have a steam tray below? Or Alternatively, How hard would it be to add plumbing for vacuum to the current flat filter pan?

[Ross]

We used one the last 2 years for filtering and bottling with a small inexpensive shop vac. We are able to get 2 gallons before plugging the pre-filter, but with filter aid are getting over twice that amount. The filter aid makes a huge difference in quantity and quality.

We preheat it with hot water. There is a space between the bottom of the holding tank and the main unit which allows you to put it on a burner to keep up temperature while bottling.

[jdircksen]

I haven't figured out a way to adapt my CDL filter to add a steam tray.

But Smoky Lake makes a vacuum adapter for their steam bottler. Check it out for ideas: https://www.smokylakemaple.com/product/vacuum-filter-applicator-system-w-precut-filter-set/

[DrTimPerkins]

...How hard would it be to add plumbing for vacuum to the current flat filter pan?

Probably not too difficult. Clamping the system down tight is important. You want to be really careful how much vacuum you pull on an apparatus not built to handle vacuum. Probably safe with a shop vac, but with many vacuum pumps you could easily suck in the sides of the canner/canister and dent it. A cylinder is pretty resistant to this issue, but a square/rectangle is far less so. The CDL vacuum filter tank is round and pretty beefy so it resists bending/warping quite well, but even so, it includes a gauge to keep track of vacuum level and a safety valve to prevent damage to the unit if the vacuum level is too great.

[tgormley358]

We used one the last 2 years for filtering and bottling with a small inexpensive shop vac. We are able to get 2 gallons before plugging the pre-filter, but with filter aid are getting over twice that amount. The filter aid makes a huge difference in quantity and quality.

We preheat it with hot water. There is a space between the bottom of the holding tank and the main unit which allows you to put it on a burner to keep up temperature while bottling.

Ross, thanks. I’d like to learn more about how you preheat with water, and about the space between the bottom of the holding tank and main unit. Do you add water in that space and heat over the burner? I can’t see the detail in that in the online documentation for the product.

[tgormley358]

Jdirckson - I looked at the Smokey Lake vacuum “applicator” unit and spoke with them about it. It’s made to work with their own 16x16 steam tray system, but they said it wouldn’t work with my 16x16 Leader system because the dimensions would have to be pretty exact to maintain pressure. I’ll probably give Leased a call about it.

[tgormley358]

Thanks Dr Tim. Makes sense, and I hadn’t thought of that risk.

[Ross]

Ross, thanks. I’d like to learn more about how you preheat with water, and about the space between the bottom of the holding tank and main unit. Do you add water in that space and heat over the burner? I can’t see the detail in that in the online documentation for the product.

We just fill up the tank with hot water and let it sit a while then drain it right before filtering the syrup. It helps keep the syrup up to temperature while bottling. We bottle right from the unit after filtering.

There is no extra tank on the bottom, just dead air space so the bottom of the unit is not sitting right on the burner. Hope that makes sense.