DE with Gravity Filters?

[jrgagne99]

Is anybody out there using DE with their gravity filters, or is it strictly used in filter presses? The reason I'm asking is that I occasionally notice some slight cloudiness in my syrup and am wondering if DE could help. I use 4 pre-filters and one felt on my 4-gallon canning unit. I often need to lighten my syrup, by 1-2 brix before bottling. I use sweet from the flue pan for this, feeding it through the filters. Could this be loosening up some of the niter in the felt and carrying it through into the syrup? Would DE help prevent this? For what it's worth, I bring my syrup to 190F (direct propane heat) in the canner before bottling.

[wobbletop]

I have not been successful with DE using gravity filters, or even with my vacuum filter.

I would be very careful and only try a small batch to test out if it works.

My DE seems to go right through the filter and made the syrup even cloudier.

[maple flats]

If the Maple grade DE goes thru your filter you need a new filter. Do you use a wool or orlon syrup filter? If yes, the fibers must have gotten broken, possibly by wringing them filter out. That's a no no. If any other filter such as a cheese cloth, a clean cotton tee shirt, a coffee filter or a maple pre-filter non of those will catch maple grade DE. Be certain to get the DE from a maple dealer or another maple producer, DE for maple is unique to maple. Don't use just any DE.

[drpausch]

So does that mean that you can use DE with a gravity filter?

[mountainvan]

Yes you can. There are threads on this site from awhile ago that detail how I did it before I got a press.