tank for filter press

[softmaple]

what is every one using to feed their filter press? do you have a filter press tank? did you create a filter press tank? did you buy something not intended for the filter press that works great? anderson maple supply has a - de pot - to prime filter, do you need a pot to prime it?

[maple flats]

I use an old funnel bottom tank originally used as a dump station tank for milkers, or at least that is what I think it was. The tank is stainless, holds about 4 or 5 gal and has a funnel shape on the bottom with a spout about 3/4" that I clamped my filter press suction hose to. The tank has it's own stand, also stainless. I had to make a top for it which I made from some heavy guage aluminum left over from the hood I made for my rig.
To use it I fill from the evap and when I have a good batch, I mix in my filter aid and just turn the pump to the filter press on. I also have a return line feeding back into this from the press for when the pressure climbs too high, I slowly open the valve on the return to hold the right pressure (not over 45# on mine)

[royalmaple]

You can use a bucket or draw off pail if you want.

I am going to use a "step saver" I posted a picture of one last year or so. Someone wanted to see what one looks like. If you can find one at a dairy auction should work great.

I think it is going to be the cat's behind personally.

[brookledge]

Alot depends on if you are going to batch filter or continuous filter.
I batch filter and use a 16X32 canning unit that I wait till I get enough to fill a keg and then will heat it up and run it through all at once. This way I don't have to worry about keeping the press hot cause once it cools down you are all done.
If you are going to continuous filter then I'd go with the sugestion like Royal maple and Maple flats said. But most producers that continuous filter are making 5 gallons per hour or more.
Keith

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

Right now, I don't make enough in an hour to keep the press hot, so I do exactly as Brookledge stated. But this year with the RO I might have to continuous filter just to keep up. we'll see.

[maplecrest]

when i first got my press i did not make enough to keep it hot, put a heat lamp on it and solved the problem

[maple flats]

Yes, heat lamps do the trick.

[royalmaple]

We were typing the same thing at almost the same time. Funny how that happens every now and again.

[softmaple]

well i was thinking about some type of round or conical bottom tank or pot for batch feeding the press. i saw beer conical fermenters that would be good but a little more expensive then i want to pay.
did any one see the de pot from andersons maple?

[royalmaple]

Same idea as a step saver. If you wanted something like that, weld on a nipple to a turkey fryer pot. Bingo now you too will have a DE pot.

[H. Walker]

What I was thinking for my filter tank was to use my old filter tank with lead solder 18"w x 24"L x 16" h and make a new stainless welded tank to fit inside with a 1" - 1 1/2" clearance all around. I know some guys that have done that similarly and insulated to keep the syrup warm, but I would like to run the water from the preheater in the bottom of the cavity and out a nipple near the top. I figure that the hot water in the water jacket should keep the syrup at 180deg. untill I have enough to filter. For FREE !! Work or not???

[maple flats]

You would need to pump something up or you would need a closed chamber on your double pot. The idea would work if you get close enough to 180 in your preheater. A little lower would still hold temp good enough to filter.

[H. Walker]

You would need to pump something up or you would need a closed chamber on your double pot. The idea would work if you get close enough to 180 in your preheater. A little lower would still hold temp good enough to filter.

It would be a closed chamber if I'm following you. It would be just gravity feed from the preheater. In my mind I think gravity should keep warm water circulating as long as the outlet at the top is below the preheater drain.

[NH Maplemaker]

There a picture of our, in the photo bucket, it's in one of the kitchen pic's.
lower right of the picture!

[softmaple]

Could you send me some close up pictures of the filter press from the top, bottom, and side? That would be great. Thanks

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Maplemaker,

Nice looking evaporator and setup!!!!!!!

[NH Maplemaker]

Softmaple, I will try!! Still learning how to do the picture thing!
Thanks Brandon,comming from you thats a complement. I want to add a preheater like yours this year! But mine will have V shaped drip trays under each 1" pipe. I think pipes may get a little hotter with the steam passing though and around them. Jim L.

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

maplemaker

I have the full pan under my preheater to catch the condensation and i think it holds some heat back. the V pipe will work better

RICH

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Maplemaker,

I don't disagree with the "V" pipe working better, but I have 12' of steam stack going up above the hood and the full size pan under the preheater works to catch condensation that comes back down the stack and catchs 100% of it as it is wider than the stack. Regardless of how hot the steam stack is, there is going to be condensation running back down it. My steam stack is 1" small that my roof jack and the top of my steam stack is aprox 1" below top of roof jack which prevents any wind from hitting it and making more condensation, but it is impossible to prevent. You could put a channel around the bottom of your steam stack and eliminate this, but you are cutting into the diameter of your steam stack some then.

I probably don't know any more about syrup than you and probably not as much. I have always tried to be a "student of the game" in everything I do and learn anything and everything I can and retain it as somewhere down the road it will come in handy most of the time.

[treefinder]

i went to tractor supply and bought two s/s coated 3 gal pails easy to clean and i only paid 18.00 for each of them. boot wash pails is what they are . when i draw off a 1 1/2 gals of syrup i put two hard wood sticks across the center partition of my front pan and putthe pail on the sticks and the steam keeps it hot till the next draw then i run through the press works good for me ..

[NH Maplemaker]

Brandon, Both of my steam pipes are 14". The way Dallalre built them is with an upside down Chinese hat at the bottom of the pipe with a drain channel to the inside drip edge of the steam hood. Any condensation Never drips back into my pans!

David Bascom once told me that a preheater would more than likely make a darker grade of syrup! What do you think? Have you found that to be true? All I know is on a cold cold day the sap temp really kills my boil rate.

As far as being a student of the game! You have learned well!! I always look forward to reading post from you, as there is always something to be learned or to think about. It was easy for me to learn about maple as I have friends and neighbors who make syrup! If I did'nt under stand something,I would go and ask!! But you have learned at the school of hard knocks!! At 62 years old,I'm still looking for schools. God knows that there is a lot left for me to learn,But it's to hard to stay awake!! LOL

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Maplemaker,

You sure have a nice steam hood and that explains why the stacks are built the way they are on a Dallaire. Seems they are ahead of the game. The factory hoods are nicer than mine, but I just couldn't bear the pay all the $$$ for one. I have $ 440 in my hood, $ 30 @ section of 4' stainless 10" steam stack, $ 40 for the stainless roof jack and $ 50 in the drip pan for the preheater which is 12 gauge I think for strength and $ 116 in the preheater. Maybe in the future I will get a nicer hood, but mine looks good and functions good. I had an Amish to build everything but the preheater which I built and it works good and the sap is usually around 170 and sometimes higher. I like the factory stuff as it always looks better.

As far as darker syrup, that is interesting and I never thought about it. Maybe some others will chime in here. I can't imagine the sap stays in my preheater very long.

[NH Maplemaker]

Softmaple,I finally Got some pic's added to my photo bucket of the filter press!! Hope they help you! I had the stainless pot made at a local metal shop But don't know why you could not use a good size stainless steel pot and weld on a stainless coupler,than drill a hole down though it ! Jim.L

[jemsklein]

NH Maplemaker nice pics but you know what the remindes me of a beer keg cut in half and turned up side down it would work thanks for the great idea NH Maplemaker

[NH Maplemaker]

James, The only reason that I could think of why it would not work is the weight of the keg!! If you can figure out how to brace it ,I think it would work fine!!

[softmaple]

do you use it for each time you draw off throughout the day? or is this just for batch filtering. how much do you add the the pot each time? gallons?

[NH Maplemaker]

Softmaple, I do both !! If I have a lot of sap and things are going smoothly,I will filter as I draw it off. But if I'm alone and things are moving fast, I will draw off and pump it up to the canner and filter later. The canner will keep it hot enough
for filtering!! I also keep a heat lamp on filter press after first use of the day!! I will draw off about 2-21/2 gal at a draw sometimes a little more, it depends on the day. Canner will hold about 8gal ! Jim L.