pool filter

[SUGARSMITH]

Has anyone ever used a swimming pool filter for sap. I have an unused one in my basement and have been considering using it for sap. I have a large bag of food grade DE, which I use for my filter press, to charge the filter with. Currently I use a 50 micron water filter and I believe this would not only put much cleaner sap into the evaporator, but would also do a much higher volume.

Lastly, are DE type filters reccomended to pre-filter sap prior to going into an R/O ?

thanks

[Brent]

Pool DE filters are sold by some Maple equipment dealers. Atkinson near Barrie , Ontario have one on the shelf. They package them up with an all stainless pump and mount frame and sell them at a hefty price.

Some folks have said that they are a pain because when you shut down, if you don't clean and recharge the next day, the bacteria will multiply in a big way. I don't think that is a real issue. When you start the next day put the discharge line back into the storage tank and let it recycle for 5 minutes. The filter should then catch all or at least most of the bacteria, that grew overnight on the wrong side of the DE and its support. I use one on my swimming pool and if it wasn't so big I'd use it for sap too. May get there with it yet later this season.

Give it a run. Their one of the best filters out there.

[802maple]

You do have to discharge and start over as I ruined 8 barrels of syrup one day when didn't clean the filters. It made a god awful smell and taste in the syrup. Kind of sweet rotten potatoe is as near as I can describe it. I didn't know where it was coming from until I opened the filter cartridge and it was magnified in there 10 fold. I cleaned the filter and it went away

[Gary in NH]

You can probably get a smaller micron rated filter. I filter through a 1-micron filter cartridge at 100 psi prior to my RO. You can't see anything smaller than 70-microns without magnification so 50-micron is still pretty small. I thought the 1-micron may clog fast but I see very little pressure drop through it with sap so I don't think there is too much to filter other than small pieces of bark or bugs that make it past my filter screen when the sap goes into the storage tanks.

[Homestead Maple]

The most recent issue of the Maple Syrup Digest (Feb.) has an 11 page article called, Effects of Various Filters on Sap Quality and Characteristics and the de filters were rated the highest in all the catagories of testing, like say, particles reduced 52%, reduction in bacteria 40%, percent change in sap yeasts and molds 68%, etc.

[802maple]

I agree the de filter is the best,but you need to clean it everytime you use them as the trapped bacteria in there will stink up your syrup. In a heated room the bacteria grows fast.

[Brent]

802

I would have to agree. If the DE filter is inside and left heated overnight the concentration of bacteria would be huge. They'd devour all the sugars and then likely start suffocating each other and putrefy.

Maybe if it was outside in the cold you could get away with it. Maybe.

[Jim Powell]

Last year I used a 25 micron, 9.75" whole house water filter in line with a 1/5 hp, 25 GPH magnetic drive pump. I would rinse it with hot water, and keep in inline while rinsing all my pans, buckets etc. after a days boiling. I never noticed any smell, but just wondering, if hot water is enough, or did i just get lucky? I bring it into the garage every night to keep it from freezing up, which is heated, but only kept at 40° F. Thanks.