Clouding during bottling

[maple marc]

My syrup is becoming cloudy during my bottling process. Here is what I am doing:

I draw off finished syrup (usually slightly heavy) from my 2x4 into a cone filter (two paper and 1 orlon). Syrup at this point is very clear--I tested it by cold-filling a bottle and the stuff is super-light and clear. I adjust the density in the kitchen in the kitchen by adding some sap. Then I heat on the stove to 180, only gently stirring. I use a pyrex measuring cup to pour through a funnel into the bottles. I am heating the bottles to 170 in the oven. I use manual pouring method because in the past when I used an old coffee urn it seemed the heating element over-heated the syrup near the bottom which I think made that batch cloudy. I had mixed results last year using this manual method.

This is frustrating--just when I think I have the most beautiful light syrup, I make it cloudy. It eventually settles, but then there is a slight amount of sediment on the bottom of the bottle.

Any ideas are greatly appreciated. You guys are the greatest. You who are using the "settling" method by letting your syrup sit in gallon jugs or wine bottles--do you heat it just before you pour it into these containers? I will probably make 15 gallons of syrup this year.

Many thanks,
Marc

[VT maple maker]

Just wondering, not sure if it has anything to do with your problem but why do you heat up the bottles to 170? I was reading a post on here just a few days ago that said when you bottle at at least 180 the bottles will sterilize becouse of the heat. I dont see the need to heat the containers before you bottle the syrup. I am still new to all this so i may be way off. Just wondering.

Kyle

[mountainvan]

The finest particles of sugar sand can get through the filters. I suspect that's your problem. Get some filter aid and add it to your syrup before filtering. Read the thread called filter aid.

[maplehound]

The glass bottles need heated, it makes them seal better. But when you thin your syrup out with sap you may be adding in that cloudyness. Try refiltering your syrup just through a lite cloth, like a cheese cloth or your cone filter. Also any time you reheat syrup you may get some cloudyness to it and the refiltering helps. I only refilter if I am bottling in glass.

[Toblerone]

I always pull the syrup from the evaporator (batch processing on pans) before it is syrup (i.e. thin) then filter it into a finishing pot. Filtering it now removes most othe sugar sand.
When I get a few gallons, I bring it to the kitchen for finishing. I end up boiling for 1/2 hour or so while checking with a hydrometer until I get 66%, then I filter it into the canner using two orlon cone filters and two pre-filters.. all inside each other (i.e. from inside out: pre-filter, pre-filter, orlon, orlon).
I put my canner on the stove and keep it at 180, and I keep a pot of simmering water that I dip (the outside only) each bottle in for a few seconds before filling, then invert them. I did some tests and this preheating of the glass is a must, especially with the 8oz size bottles. To test, I filled one w/o preheating and checked the temperature and it had dropped to 135!
Also, if you the syrup is too thick when you bottle it can look clear as a bell after canning only to develop a fine cloud after a few days. This is probably sugar crystals and they eventually settle and stick to the bottom.

[Russ]

A few ideas:

1. Get new filters for final filtering... if you reheat syrup for canning, you need to filter it again.
2. Lower your canner temp a few degrees. If the syrup continues "cooking" in the jars from the heat, you'll get cloudiness.
3. Do you separate your jars/bottles after capping them? Again, keeping them too close together will maintain the heat and "cooking". We set ours on a huge table, with at least 4 inches of separation in all directions.

We did preheat Mason jars when we used those in the early years, but more to prevent shattering from thermal shock. It wasn't fun to have the bottom break off and shower hot syrup over everything. You shouldn't need to do that with commercial glass; we have not had any seal issues in terms of leaks or molding.

Hope these help.

[maple flats]

How do and did you clean your filter cone? Might be you wrung it out sometime, they must not be wrung, just squeezed and let drip dry. Also, try mixing some filter aid into the pre-filtered syrup. If you cook it any, you MUST re-filter it.
Good luck.

[Gary R]

Russell - Your information saved me. This is my first year making syrup. I have made about 5 -1gal. batches. All light amber. I have been draining the evaporator when it cools and I have 2-3 gal. I finish on a turkey fryer then imediately pour through 2 prefilters and orlon filter. Once through I move to stove, maintain heat and can in mason jars from oven (180). All has come out excellent, clear and tasty.

UNTIL YESTERDAY! I had family function to do during the day. So, early in the morning I finished and filtered. It was taking a while to filter so I left it and figured I would can it last night. I looked like clear medium amber stuff. When I went to can it I reheated it, I don't know how hot, but it was probably over 200. I canned it without filtering and it was very cloudy. I figured I would let it set over night and see what happens. This morning I was disgusted. The top half was still cloudy and the bottom half was milky. Presumably sugar sand. I searched and found this thread about filtering after reheating. So I did. Reheated, filtered and immediately canned. It worked great. Nice clear medium amber.

Usually when I can there is little sugar sand in my filters. This time it was caked on my first prefilter and I lost about a quart of product do to losing the sand and pan syrup residue. Most syrup makers I've meet bulk it off the evaporator then can at a later date. Do they lose a lot of product and Ive heard them complain about sugar sand clogging their presses?

Thanks for posting what helped me out:)

[maple marc]

Thanks to all your ideas, I have solved my clouding problem. I now filter a second time if I am bottling to glass.

First I reheat to 195 degrees the syrup that I made a day or two ago. I filter it through the cone setup like I do when it comes off the evaporator--2 or 3 paper cones and an orlon. This passes through very easily. Then before it cools too much I reheat to 185 (no stirring) and bottle. My glass bottles look great. If I am bottling to plastic I don't worry about the second filtering.

Thanks all,
Marc