Foam in bottles

[eye8astonie]

Hey all, I just got done bottling about 3 gallons of syrup. Most of the bottles look great, but a few have some foam on top, and it doesn't appear to be settling.

Any ideas on what would cause this? Even the bottle that I opened still has a layer of foam on top, even after pouring some off for our french toast this morning.

It doesn't appear to be hurting anything, but it's not attractive in the glass bottles and I'd like to try to avoid it in the future.

Don't know if this could have caused it, but this batch did get reheated multiple times to finish it off.... several nights in the turkey fryer after work while we got the last 15 gallons of sweet down to 3 gallons of syrup.

Thanks for any help anyone can offer!
Duane

[DS Maple]

Somebody told me to heat the glass bottles slightly before putting hot syrup in them. I just put mine on top of the canner once it is hot and let them sit there for a few minutes. So far I have not had any problems.

[sapman]

You probably had to much head pressure when filling, causing turbulence as the syrup went in. Or air was otherwise mixing during the process. It won't hurt anything, just doesn't look as nice. Try keeping a nice, steady, fairly slow stream as your filling.

Good luck,
Tim

[maple flats]

I agree. I used to have bubbles sometimes but after I got the foot pedal operated electric valve with 3 different size tips I do not have the problem. If you have the right stream size and it also helps if you tilt the bottle so the syrup runs down the inside of the bottle. With time some of the foam bubbles will go away but maybe not all.

[tyrod2]

I was told to put two hand valves on your bottler.Adjust the first one on the speed and the flow you want and the second one you can open up all the way to fill your bottles. That way you get the same flow every time.

[eye8astonie]

Thanks guys, that makes sense. We're pretty primitive here.... scooping out of the turkey fryer with a tin cup and bottling with a funnel.... probably did get carried away and let too much air mix in.

Duane

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I have 2 valves and do the opposite. I have one of the $ 20 chrome bottling valves I got from Bascoms several years ago. It is a 90 degree valve and it is necked down some. I run it wide open and between it and my filtering/bottling pan, I have a 1/2" stainless ball valve and I open it about 50% or less and get a perfect stream and you can fill up the bottles with basically no foam.

I use an LED headlamp and it works great to watch the bottle fill up and advoid any spillage or filling it too full.

[mountainvan]

Filling a little too quickly causes the foam for me. It will settle out in awhile. When customers ask me about it I say it's a sign of freshness like a good head on a glass of beer!

[maplehound]

I have sugested in the past the use of a stocking or panty hose on the end of the valve. This stops the foaming, just be sure to use a new one and even then rinse it first. However now that you have the foam, I suggest that you put the bottles in some very hot water and then let them cool while sitting in it. Don't heat the bottles and water together or you might have breaksge. but due let them get hot in the water and cool off gradually. I have done this with much success.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I think there is foam and there is air bubbles. With are homemade bottler we used a commercial sink sprayer valve and its spring loaded so in the heat of the battle you cant leave it open. Its 1/4 inch and we put a tee on the bottle side of the valve with 1 port up and 1 port down on the top port we put a barb fitting and put a sap line the height of the bottler. This helps with the air in the bottles and it works as an air brake so you dont get alot of dripping out of the bottle side of the valve. On the bottle filler side of the tee we used a 4" brass cut at a 45% angle with the burs removed for a smooth flow.

[maple flats]

This season I started doing something a little different. Back in March in this thread I mentioned my foot controlled bottling valve and 3 nozzles. Later in the season I started using just 1, the biggest nozzle and I already had a 1/2" ball valve ahead of the bottling valve. Now I adjust the flow with the ball valve and get no foam, the smaller the bottle the slower I fill, and even on gal jugs i start at full flow and slow it down before I get up to the neck, this keeps foaming down to almost zero. If I go slower all the way there is no foaming.

[peacemaker]

here is a ?? i fill my glass to the top and they shrink to a nice head space but this year is my first in filling plastic jugs where do i fill them to ?

[halfast tapper]

Fill to about a half an inch or so below the top of the jug. This way when it shrinks it will be in the neck of the jug.

[Brent]

Duane
the give away to the problem is the scoop and funnel.
your equipment, if standard issue is deficient

It requires 3 hands to hold the funnel and keep it cocked to one side so the syrup will flow down the side without bubbles and use the scoop.

Forget all the above ideas for other members, just get another hand and you'll have everything you need.

When you find the 3rd hand, let me know where you got it. I need another one too

Seriously, it's just like pouring a beer without getting a head.

[Jim Brown]

Guys ; Some where on this forum there was a thread about foam in the bottles and jugs. The answer was to put a piece of nylon stocking over the fitting you are filling with . Well sounds grazy as all get out but like others I was having problems with bubbles also. So what did I have to lose. I tried it and LO AND BEHOLD it works like a charm!Thanks to the person(who ever it was) that came up with that idea. Just cut a small piece from Mothers old pany hose asuming they are washed first and then attach to the fitting with a rubber band and open the valve. full stream and NO BUBBLES in the bottle or jug!!!
Works for us!

Jim

[maple flats]

Using the method I talked about in this thread in post #11, I did get 1 bottle with foam, likely bottled before I started the method I give in that post. Anyway, I took the bottle with foam and tipped it upside down for several minutes until the foam appeared to all be at the bottle bottom which was now on top, I stood it up, the next time I passed the bottle I did this again and after 4 or 5 times repeating this the foam is gone. I didn't have to stand there, just reverse bottle so it would not tip and repeat as needed until foam bubbles go away.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I dont see any mention of the type bottler being used. When I bottled the last of the syrup and the heat may have gotten a little high in the bottler I got foam. Any kind of turbulence in the spiget will add to the foam.

[Sugarmaker]

Jim B, and all,
I had not seen the idea of nylon stocking but it should work. We use a piece of cheese cloth over the 1/2 inch spout on our caner and the foam is not a problem. Cheryl and I almost had a argument when I could not find the cheese cloth while I was trying to can one day this year. Needless to say we now have a supply that probably made a spike int the sales for the cheese cloth company:) That is the one piece of equipment that I just cant be with out, it controls the flow stream and the foam both. I almost went nuts trying to can with out it! between the syrup running down the sides of the jug to the foam about 2 inches thick.
I would like to find a permanent filter like a screen off of a water faucet or something like that so it could be washed and reused.

Chris

[Haynes Forest Products]

Try using a honey filter there great for course filtering. I put them on my discharge hose on the sap hauler. They dont break down when you wash them and they can take the heat. there the same size as the prefilters

[SeanD]

I can vouch for the nylon stocking, though I have to admit that I didn't see any difference for the longest time. I tried under my pants, over my pants, on my head, you name it - still no difference in foam and plenty uncomfortable.

Well, long story short, I got the hang of it. Thanks, MapleTrader!

Sean

[Gary R]

Chris,

I could get you something to try. It is a steam strainer. It's a brass fitting about 2 1/2" long with a removable stainless screen. It is very fine. You can hardly tell that there's holes in it. Interested?

[Sugarmaker]

Gary,
I would try one if you can get it. 2-1/2 inches seems long but might work.
Chris