cold filters

[davey]

I have a 12 x 20 canner and although I run hot syrup into it, pre-heat & moisten the clean filter, it still plugs up after a few gallons. I am using a couple of paper pre-filters on it so I'm thinking its not slowing down so much due to sediment as it is to the cooling syrup, etc...
I was staring at it a few minutes ago and started wondering if I was to lay one of the 12 volt replacement rear windo defrosters under the filter cloth if that would help, be insane, or just plain silly. Any thoughts?

[danno]

What does your top pre-filter look like when the syrup stops going through?

I know my problem is sugarsand (more like sugar-mud), not cooling temps. My cone filters get absolutely plugged with mud after a coupe of gallons. I'm filtering right off the evap and have space for 4 seperate cones, so I've got plenty of filters.

When I bottled the other day, I ran the filtered syrup through my canner - which has flat filters. I think I could have run a 100 gallons through the filters. The cone filters had taken out all the mud/niter, making is very easy to bottle on my canner.

[tuckermtn]

we also have found that if you do a first filter right off the evap (we use paper cone filters with slits near the top that runs though a wire loop) and that is a huge help when you then do a final filtering though a flat filter...we do a final filter with the screen and one felt and one paper (its a Leader 16 x 16 canner/finisher) once everything has been "finished"

one other technique I use with the flat filters is since there is extra paper pre-filter material up and over the sides of the screen and canner ( I do not cut to size before using- I just use them full size) is to start with the paper pre-filter off-set to one side- then as it clogs up, slide it over a little at a time to expose new unclogged filter to the still hot syrup...seems like I can get more syrup per pre-filter that way...

-tuckermtn

[802maple]

When I used flat filters I used to lay a dozen or so prefilters on top of the felt filter and as the they plugged up I would take the top one off until I got to the bottom. If the felt was still allowing syrup thru I would put a few more on and start over , otherwise i would change everything.

Also if it is a new felt, did you wash it in boiling water before you started using it. I used to boil them for a period of time as there is a residue on them that won't allow much syrup thru them.

Asd far as keeping them warm just put your cover on top of it and it will keep it warm enough.

[Brent]

we found filtering in cones or flats one of the most frustrating parts of sugaring. We finally found the easiest way was to put the syrup of the evap into a tall narrow container and let it settle about 48 hours, keeping it slightly warmed. We would then siphon off the clearest stuff and filter it. We tie wrapped the siphon hose on a stick so that the hose could not get closer than an inch to the bottom. Worked pretty well.

Still had a problem with the slurry at the bottom, but we got most of it very easily.

This year we're going to try a filter press that I found for $400 and cleaned up.

[802maple]

When I was using flats I didn't use a r.o. but I was still making 10 gallons an hour and never had any problem. During the early season it wasn't out of the norm to get 50 gallons or so thru them. When I was selling equipment, most people that bought them would not boil them and I would hear complaints all the time. I would have them boil them and then rinse them with fresh hot water and they would work fine after that. The new orlons have something in them that will make the syrup just bubble up and not go thru

[The Sappy Steamer]

We double up a couple pre filters and filter right off the evaporator. Sure makes things easier for us. We have alot of sand so we rinse the filters out with our preheater water after several draw offs. Final filtering is a breeze compared to trying to get it all when finishing.

[mapleman3]

this year should be dubbed the " The Year of the sands" lots and lots of sand

[danno]

Just when you think you got it all figured out ...

After loads of niter for the past month, this past run following the Fri/Sat cold snap had very little sand. Go figure.

[davey]

I run it through a set of filters before finishing and there I get sugar "mud". In the canner though, none of the filters look dirty at all, at least not the dark stuff. I think I'll try boiling them if I could get a little more detail such as how long to cook and any other important info.
thanks again
Dave

[802maple]

I boil them for about 10 minutes and then rinse them with as hot water as I can

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Least sand I have ever seen for an entire season and about the best sugar content for me. Go figure.