Problems Getting The Sparkle To Stay In My Syrup After Pressure Filtering

[MERIDIAN MAPLES]

I was wondering if anyone else has had problems with their syrup loosing it's sparkle after they pressure filter it. I've had problems now the last two years. When I run my syrup through the filter press and bottle it, it looks real clear and sparkles. As it cools it seems to loose it's sparkle. One thing I changed in the last two years, is that i've been injecting air into my evaporator. I really like the air injection because my pans stay a lot cleaner, and my syrup has been noticably lighter. I just don't understand how it can sparkle in the bottles just after filtering, then go dull as it cools?? Could it be because the syrup is lighter? If I hold the syrup up to a light it looks clear, but not sparkly. As far as filtering, I've been precharging the press with filter-aid, and my pressure has been running up to 30#'s.:confused:

[RileySugarbush]

I bet it has nothing to do with your filter, but more likely the temperatures during processing. The slight cloudiness after cooling is probably very fine sugar sand coming out of solution. If you can find a microscope, put a drop on a slide and have a look. If it[s crystalline, then it's sugar sand, and you should look at your filtering and bottling temperatures.

[MERIDIAN MAPLES]

When bottling I try to get my syrup up to a boil, then I run my syrup through my filter press and back into my heating pan to warm up the press. Once I get the press warm, then I run the heated syrup through the press into my bottling tank. Usually the syrup is around 190-200 degrees in the bottling unit as I'm bottling. Are those temps. okay?

[Haynes Forest Products]

I go along with Riley. I had the same problem becouse i didnt pay close attention to my bottling temp and i was keeping the bottler up in temp to avoid mold and then i was boiling in the bottler causing sugar sand. How do you start your filtering do you filter back into your finish pan to heat up the press and then into the bottler? Thats my method so i clear the lines and i do a sample in a test jar to see if i screwed up. I run my press all the way up to squeek when i filter. You know your filtering when hot syrup cant get threw.

[maple flats]

I've had that in the past too. I now filter at 205+ and bottle at 185-195, no cloudiness. If you heat to bottle up to 200 or more you create more sugar sand and would need to filter again. I found that filtering at 10 degrees above max canning temp worked well.

[sapman]

Yes, your bottling temp is a little too high. I heard 195 is about the magic number to start making sand again. I try not to let it get over 190. One of the barrels I packed this year had 200~ degree syrup going into it. When I was drawing off the bottom of it last month, it was a little cloudy.

Tim

[DS Maple]

You really want to bottle at 180 degrees. If you hit 190 you run the risk of getting sugar sand again, and if you go any higher than 190 it is almost certain that it will form.

[mapleman3]

I know someone that bottles from 165 to 185 and no more than that, been doing that for many many years with no problems, says anything over that sand is back.. I asked him about canning under 180 he said he has never had a problem with jugs or bulk drums

I still do 180-190 but no more

[MaplePancakeMan]

I bottle generally around 180-185 i get really clear syrup for the most part but one batch and ironically enough my largest bottling batch came out super clear but after it sat for awhile it developed transparent clouds in the syrup which eventually went to the bottom. If you shake it, it goes back to crystal syrup, and if you refrigerated it it stays clear. When it gets to room-temp it goes back to cloud clusters. Any ideas?