Washing filters

[SV Sugarer]

I just came across an old post from about 4 years ago about washing your syrup filters in a washing machine. Does anyone currently wash them this way? I'm trying to find an easier way to clean mine. Last year I used the cone filters, and after every use I would rinse them under hot water to get rid of the heavy stuff (they actually looked good enough to re-use after that rinse). After rinsing this way, I would then boil each pre-filter and orlon filter in a pot of water. This was very time consuming, and I'm wondering if it was overkill. I plan to use the cone filters again this year, but also have a new set up with flat filters. I'm looking for some other ideas as to how to go about washing the pre filters and felt/orlon filters (both flat and cone). Do you wash thoroughly after every use, or do you get away with just a rinse for a few filtering sessions, then wash (and how)? I bottle quite a bit in glass, and want to make sure that I do not get cloudy product.

Any input is welcomed.

Thanks!

Dave

[3% Solution]

SV Sugarer,
What we do (doesn't mean it's right by no means) is to rinse the filters good with hot water in the sugarhouse, squeeze them out good, don't wring, squeeze.
Throw them in the washing machine with hot water and NO SOAP
Hang dry them.
We use orlon and paper.
To get your syrup clear for glass we use flat filters, an orlon then 3 papers and change the papers as the get clogged.
We also use filteraid, thanks to Mountainvan.
This give us some nice clear syrup, almost sparkles.
Hope this helps.

Dave

[Haynes Forest Products]

I had a old ringer washing machine and it worked great. running the filters thru the rollers realy squished the crud out. I didnt want to put mine in the home washing machine because of all the soap that you see on the basket area. I also would run water from the inside out the same direction as the syrup to flush the sedement out before the filtering. Lastly I dont think you can get them 100% clean.

[Maplewalnut]

I turn mine inside out and then backflush the filter with hot water. That will push the crude out and not through the filter. Turn them right side out give a quick rinse and hang to dry. I filter mine through prefilters off the rig and then filter through prefilters and a cone filter right into bottles. Never had a problem with cloudy syrup.(knock on wood)

[3% Solution]

Haynes,
I hear you on the machine thing.
We haven't had a problem so far.
Knock on wood.
We always do a double rinse.

Dave

[Big_Eddy]

I have 3 or 4 filters - I usually give them a quick dip in boiling sap after use to try to recover as much syrup as possible, then when all 4 are dirty, run them through the washer - extra water, double rinse, no soap, no fabric softner. Been doing it for as long as doing syrup. Only problem was the time my kids saw the load ready to go and helped by adding the soap and fabric softner before starting the machine. Had to toss the filters - 4 or 5 washes later they still smelled like downy.

Had a top loader, now have a front loader - both seem to work fine, but the top loader used to need a cleaning first as there always seemed to be softner scum on the agitator from the dispenser thingy.

[Jerome]

I turn mine inside out rinse with hot water into the washer machine hang to dry, it seems to work fine.

[SV Sugarer]

Thanks for the feedback. I was really concerned with using the washing mahcine because of residual soap and odors. I didn't want that to affect the filters and in the end give me an off-flavored syrup. Any other comments out there as to how you clean your filters?

Thanks again!

Dave

[sawyer40]

I was just going to ask this same question when I saw this post. I have been rinsing in hot water wringing the filters out and toss into the dryer to dry. Maybe I should get a couple new filters so I can hang them to air dry. When I only have two filters and the sap runs every day I just can't clean and dry them fast enough.

[PerryW]

I fill a sap bucket about 1/3 full of hot water and plunge the filter in and agitate it by hand, and wring out the filter.

Then I repeat the process two or 3 times till the rinse water comes out clear.

Same procedure for the prefilters.

[Amber Gold]

I wash mine the washing machine as well. To make sure there's no residual soap I just run a rinse and drain cycle before I put the filters in.