Sap funnel

[3rdgen.maple]

Well when there is little sap I tend to think too much. I was pouring diesel fuel into the tractor yesterday. I use a funnel that has a very fine meshed screen in it that filters the water out of the fuel. Of course got me thinking. I wonder if you got a big peice of this screen to filter your sap through if it would reduce some of the water content by holding it back. I know after pouring fuel through it there is always water left in the filter. Seems that if it lets the oils through it would let the sugar through. Any thoughts out there or am I just being crazy. Maybe I buy a new one and experiment a little, wait we gotta get some sap first. Man what a bad year this one has been.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

3rd gen,
Unfortunately, the sugar molecule is bigger than the water molecule so it would not pass through the screen. Your concept is correct though. That is basically how an RO works. Pure water goes through the membrane and the sugar will not go through.

[mapleman3]

Your talking a whole lot smaller than any mesh screen on a funnel, membranes on an RO are measured in "Microns" and needs to be pumped through to be effective enough to make the desired separation of those sugar VS Water molecules....

[PerryW]

I'm gonna guess that the sugar molecules are thousands of times smaller than the finest mesh.

[3rdgen.maple]

What the heck do I know anyways lol. Like I said I need sap cause I get thinking stupid looking at empty tanks.

[Harken]

I use that exact funnel to fill collection barrels when gathering sap. Works great to filter out any debris...flies, twigs, bugs etc. BTW...all the sap goes through !!! lol

[3rdgen.maple]

Harken not that it really matters but the funnel I use for the tractors must be different. I poured some sap into one today for the heck of it and it would not pass through it. Just a question which is bigger the sugar molecules or the water molecules? If the sugar molecule is larger Than it makes sense like
Thompson tree farm says. So the rest say that the molecules are a whole lot smaller than any mesh. Than why does water not pass through the funnel if the molecules are so small. It seems to me the mesh has gotto be smaller than the molecules to hold back water right? Just trying to understand this, not trying to judge anyone. Or does that filter have something to do with oil and water don't mix maybe the funnel leaves a film of oil on the screen and holds the water back. Maybe that is where the confusion for me comes in.

[KenWP]

Well you have a extra fuel funnel now.