Evaporate and filter

[labman]

How many of you evaporate and filter at the same time ? How fast do you need to evaporate to make this work? since I would think the filter press has to stay hot to make this work? I have a small 7" press. I looked for other threads about this but cant find any if anyone has any advice I'd appreciate your thoughts Thanks

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Labman,
Do you mean filter the sap directly from the evaporator and into the drum as you draw off syrup?

[labman]

Yes thats what I mean

[ennismaple]

Yes thats what I mean

We boil and filter at the same time. The syrup doesn't have to be boiling to filter and since you're always adding hot syrup to the tank it doesn't cool down too much.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I have tried every concievable way to filter syrup from the evaporator. Because Im not the one that is running the rig all the time its easer to draw off and hold it in the finish pan until I have about 30 gallons and then reheat finish it to final density and hot pack. I would end up with a luke warm filter press and it was a hassle to keep trying to keep it warm and not spray syrup all over the shack. I just felt it didnt improve the quality or color filtering right away. Now I draw off about 1 point under and without prefiltering put it in the finisher and when I have enough I reheat to finished and filter and bulk pack or bottle. I have the 7" short stack filter and I can get about 15-20 gallons thru the filter before cleaning. I waste less syrup and make less of a mess of the place that way.

[PATheron]

We filter right off the evap now too. We draw off into my canner thats just sitting under the draw off. Then the bottom is plumbed right to the press thats on a stand. I also have a hose going back to the canner for the bypass. It works pretty good for us but we draw a lot of syrup off an hour. Maybe try it depending on how much your taking off you could hang a heat lamp over it or something? Theron

[brookledge]

Labman
The two types of filtering are batch filtering and continuous filtering. With a filter press once the syrup has begun to be filtered it needs to stay hot or atleast warm. Once the press cools down you are done and the papers need to be changed. That is why most small producers find it is easier to batch filter while others who are making more than say 10 gal per hour will continuously filter right from the evaporator.
I myself have batch filtered. I have a 16X24 canning unit that I will heat up and run it all though at once usually around 18 gallons at a time. And then into either a keg or another canner for bottling.
I have seen producers who hang a heat light over there press to keep it warm as a way to keep it from cooloing off
Keith

[PATheron]

The first year I made syrup on my new rig we were taking off maybe 9 gallons an hour or something like that. What I did the whole season was draw off into a milk pail and then carry it over and put it in my 12 gallon canner. Then after a few batches Id throw a little heat under and finetune density and when it hit 180 degrees or better Id press it into the barrell. That worked pretty good but then last year with the volume of syrup being more an hour it worked better to press it right off the evap. Jerry and Mike helped me figure that out. If a guy didnt have a canner maybe a stove or something in the shed and put it on top? Anyway you get the idea. Theron