Filter tank

[Rockwood]

Excuse my inexperience but when using a 5 gallon filter tank, can or due you place on a propain heater to warm the syrup back up to 180?

Tks.

[briduhunt]

I draw of my evaporator directly into my cone filter. It usuall takes some time for my syrup to pass thru the filter so I re-heat the syrup as I bottle. It works for my size opperation as 2 years ago I made 30 gals and this past year I made 10 gals using a cone filter with 2 pre filters (paper).
I have seen another producer put heat under the filter tank then bottle right away, but my time is not always avaliable so I bottle when I am not boiling.

[VT maple maker]

I have a 15 gallon filter/canner. I draw syrup off the evaporator and pour it into the top onto flat filters covering the filter rack. The pan is set up on an old propane grill that had the rack removed and cut so the pan would sit right inside it tightly. The older gentleman I purchased my equipment from had it set up like this and it works perfectly. He was a pretty crafty guy, but then again from what I have learned most sugar makers are. Either way you want to make sure that you hot pack your syrup at a minumum of 180 degrees so that it sanatizes the bottle and so that mold doesnt grow after its capped.

[red maples]

last year I used a 5 1/2 gallon stainless stock pot with a cone filter I learned last year that they are a pain to clean and I personally don't think they filter very well. SO I got a used steamtable insert(hotel pan) and had a fitting wedded onto it with a chrome spiggot. and you can buy 36" sq flat filters and pre filters cut them down to fit and they work out way cheaper than cone filters they are easier to clean they dry faster and they filter faster too!!! I just use clips to hold them on top. It is also easer to get samples, and easier to get the syrup into the 5 gal blues!!!! or right on to the fire for bottling!!!

[brookledge]

In your case yes you should reheat it to can it. As long as you don't go over 190-193 since it will cause more nitre to settle out. As for canning right from the filter, it's not going to be hot enough by the time it seeps through.
Even with a filter press it is amazing how fast the temp will drop from 200(unfiltered) to 170(filtered). Most times the temps are in the 40's in my sugarhouse so with that big of a temp differential it doesn't take long to pull the temp of the syrup down much
Keith

[BryanEx]

Wonderful info that I've been following with great interest but the question I have comes from another thread here on mapletrader.com. I know to bottle between 180 & 190 but I had read in one of the threads about water jacketed canners how direct heat can also create niter even if the average syrup temp does not go over 190. The argument was that direct heat created a "hot spot" that was more than the max 190 which in turn created niter while warming up the rest of the syrup. For those of you that re-heat... any issues with clarity or sediment?

[VT maple maker]

Im not sure if you are usually alone in your sugar house or not. I usually have at least one buddy in there helping me, while I run the evaporator he usually takes care of the filtering/bottleing etc. Like I said I finish on the evaporator so when I draw the syrup off he pours it into the filter canner and as soon as he gets enough in there he turns the heat on and closely monitors the temperature. Its still very hot so it doesnt take nearly as long to heat up to bottling temp VS if you had a whole batch of cold stuff. We usually stir it around a bit to keep whats on the bottom from getting all of the heat and this works out fine, the syrup is always clean. We bottle everything we make everyday as soon as its filtered and to temp. I almost never leave syrup in the canner unless its not enough to make at least a QT.