Using a Filter Press

[brookledge]

Here is the link to proctor maple research
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc/filter_press_brochure.pdf
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

How often do you guys grease your filter press??

[220 maple]

Brandon,
I usually grease the filter press once a season, We probably avg. 150 to 200 gals filtered each season. I don't remember whether we ordered the food grade grease from a supplier or got it at Henry's. When have finished filtering a batch of syrup if yours works like mine you will have syrup left in the press, we save it a clean milk jug and dump it back in the next batch. This is assuming the grade is equal or near to the next batch that it won't change the grade.

Mark, 220 Maple
Probably going to open my Pendleton County Trees this coming weekend!

[brookledge]

220 maple
Just wondering your profile has 1100 taps on vac. and 900 on gravity. with 2000 taps i would think you would make more than 150-200 gal
Or do you sell sap to someone?

Brandon
I usually grease mine once or twice a year and I average 250--260 gal per year
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

How much DE for 10 gallons of syrup which would be about normal for me, 15 max??

[maplehound]

Mark,
Another sugestion to get the syrup out is to run some hot sap off the flue pan and run it through the press, saving everything that comes out. I dump it all back into the flue pan. This also helps with clean up, everthing is so much less sticky this way, and I am only losiing a little sap.

[maple flats]

Here is where I got my food grade grease:
Dadant (Bee supply) 1-877-532-3268. in 2005 catalog page 78, Item number M00958 $5.15 each. The tube fits a grease gun too.
Good luck;
Dave

[brookledge]

Brandon
I would go with around 3-4 cups with light syrup and 6-8 with darker syrup. Alot depends on your area, try to use as least as possible while getting what you want through. Are you going to batch filter or continuous filter? Some need to use more than others based on the minerals and sugar sand. Also what is the capacity of your press?

Keith

[220 maple]

maplehound,
Great idea on using hot sap, I hope to try your suggestion soon!

Brookledge,
I agree I should make alot more syrup. Only one time in the past 4 seasons since my father past away that I have been able to get all the trees open. I have two major sugar bush locations, I have never been able to bring all taps on line at the same time. I take down all my tubing and put it back out each season, My helpers don't have the time or the desire to help with that, they only help with boiling, Last year I only had somewhere around 1400 holes drilled. My vacuum is a 5hp Surge dairy milker, The only purpose it really serves is to keep the ice out of the mainline later in the evening. I'm running a one inch line with out no dry line or boosters over 2000 feet before I get to my first tree. Very little vacuum at the tap hole. Someday when I have some extra dollars I'm going to fix that. I take the tubing down for two reasons squirrels and cows. This season I may only get my trees that are on gravity tapped, I worked on that bush since the first of Dec. add new lines to more trees and set a 1000 gal tank as the only collecting point. If those trees run right, they should overflow that tank everyday. I'm going to put a 275 gallon tank there as an overflow catch. For the past several years we having been keeping records of sap flow, I have never had one of those 2 gallons of water per tap hole day. The best I've had is half a gallon of sap per tap hole day. Every year I find main lines apart and running water on the ground. I basically live and work 60 miles from my sugar camp, I work a 12 hr four star shift two days on, two days off , off every other weekend. Sometimes water can run on the ground two days before I find it. The other factor I believe is some of my trees are young red maples and they don't and can't produce like those big old sugars. I hope I don't sound like I'm making excuses. The 2000 season my father made 250 gallon with probably 1000 taps all on gravity. My helpers can't figure how this happened. I tell them the trees ran right. I may have to get them life jackets when it does it again. We will be drowning in sap. That would be a good way to go!!!!! If there is a good way?
Mark 220 Maple

[brookledge]

Mark
Good luck this year. That sure is alot of work for you to go through every year but you have to do what you have to do. I know cows can certainly make a mess of tubing. lets hope you need to purchase those life jackets.
Keith