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Thread: hand pump filter press

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Rutland, Vermont
    Posts
    326

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    Quote Originally Posted by tgormley358 View Post
    Hi, I'm a small backyard producer in central Ma in my 3rd year, also making the step up from cone filtering, but not sure yet of the advantages of flat filtering vs filter press. Since you went first to flat filter then to filter press, I'm wondering if you can explain how much better was flat filtering over cones in efficiency, and why did you move on to filter press? Should I go straight to a small filter press or will flat filtering be enough improvement? I made 8 gallons last year on 30 taps, next year will more than double.
    We started off with cone filters last year and then went to flat filtering. You will find the flat filtering easier. We also started using the "optimizer" as a pre filter, purchased from a guy on Mapletrader. Here is a link to his video.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mJyG03Uwy8
    CDL 2.5*8 Venturi with all the bells
    Leader Clear 5 bank filter press
    Memprotec 350H RO
    600ish taps and looking for more.

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    westfield ma
    Posts
    438

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    i would go right to a small filter press..... my first year on my own i cone filtered lots of syrup , then second year i bought a wes fab short bank 10 in press ( yes it was overkill.. but ive grown right into it for sure ) honestly i would never go back to gravity filtering , yes there is more cost involved with buying and using a filter press... but you will enjoy the fact that you can filter your syrup and cleanup in a matter of minutes, not hours and your filter press filtered syrup will be nice and crystal clear everytime for packing in glass
    2x6 leader WSE with AUF, hood,preheater
    waterguy RO
    leader 16 gal custom water jacketed canner
    10 in short stack wes fab filter press
    540 taps on tubing with vac & always adding
    2- benders running 25" hg from GAST vac pumps
    few stainless bulk tanks
    1978 chevy 1 ton 4x4 dually
    IH T340 dozer with 6-way blade

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    CAPAC MICHIGAN
    Posts
    721

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    Quote Originally Posted by tgormley358 View Post
    Hi, I'm a small backyard producer in central Ma in my 3rd year, also making the step up from cone filtering, but not sure yet of the advantages of flat filtering vs filter press. Since you went first to flat filter then to filter press, I'm wondering if you can explain how much better was flat filtering over cones in efficiency, and why did you move on to filter press? Should I go straight to a small filter press or will flat filtering be enough improvement? I made 8 gallons last year on 30 taps, next year will more than double.
    cone filtering never worked for me, the at best was always cloudy, did not look good in glass and wasted a lot of syrup, tried the flat filters next, was a slight improvement but was not happy. 3 yrs now with the press i love it no waste and syrup is always clear. Whats good for you, only you will know that, some people dont have a lot of niter so its not a problem but im on clay ground and about 1/2 sugars and 1/2 reds so the press was my answer
    2x6 RAISED FLUE PANS
    by WF MASON
    650 taps on vac.
    100 on bags

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

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    I started by using a 16x24 bottler with flat rack for filtering. That was OK, but very slow. I used that thru the 3rd season when I made 32 gal of syrup. At that point I bought a 7" short bank filter press (3 sets of plates) and wow, what an improvement. While I bought a gear pump press (I was not aware of hand pump ones at that time, if they were available), I have since added 2 more sets of plates so I now have 5 sets @ 7", and once the gear pump got tired rather than rebuilding it for about 80% of the price of a new one, I got an air diaphragm pump. That was another huge improvement. My point is, that a filter press, hand pump version or electric powered pump can grow with you, and it rarely loses much value if you decide to sell it to upgrade. The only down side I see of the popular hand pumps is that most if not all are 5", where much more common ones with electric or air diaphragm pumps are 7" and 10" with even 15" and 20" for the big guys.
    On my 5 bank 7" press I frequently do 30-45 gal on a set of papers, except it falls to about half that at the late season. When I bought it as a 3 bank I got about 60% of that. A 7" press gives you 49 sq. " in each plate, a 5" gives about half that so it should give you about half as much.
    Much of your choice should be based on your plans to grow over the next 5 and 10 years. Most of us do not guess well beyond that, in fact it's very common to grow faster in the 5 yr. plan than originally thought.
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

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