Filtering problems

[red dorakeen]

There's been several good threads lately on filtering with lots of good advice for which I am thankful.

My 2nd batch I finished and filtered into a cone. I still have no pre filters so I expected things to slow to a drip.

After a couple pints went thru I scooped the rest out of the filter and set it aside to settle.

I'll probably always work small batches so finding an efficient way to filter small batches is my goal.

I'm thinking some sort of settling container would be helpful.

My thanks to all of those who've contributed both questions and answers. Filtering has been the more frustrating part of the process. Not terrible but unexpected for this beginner.

I've a small boil to do today after the snow passes and I clear the driveway. I'll be somewhere over a gallon of syrup and the real syrup season hasn't even started.

[psparr]

Glad I could help others. Hope it helps others figure out even better ways to do it. One thing to add. As the season goes on you'll get more niter. Also more niter could settle out into your jar even though it looks clear now. Not harmful at all, just annoying.

[buckeye gold]

The flat filters are the same material. They are made to be placed in a wire mesh tray with the sides extending up the sides of the tray to keep in the syrup. Just more filtering surface area when using flat filters. You could try to clip the flat filter to the edges of a pot, but have a feeling you'll run into problems with it trying to fall in with the weight of the syrup.

We sew them up to fit into my filter frame. Cut out the bottom and cut long strips to sew on for the sides. They fit perfectly into the frame and get you max exposure. We do this for both prefilters and finish filters.

I usually filter twice once as near syrup at 216 and then as finished syrup. Later in the season as I get more sand I will mix in some filter aide to the final syrup. Woodsrover, early season syrup usually filters very well, but you may see your syrup cloud up as the season progresses. Perhaps location and the nitre your trees produce differs. I can't say I have ever seen syrup you can run through one paper (pre-filter) and be clear, you are fortunate to have that. I know you are settling too, but I wouldn't be surprised if things change as season moves on. I have seen syrup take several days to settle. It's all in personal preference in the end, but I sell in glass and do not want anything settled in the bottom of my bottles.

[pyro]

I agree with woodsrover. I batch boil so my syrup sits anyways. I then pour out the clean syrup at the top and dump the bottom. Although I tried to filter the clean syrup, I also wonder if it actually did anything additional.

And just in case this idea works for anyone, I was just down in my basement and stumbled over a glass vase (for flowers). It looked perfect for gravity filterers where an ideal container is clear, tall and small diameter. I noticed last year my large stock pot was too wide and lost too much at the bottom.