How to use ALL of a cone filter

[SeanD]

Yup, big optimizer fan here, too. It's able to keep up with the 2+ gallons an hour I'm pulling off the rig, now.

Question for other optimizer users: How many gallons are you putting through an Orlon filter (with pre-filters) before the filter has lived its life and it's time to chuck it? Filter life should be longer with an Optimizer than without it, right?

I think I'm around 70 gallons on one right now and it's slowing up. I do get into draws where it spikes heavy and that doesn't help. At the end of each boil there's always a cup or so that just won't get through. I'm wondering if the filter is done or if it maybe needs a good hot soak.

What about wool filters? Any difference in life expectancy there?

[pobryan]

SeanD,
Here's my thoughts on your question. If your filter is slowing down that means it is plugged up. If it is filtering faster or the syrup isn't properly filtered then the filter is breaking down. My guess is you are not getting the filter completely clean when you wash it. I feel that household hot water is OK to get the majority of the filter clean but it won't get it all. Really hot water is what you need, maybe even boiling the filter. We had been using hot water that we gather off the preheater on my evaporator, that is like 200f and had no problem filtering but we were taking them to the house for a while and saw a decrease in filtering ability.
We took some pre-filters that we had cleaned in the kitchen sink and put them in some of that hot water off the evaporator. The water almost immediately turned brown. I also think permeate from an RO or pure water condensed from steam helps as it loosens the niters. I use permeate to clean my syrup pan with an overnight soak. Why wouldn't that help a filter.
Pat

[pobryan]

Here is another method we tried today and it worked really well.
We set up the Optimizer with the Orlon filter and 3 pre-filters. After the first pour which was over 2 gallons, we pulled the top pre-filter and replaced it with a clean one. We did this with every pour all of which exceeded 2 gallons. By the end of the day we had filtered almost 12 gallons of syrup by just pulling the top pre-filter. The filter stack had no problem draining.
Pat

[Dlee]

Hey Pat finally got to use my optimizer like you I use pre-filter with it and couldn't be happier no waiting for the syrup really helped a lot thanks again

[SeanD]

Here is another method we tried today and it worked really well.
We set up the Optimizer with the Orlon filter and 3 pre-filters. After the first pour which was over 2 gallons, we pulled the top pre-filter and replaced it with a clean one. We did this with every pour all of which exceeded 2 gallons. By the end of the day we had filtered almost 12 gallons of syrup by just pulling the top pre-filter. The filter stack had no problem draining.
Pat

That's a good strategy. I think (another) one of my mistakes is when I have a big draw like the first one of the day and it all goes through well, I foolishly figure, that the top filter is still good, so I leave it for more. Then when it quickly plugs, I'm trying to pull it out full while more is coming off the rig. Not fun.

I had a really short boil the day before yesterday, so I decided I'd pull the top filter earlier. The last few cups that were in it went through when the filter straightened out and the rest of the boil went through well. It was only four gallons overall, but I can tell that I need to do what you are talking about - let the top filter take the hit, replace it, and pull it more frequently.

I'm also giving my Orlon filter longer hotter soaks and having good results. Thanks for that, too. That's helping a lot. I still have a cup or two not passing through at the end of the boil, but I think that's more about the draws being still a bit too heavy and the lack of hot syrup coming in anymore. So, I've just been pouring it off in a bucket and saving it each time. It's semi-filtered, heavy syrup that I'll save up and just correct and re-filter when I have batch that needs finishing at the end.

Thanks for the feedback,
Sean

[barnbc76]

I gotta buy the optimizer for next year, even though I use the similar method with a collender it's still not as good, but I have a question, I consistently lose alot of syrup in the filters. I try and rinse them back in the pan the next time I boil so I dont lose all that syrup but doesn't that just put all the nitter back into the next batch, causing it to be 2x as difficult to filter.

[VTnewguy]

I gotta buy the optimizer for next year, even though I use the similar method with a collender it's still not as good, but I have a question, I consistently lose alot of syrup in the filters. I try and rinse them back in the pan the next time I boil so I dont lose all that syrup but doesn't that just put all the nitter back into the next batch, causing it to be 2x as difficult to filter.

I have one for sale message me. Works great.

[Dlee]

When using the combination of the pre-filter and the wool filter a lot of the niter gets caught in the pre-filter so I would think that as long as your just rinsing the sweet out of your wool filter that the rest of the niter will stay in the wool filter IMO

[barnbc76]

I have one for sale message me. Works great.

Thanks but I sort of went over budget this year with building an ro. I will likely buy from probryan next year.

[SeanD]

I gotta buy the optimizer for next year, even though I use the similar method with a collender it's still not as good, but I have a question, I consistently lose alot of syrup in the filters. I try and rinse them back in the pan the next time I boil so I dont lose all that syrup but doesn't that just put all the nitter back into the next batch, causing it to be 2x as difficult to filter.

I take the Orlon filter out of the optimizer leaving it in its sailor hat shape. I put it in the bottom of a bucket and pour the hottest water I can get into the top of the filter. It retains its shape as it fills up. I don't overflow the top of the filter. Eventually the sweet water from the inside filters through to the outside. The next day, I'll pull the filter out and set the sweet aside to go into the back pan. I wash the filter with clean hot water in the sink. My hot water tank is super hot. I have to use gloves when washing the filters.

Sometimes when I'm pulling the filter out of the soak, it spills out the top. It's not a problem. The sweet from the soak is amazingly clean - cleaner than the sweet that's already in the pan. Dlee is right. The majority of niter is removed by the pre-filters.

I still bought a second optimizer this year to keep as a backup if things go south. It has its own Orlon filter and pre-filters hot and ready. There have been times when the syrup is coming off faster than I can pull filters (and everything else going on during the boil) and it's nice to have a second setup to swap out if I'm in a jam. It's worth the peace of mind for me.