Filtering vs. Settling syrup

[ash10383]

We let ours settle out. Took a stainless stock pot and drilled a hole about 1/2 inch from the bottom. Put a brass valve in the hole. Let 3 gallon of syrup sit one or two days. (that's how big the pot is) usually the niter is below the level of the valve. Draw off slow otherwise you suck some niter up. If the niter is to high gently tip the pan away from the valve. If it's warm syrup when you put it in the pan settles fairly fast. Only issue is you need to reheat to bottle or we just freeze what syrup we do.

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[Sugar Bear]

I find that the narrower and taller the jar, the better it is for settling syrup.

This is because the niter that settles in the bottom of such a shaped container is MUCH less likely to be disturbed when poring off the syrup. It settles into a smaller area on top of itself more so that a broad bottomed container.

The 1/2 gallon mason jars are the best I have found for this purpose and that it what I put syrup in to settle it.

When I pore it off after settling it for at least 1 week ( I try to do at least 1 month ) I find I get about 90% of the settled syrup out before pouring any Niter out. I put the syrup with disturbed niter in another jar and resettle it. Most of the niter stays stuck to the bottom of the mason jar.

With a light behind the glass mason jar you have excellent visibility of what the settled niter is doing as you are poring and as it is settling.

My visual experience tells me that most niter settles out in 2 or 3 days and nearly all of it within a month.

You can buy 1/2 gallon mason jars for about $10 for 6 but if you drop one, the world is going to know about it and so to is the emergency room if you drop one with 200 plus degree syrup in it.

I have 18 jars and they work for me.

Whatever you do in life be careful.

Sugar Bear.

[Darrel Wright]

For settling I use tall-aspect 2-5 gallon stainless pots, or occasionally 1/2 gallon jars. Put it in hot, then put them all in a well insulated chamber. I made a box of 2" polyiso I can fit 3 stainless pots in. If you're using jars a good cooler should work. Syrup coasts down to 80 degrees over the course of 4 days, and by that time it is generally sparkling clear. It just settles much much faster warm. I'll then siphon right off the bottom with I think 1/2" tubing, discarding the first cup or so which will have sand. But the 1/2 tubing siphons slowly enough that it only sucks sand from around a 2" circle on the bottom, and leaves the rest. Takes like an hour to siphon the pot off, but I'm off doing something else in that time.

[Openwater]

Pour or try to siphon? I usually vacuum filter my syrup thru a homemade shop-vac filter with 3 pre-filters and an orlon filter with DE. The final batch of syrup yesterday would not filter, not even thru just 1 prefilter with the shop-vac suction. Made a sticky mess removing filters, re-heating, washing filters, adding more DE, etc. Never had this problem before; syrup might be a little ropy, but I left it a little light since I know I'll be reheating to bottle. Finally decided to give up and just pour it into glass gallon jugs. Now I've got about 1.5 gallons of syrup with a bunch of DE in it and need some advice regarding what to do next. Try to pour it off or somehow siphon off the top?
settling syrup.jpg

[Jim Foster]

I gave up on the filtering simply because I lost too much syrup in the process. Simply because I make small batches. On the final cook I run it through a pre filter and straight into quart canning jars and sealed. Let them set a month, carefully pop the flat off and slowly pour into a large pan untill I see the niter start towards the opening and stop pouring. Heat the syrup up to 185 degrees and pour into sealable bottles. I take all of the niter filled syrup and pour into a couple of quart jars, seal, let set and pour off again. Syrup looks fantastic with no residue.

Jim

[SeanD]

Pour or try to siphon? I usually vacuum filter my syrup thru a homemade shop-vac filter with 3 pre-filters and an orlon filter with DE. The final batch of syrup yesterday would not filter, not even thru just 1 prefilter with the shop-vac suction. Made a sticky mess removing filters, re-heating, washing filters, adding more DE, etc. Never had this problem before; syrup might be a little ropy, but I left it a little light since I know I'll be reheating to bottle. Finally decided to give up and just pour it into glass gallon jugs. Now I've got about 1.5 gallons of syrup with a bunch of DE in it and need some advice regarding what to do next. Try to pour it off or somehow siphon off the top?
Attachment 23093

I have the same thing. The very last of the last boils plugged the press and I have a quart of really dark syrup with niter and DE. It's been sitting in a mason jar for two weeks today. My plan is to let it settle a bit more then carefully pour it into smaller glass jars so more light can get through and I can see what kind of progress it's making. Eventually, this will be house syrup that I use for cooking. Maple syrup is insane on roasted vegetables.

I'd avoid siphoning. A careful pour is just as effective. That sediment tends to harden over time and a lot stays put or it at least moves very slowly when you tip the bottle. Just be sure not to glug it and try to do it on one motion. That is, don't stop part way and see how it's going. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Some syrup at the bottom will be lost.

[Mean_Oscar]

Read this thread quickly so might have missed: Has anyone tried setting with quart or half gallon jars tilted 45 degrees? Vibrating to speed up settling?

Current Black Birch Experimenter
Have made black walnut, white walnut, sycamore, boxelder and, oh yes, maple.

[220 maple]

For the last 10 years or maybe longer, I set the auto draw off up to be a brix or two weak, I fill barrels of syrup, then when ai have time I finish syrup, after a month or more the syrup I pump off the barrels is pretty darn clear. Main goal is not to pump off the bottom of the barrels. Usually throw away the last half inch, it is nothing but dirty syrup!
Mark220maple

[Mean_Oscar]

Black birch makes a flaky precipitate. Thursday (4-25-2024), I let some simmered 4% settle at room temp in a half gallon jar tilted 45 degrees. Next morning, the junk was stuck to the side walls. Most of my 12 V vacuum pumps vibrate a lot. That is something to try next.

25 years sorghum
20 years maple and other tree syrups
RO, freezer, electric skillet and vacuum pumps