Filter aid with cone filter

[Boxelderburn]

Do you guys use a filter aid (DE) when using a cone filter? If so, when do you mix the DE into the syrup? We batch boil about 250 gallons of sap in one shot, and always seems to have a problem getting the 6 gallons of syrup filtered before it gets too cold to go through the filter at all.

Thanks

[blaircountysugarin85]

I have found that the more prefiltering you do the better. Run your syrup off the evaporator into 2 prefilters then let it sit in a 5 gallon bucket for a week or two and most of the sugar sand will settle to the bottom. Then pour your syrup into your finishing pots and the last gallon or so heat up separate to about 200 degrees or so and run it through several prefilters. Then once your syrup is finished run through a cone filter that is moistened with hot water and at least 4 prefilters. As they clog up pull a filter out. I assume you are using a filter tank it keeps the heat in and I can usually filter up to 10 gallons at a time with little problems. The more prefilters the better. I have a wf mason single cone filter tank and they run around $200 which is much less than the big brands. Hope this helps!

[SeanD]

Give the Optimizer a try. It truly lives up to the hype - for far less money than a filter press. I easily put 5+ gallons of syrup through before it clogs. The only reason I don't know the exact number is because my boil has always ended before it clogged and I only get about 5-6 gallons per boil.

http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...ight=optimizer

[Boxelderburn]

Give the Optimizer a try. It truly lives up to the hype - for far less money than a filter press. I easily put 5+ gallons of syrup through before it clogs. The only reason I don't know the exact number is because my boil has always ended before it clogged and I only get about 5-6 gallons per boil.

http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...ight=optimizer

Thanks for the reply, I actually just ordered one tonight. I will try that. Do you find that if you boil harder that you get more sugar sand? Does a batch boil get more sugar sand than if we had a continuous flow pan?

[EBG18T]

Using a Orion filter, 4-5 prefilters and the filter optimizer from the guys in MA. The filter optimizer really does work well for us as we use a 7 gallon square filter/bottler. I put the propane burner on super low and just kept filtering & filling.


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[SeanD]

Thanks for the reply, I actually just ordered one tonight. I will try that. Do you find that if you boil harder that you get more sugar sand? Does a batch boil get more sugar sand than if we had a continuous flow pan?

I'm not sure about the boiling harder, but batch boiling definitely leaves more niter in the pan. When you boil continuously, you are pulling off some of the niter with the syrup, so there is less in the pan.

[Mark B]

I finish on my stove and I started this year by only turning the heat up to medium high or just above, so that it finishes at a softer boil. I just finished 6 gallons the other night using a wool cone filter and an optimizer.

I also have an rc10 fry oil cone filter and I've started filtering my draw offs through that before moving to finish. The rc10 filters are 80 micron filters and do very well with near syrup. It really takes the stress off the cone filter setup.