Clogged pre-filter on a CDL vacuum filter

[Sugarmaker]

Do you have a gauge for the vacuum pressure? I would think your going to need to fix the leak.
Seems like one pass should get it clear.
Is there a lid on this? Sorry just not familiar with these units yet.
Sugarsand looks dark and thick.
Regards,
Chris

[jdircksen]

You may not be getting a good seal. I know that my home built unit does the same thing UNLESS I have a good seal then the syrup goes through really quick.

The seal on these looks pretty good. It's a thick rubber ring and there are 3 clamps to make the seal. I have a pin hole in one of the welds but for now I put a piece of electrical tape over it.
The other possible culprit might be the Tomlinson spigot valve I have on it. I don't know how much pressure it can handle. Maybe the shop vac is sucking air up through it rather than through the filter. I'll test that.

[jdircksen]

More trial and error today with 2 batches. First off, I don't think the Tomlinson valve is the culprit. When I put a lid over the top, there is quite a bit of suction holding it on. It actually takes a concerted effort to lift it off, my estimate is 5lbs of force. I wish these had a vacuum port, that would answer the big question.

First batch today had zero DE, and it all passed through the filter with no problem whatsoever. It was amazing, just like on TV. But the syrup started off slightly cloudy and now has bigger floating clumps. I probably filtered it at 219* since I didn't stir in DE giving it time to cool.

Second batch was 5 quarts and since I was impressed with the vacuum power of the first batch, I added 1 cup of DE. Huge mistake. The prefilters clog instantly, and layering them only gets a few more ounces through. The syrup is very cloudy. I think the DE is making it through the filters.

The big variable in all my batches is the amount of DE. I am wondering if the stuff I have is too fine of a dust and it clogs the pores in the filters.

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Product description
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[regor0]

I will guarantee it is the DE that is your problem. Buy DE from a maple supply store that is used for maple filtering. I like to save money and the ease of ordering on amazon is a good option for most things, but ordering DE for you filtering maple is not a good plan.


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[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Throw that batch away and try again with the correct DE.

[Super Sapper]

I wouldn't throw out what you have done but the DE is the culprit. I would think that the proper DE will filter out the other DE. Your filters may not clean out and you may need to use new ones.

[BAP]

As others have said, your DE is the problem. It is probably ground too fine. You should be able to re-filter the syrup by heating it up and using maple grade DE. If you don’t want to buy a 50 pound bag, find a producer near you who uses it and see if you can buy 5-10 pounds off them. It’s not that expensive, 50 lb bag at Bascoms’s is only $28. You will be amazed at how the vacuum filter works using the correct DE.

[maple flats]

De comes in several particle sizes as well as food grade and non food grade. You must use one made for maple syrup, while it comes in a 40# bag, you should be able to buy a small amount (like 1-2 gal container or so) from a larger producer. If you keep it dry it will keep for years but if you only need 20-30 cups a year you don't want a big bag. You can also try The Maple Guys, they used to sell a small bag.

[fisheatingbagel]

Are you using DE with filter paper or woven synthetic filters? I've tried both with my homemade vacuum filter, and filter paper seems to work better. Filtering with DE using synthetic woven filters seems to clog sooner. I buy large filter papers and cut them to size for mine.

[jdircksen]

Thanks everyone. I am going to refilter this batch. I hope it can be saved because it's my biggest one of the season. Hopefully the maple DE will somehow attach to the stuff I used, because it hasn't separated from the syrup at all.

The stuff I bought was the food grade DE that could be found locally and it was in a manageable quantity. I just bought a 50lb pound bag from a maple dealer, so I'll give it a try. It should last me about 50 years