Clogged pre-filter on a CDL vacuum filter

[jdircksen]

I have watched the CDL video, the Roth Sugar Bush video and another producers video and there was no DE used in the syrup before it was filtered. They just used the pre-filter and orlon filter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91034cvALwo
At about 4:35 into this video, he says you can use DE but you do not have to.

[Sugarmaker]

jd,
That sounds about like a gravity filter system, some folks use some DE. I did not use any in my gravity filtering set up. Good luck.
Regards,
Chris

[bryankloos]

Hi Guys,

Just curious if the 9" model comes with filters, and where to buy replacement filters.
I only see ref numbers for the larger units on CDL website and white papers...

Thanks,

Bryan

[jdircksen]

The 9" comes with one finish filter and 4 or 5 pre-filters. I already went through them, so I bought 36"x36" sheets. 9" is great since you'll get 16 circles from each sheet.

[jdircksen]

Ok I finally got to use the filter again. Not much changed
I had 1.5 gallons of syrup that I filtered through prefilters and a cone filter when it was around 2.5 gallons yesterday, then went to bed and work. Today I finished boiling it, turned off the burner at 59 brix, added 1/8 cup (that's half of 1/4 cup) of maple DE from the 50lb bag and stirred it up for a minute. Then I let the syrup cool for a few more minutes until it was 210*. While it was cooling I poured boiling water through the filter and let it drain to preheat the unit. Then I turned the shop vac on and began pouring the syrup in slowly. It sucked a quart of syrup in about 30 seconds and then began to clog again. I added more syrup and let it run for a minute but not much more went through. I filled a couple 12oz glass bottles and then decided the dump the clogged syrup back into my pot and replace the pre-filters. The top one was coated in a thin layer of what I assume was DE. I wetted new prefilters and installed them. Then I poured more syrup in, less than a quart until it was clogged. Replaced all the filters again. Got another quart through. In total I rinsed or replaced the filters 5 times to get 1.5 gallons through. Each time the top filter had a light coating, but nothing like in my first picture with the filter cake and tons of niter.

Next batch will be without any DE. And if that doesn't work, I'll keep searching for vacuum leaks. Any ideas for finding it?

[Sugarmaker]

Humm,
I would really like to hear from Dr Perkins or others that are using this system. If it is a vacuum leak problem you need to find that some how. Maybe reverse flow low air pressure with a lid in it??? Just a thought. feel for air escaping at the leak???
Sounds like std cone gravity filters would have done about as as well? in the old days we would filter 10 to 20 gallons a day through cone filters and would have to wash them and the pre filters several times. We also had two sets of filters operational so one could be filtreing and one could be cleaned as needed, we did not use DE.
I filtered 7.5 gallons tonight with about 5 cups of DE in the SIRO, in three batches, total pump time maybe 10 minutes, But we are not comparing apples to apples. Pressure vs Vacuum.
Thought you might see better results with new maple DE???
Maybe BAP has the answers?
Regards,
Chris

[Chickenman]

Is your shop vac set for wet or dry? Try removing the pleated paper filter and see what that does for you. If the paper shop vac filter is still in then it may be getting damp from the steam and not giving you the draw you need at the end of your run.

[Super Sapper]

Some thoughts, more of the proper DE is better than less. When running a press you need to clean it when it is full of DE and not plugged with niter if you are adding the right amount.

It is possible that the original DE was so fine that it is plugging up the maple DE.

I would use the Maple DE with fresh syrup to see how it performs.

[buckeye gold]

You need smoke to find the vacuum leak. Go around the fitting with some smoke and it'll show ya real quick. I done this to find a leak on an outboard manifold once.

[BAP]

1/8 of a cup of DE is not enough. Put a full cup in and try it, if it works but not as good as you think it should, then try more. 1/8 of a cup is not enough to put a good layer on the filter to keep it from plugging.