I never used it before I got my filter press, but I have read that several have used DE. Based on what I have read, I suggest you use 1/2 cup for the first gal, then with larger batches add 1/4 cup for each additional gal. Use food grade from a maple supplier, not all food grade DE 's are the same size grind.
When you start, if you have lets say 3 gal batch to filter, add 1/2 cup + 2x 1/4 cup =1 cup, if 5 gal, add 1.5 cups. Pour it into the pot with the hot syrup, (over 180F but not over 210F) mix well then pour the syrup into the filter rack. In the rack, have a wool (or better an Orlon) filter with 2 or 3 pre-filters on top. The hotter you can keep the filtering syrup the better it will flow.
When DE is used, actually the DE is the filter (considered to be the best filter medium available). A filter cake will build up, as the DE along with the sugar sand (niter) are filtered out. The interval before cleaning (or removing the first pre-filter) is lengthened because the DE spreads out the niter and the DE does not plug the filter.
While I said I never used it, years ago I bought a bunch of equipment from a retiring producer who made lots of syrup and he only used flat filters with DE. I don't recall the amount of syrup but he had a large RO, something like 1200 GPH and that fed an oil fired 4x14 evaporator. He had 6-8 large square filter tanks, about 2.5-3' square to filter the syrup. I saw some of his syrup in glass, it was perfectly clear.
Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.
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Originally Posted by pobryan
