sugar sand?

[Gord]

Seems like no matter what I do to filter my syrup, I end up with cloudy syrup. I only make syrup for my family and friends and I always use bottles. I've tried different materials I have, as well as sheet and cone filters from vendors.
After a day or two or three, whatever is in there floats to the bottom and is crystal clear from there up.
This year I built a vacuum press, but the same thing happened.
I'm using wood on a flat undivided pan, and propane to finish. I'm using a Murphy Cup and matching hydrometer to tell me when it's syrup.
I usually bottle and cap it as it's coming out of the filters. I have had times when it was crystal clear, but the cloudiness is more often the case.
What am I doing wrong?

[DrTimPerkins]

It is possible that you're doing nothing wrong, but the sugar sand is just too small to filter out with your method(s).

I suggest for the syrup you're putting in glass to allow it to settle (sedimentation method) for a few days, decant it carefully, and reheat to 180-185 deg F, followed by bottling it.

Alternatively...switch to plastic.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...faQQkRi-tC0ut9

[Gord]

Alternatively...switch to plastic.

HAHAHA My buddy who got me started in this hobby said, Jeez, mine comes out crystal clear. I said ... How would you know! You're putting it in plastic!!

[maple flats]

In your filtering, with either the cones or your vacuum filter try mixing in more DE (must be food grade, get it from a maple dealer). I've found that most who have cloudy syrup didn't use enough DE.

[DrTimPerkins]

HAHAHA My buddy who got me started in this hobby said, Jeez, mine comes out crystal clear. I said ... How would you know! You're putting it in plastic!!

Yes...always amusing when people call when they start packing in glass and say "I never have this problem when I pack syrup in plastic."

[Woodsrover]

I bottle between 5 and 10 gallons at a time. I let my syrup sit for 24-48 hours in 6-gallon kettles with a spigot in the bottom. The spigot sits maybe an inch off the bottom allowing me to draw off clear syrup into a double-boiler where I re-heat to 195 and filter through a Smokey Lake flat canner. I pack in glass and its 99.9% sediment free.

[Sugar Bear]

I filter syrup through paper at 95% of the way to syrup.

When 100% of the way to syrup I pack my syrup in glass and let it settle. For this approach the taller and narrower the bottle the better. This way the sand settles into the narrow bottom and it is easier to poor off clear for repacking.

I use 1/2 gallon glass mason jars. They are relatively tall and narrow. When I poor off I put a light underneath it to watch for any sand leaving the settlement. When it starts I poor that little bit off ... re boil that and re filter that through a paper filter .... its only a small amount so it does not take to long.

I try to settle my 1/2 gallon jars for 4 weeks at least.

[Gord]

Thanks for the replies.
I've never used DE, other than in the swimming pool. But I have read a lot about it, here and elsewhere. And it's an option.
Letting it settle and pouring it off to re-boil is probably what I'll end up doing. I wish I could blame my vacuum press, but the same thing happens when I use gravity.
I'm going to pick up another thermometer to make sure I'm at 190 when I bottle it.

[NhShaun]

I have also found letting it settle for a few weeks then decanting the good stuff to rebottle works wonders. I always save the leftover of each and combine them at the end to rebottle for my own personal use. That was with gravity cone and flat filters, but this year i upgraded to a Wes fab filter press which should really help me out as i only bottle in glass.

[CTguy923]

so a question about the DE, can it be used to filter with gravity and cone filter/pre filter combo also ?? or is it mostly for filter presses ??, and if its possible with cone filters, how much would you mix in with your syrup ??...is there a formula somewhere