Filtering of Black Walnut Syrup

[Jeeves]

Yes. Proceed with filtering as you would for Maple.

[Openwater]

Johnny, my local brew shop only had powdered pectic enzyme. Do you have any idea what the dose equivalent is to the liquid? How much powder per gallon? There's directions on the packaging, but it's for grape juice for winemaking.
I did order the BSG liquid enzyme, but I won't have it for a week or 2.

[Jeeves]

I've always used the liquid form. I called a chemist friend this morning and she said the ratio would be 1 tsp. powder to 10 drops liquid. Every powdered formula she is aware of is the same concentration. Perhaps a test batch of 1 gal. sap may give some insight, otherwise she doesn't think 1 tsp/gal is going to do anything more than stop the "jelly".
You could call your brew shop and ask what their conversion ratio would be.
Hope this helps. Please let me know how it works out.
All the best,
Johnny

[Openwater]

Thanks. I'll try adding to the walnut sap tonight at 1tsp/gal; going to boil tomorrow. If it "stops the jelly", I'll be happy. I get most of the "jelly" removed in the pre-filtering before the final boiling in the pot, but it really does block-up those thin pre-filters pretty quick.
This might be getting a little too picky, but do you think that breaking down the pectin with the enzyme causes a falsely elevated SG/Brix/SC syrup reading on the hydrometer due to the "pieces" of broken down pectin making it thru the filter and into the final syrup?

[Jeeves]

I would consider the pectin "dissolved" rather than "broken down". I have not experienced any hydrometer readings out of normal range from using the enzyme. Outside of pre-treating with the enzyme, the entire process is identical to maple for me.

[Openwater]

I tried the pectic enzyme powder this weekend. I was a little nervous about putting 5 tsp in my 5 gallon carboys of walnut sap, so I put 3 tsp per 5 gallon jug. It seemed like it took forever for the powder to dissolve while shaking the jugs. And it didn't really reduce the jelly during my prefilter. I was still squeezing the woven prefilters trying to get the liquid out of the jelly before going into the finishing pot. Next time I'll try the liquid enzyme at 10 drops per gallon like you suggested.

[Jeeves]

I made some inquiries regarding the use of powdered pectic enzyme. The two folks I talked to said that the powdered formulation may need to be liquified in warm water (105 degrees) before adding it to a cold product like sap. Both suggested adding the powder to about a pint of warm water and dividing it according to the volume of sap to be treated. I've never used powdered so I can't say one way or the other, but the liquid form has always worked for me even adding it to fairly cold sap.

[Openwater]

Thanks for that suggestion Johnny.
After I mixed it up last weekend, I thought about liquefying the powder next time before adding to the cold sap, and I figured it would have to be mixed with warm/hot water, but I know the water can't be too hot or it will denature the enzyme.
If the liquid pectic enzyme from BSG doesn't arrive by this weekend, I'll try pre-liquefying the powder in 105 deg water.

[Openwater]

The powdered pectic enzyme worked after pre-mixing in warm water before adding to walnut sap. About 90% less walnut jelly during pre-filtering. My liquid enzyme from BSG should be arriving tomorrow, so I'll be using that in my next batch of walnut sap before next weekend's boil. I'm assuming it will work at least as well.
Thanks for giving me the heads-up about the enzyme; I was getting ready to give up on the walnuts and just stick to the maples for next year.

[Jeeves]

The powdered pectic enzyme worked after pre-mixing in warm water before adding to walnut sap. About 90% less walnut jelly during pre-filtering. My liquid enzyme from BSG should be arriving tomorrow, so I'll be using that in my next batch of walnut sap before next weekend's boil. I'm assuming it will work at least as well.
Thanks for giving me the heads-up about the enzyme; I was getting ready to give up on the walnuts and just stick to the maples for next year.

Oh yeah! That's good news. I am boiling some BW sap right now and am experimenting with different "activation" times. This batch I let the enzyme activate for four hours. I'm quite sure this will still reduce the "jelly" substantially if not eliminate it completely. It would be nice if I could pinpoint a consistently shorter activation time rather than the 12 hour minimum I have been allocating so far. Unfortunately there are not that many of us sugaring Black Walnut so there is not much of a data base. The process I have been using is based on information I've acquired and compiled by asking hundreds of questions to several academics I know at the University of Minnesota and a number of wine makers and cider makers. I will post on the results of this batch when completed.