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Thread: DE with Gravity Filters?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Canaan NH
    Posts
    373

    Default DE with Gravity Filters?

    Is anybody out there using DE with their gravity filters, or is it strictly used in filter presses? The reason I'm asking is that I occasionally notice some slight cloudiness in my syrup and am wondering if DE could help. I use 4 pre-filters and one felt on my 4-gallon canning unit. I often need to lighten my syrup, by 1-2 brix before bottling. I use sweet from the flue pan for this, feeding it through the filters. Could this be loosening up some of the niter in the felt and carrying it through into the syrup? Would DE help prevent this? For what it's worth, I bring my syrup to 190F (direct propane heat) in the canner before bottling.
    Boulder Trail Sugaring
    150 Taps on Vacuum
    Homemade 20"x40" Hybrid Pan - 15 gph
    Homemade Steamaway - 10 gph
    Waterguys single-post RO

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Speyside, Ontario
    Posts
    270

    Default

    I have not been successful with DE using gravity filters, or even with my vacuum filter.

    I would be very careful and only try a small batch to test out if it works.

    My DE seems to go right through the filter and made the syrup even cloudier.
    2015 - 8 buckets, 332L sap, 8.5L syrup - Barrel evaporator, 2 steam pans
    2016 - 8 buckets, 432L sap
    2017 - 10 bags, 470L sap, 9L syrup
    2018 - 20 bags, 1050L sap, 17.6L syrup
    2019 - 20 bags, 970L sap, 22.2L syrup
    2020 - 17 bags, 813L sap, 17L syrup

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

    Default

    If the Maple grade DE goes thru your filter you need a new filter. Do you use a wool or orlon syrup filter? If yes, the fibers must have gotten broken, possibly by wringing them filter out. That's a no no. If any other filter such as a cheese cloth, a clean cotton tee shirt, a coffee filter or a maple pre-filter non of those will catch maple grade DE. Be certain to get the DE from a maple dealer or another maple producer, DE for maple is unique to maple. Don't use just any DE.
    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.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    minnesota
    Posts
    15

    Default I am curious

    So does that mean that you can use DE with a gravity filter?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Catskill Mountains
    Posts
    1,863

    Default

    Yes you can. There are threads on this site from awhile ago that detail how I did it before I got a press.

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