9" CDL Vacuum Filter/Bottler Review

[ecolbeck]

This is a quick review of my experience with the Vacuum Filter setup. I bottle my syrup many days/weeks after it is produced. After reading about others experiences, I decided that I would use the following process.

1. Gravity cone filter off the evaporator.

Then after a few weeks...

2. Reheat to over 200
3. Vacuum filter
4. Bottle

I was surprised to find how quickly the syrup filtered into the canner. I did not even use the vacuum until after the 3rd gallon. Applying vacuum worked great and the remaining gallon of syrup went right through (like in the videos). I had bought DE assuming I would need it but I found it wasn't necessary.

Filtering twice is a little annoying but not too bad, especially with how easy this process was.

[LMP Maple]

Thank you for the info. I am not having the same luck with mine at this point but this has inspired me to try it with straight syrup and to skip the DE to see if that makes it go faster. Question, how many pre-filters are you using? Also if it is going through that well could you draw off the evaporator into the canner and skip the gravity filter? I guess either way you would be fouling a filter just curious. I am only getting about a gallon through before I pull the pre-filter that is gummed up with DE etc. Maybe I am using too much. About a cup per gallon. I have maybe a couple of boils left this season I would say. I will try some of the things you are doing to see if I can improve. Thank you I learn a lot by hearing what is working for everyone and sometimes what is not. I am glad to hear that you are happy with it.

[ecolbeck]

I was pouring about a gallon at a time through it. After each gallon I would change the prefilter although I'm not sure I needed to. I suppose that I could draw off straight into the canner but I usually need to adjust the density slightly (forgot to mention that in the steps above).

I should add that once I was done with today's bottling session, and had typed up my first post, I was feeling all proud of myself and then I noticed that the syrup I had bottled was a little bit cloudy. I've had this issue at various times in the past. Not sure why it happened this time. Perhaps some DE would have helped?

[LMP Maple]

Interesting. I will try adding half as much DE to see if that helps speed up the process. Sounds like you have the speed dialed in. The syrup looks good coming out of my unit however I have not put it into glass this year to see if there are cloudiness issues. I'm thinking there may be an elusive DE amount that will give us what we are looking for with some speed and clarity. Of course, you add in the time of year and sap quality and it may throw off the whole equation. Thanks for the info on how well you thought it did with the end product. I will def add some DE but cut back. Also, I have a 50-pound bag of the stuff to use up

[johnallin]

I think what’s missing is the ability to recirculate your syrup. With a press and pump we run syrup through until it’s clear, even that can take 3-5 minutes as the paper will not catch all the DE until it begins to build up, basically tripping over itself as it try’s to pass through the paper. Think beaver dam. Once the it builds a cake the syrup begins to clear up and is properly filtered.
Guessing with the vacuum and a one shot pass through the filter your getting plugged up pretty quickly. The more DE the better as it’s doing all the filtering. On it’s own and without a means to recirculate it’s just going to go through the paper and end up in you syrup.

[ecolbeck]

I think the difference is that the vacuum filters are using orlon just like gravity filters rather than the paper filters that presses use. The DE would be there to assist rather than act as the primary filter medium.

[BAP]

Interesting. I will try adding half as much DE to see if that helps speed up the process. Sounds like you have the speed dialed in. The syrup looks good coming out of my unit however I have not put it into glass this year to see if there are cloudiness issues. I'm thinking there may be an elusive DE amount that will give us what we are looking for with some speed and clarity. Of course, you add in the time of year and sap quality and it may throw off the whole equation. Thanks for the info on how well you thought it did with the end product. I will def add some DE but cut back. Also, I have a 50-pound bag of the stuff to use up

Actually you may need to increase the amount of DE you add, not decrease. If you have too little DE, there is not enough to build a layer up over the entire filter, before a layer of niter sludge builds up. The DE layer remains porous allowing more syrup to pass through, while the sludge layer doesn’t allow anything to pass through. I have never found an amount of DE that was too much to add for my CDL 12” Vacuum Filter, but I have found what was too little. Next time try adding double the amount that you are using and see what happens.

[western mainer]

I agree with Bap you need more DE. I try less at first it doesn't work
Brian

[canaanmaple]

This is a quick review of my experience with the Vacuum Filter setup. I bottle my syrup many days/weeks after it is produced. After reading about others experiences, I decided that I would use the following process.

1. Gravity cone filter off the evaporator.

Then after a few weeks...

2. Reheat to over 200
3. Vacuum filter
4. Bottle

I was surprised to find how quickly the syrup filtered into the canner. I did not even use the vacuum until after the 3rd gallon. Applying vacuum worked great and the remaining gallon of syrup went right through (like in the videos). I had bought DE assuming I would need it but I found it wasn't necessary.

Filtering twice is a little annoying but not too bad, especially with how easy this process was.

yes, this is exactly what I do and works like a charm! Its just too darn easy to cone filter right off the evaporator into bulk storage and use the vac filter as a finishing filter/bottler. Thats what its best for in my opinion. You can say its an extra step thats a hassle, but so is messing with DE and still having issues with getting it to filter nice. I have the 12" one and use the smallest shop vac they sell, and barely have to turn it on.

[wobbletop]

Do you have a a nozzle small enough to fit in the bottle, or do you use a small funnel (like I have to)?