Smokey Lake Flat Pre-Filters

[wnybassman]

Has anyone else in the last year or so experienced anything different with Smokey Lakes pre filters? I used to filter until things slowed, pull a filter and filtering would resume until the next one clogs. There would also be noticeable crud on each filter as well. Now it seems I filter until things slow, pull a filter, and nothing seems to change. No crud on the filters either. It really seems the pre filters are allowing sediment to pass through and the heavy filter is catching everything. I filter coming off the evaporator also, so the syrup going into the flat filter as I am bottling is pretty clean as well.

Just curious if anyone else is experiencing something similar, or if I have a different issue going on. Very aggravating. Might be time to get a press.......

[johnallin]

It's more than likely the filters...not too many moving parts there to go wrong and not many ways you can mess up that procedure.
Possibly try another brand to see what's going on.
A good filter press will be a huge improvement in your process though.
Leader makes a really good Clear Press.

[wnybassman]

I heard back from Smokey Lake, their product has not changed over time. Doesn't mean whoever they get from didn't change though I guess.

I seem good up to about 9 or 10 gallons, maybe I just need to keep bottling sessions less than that.

[ebliese]

So I'm going to ask a silly question...are you rinsing your main filter off every so often?

We have used a Smoky Lake steam bottler for a few years now. We haven't noticed any difference in the pre-filters. The only thing we did is add one or two more (just so we don't have to run up to the house and quick rinse them off and dash back to the shack).

[wnybassman]

So I'm going to ask a silly question...are you rinsing your main filter off every so often?

We have used a Smoky Lake steam bottler for a few years now. We haven't noticed any difference in the pre-filters. The only thing we did is add one or two more (just so we don't have to run up to the house and quick rinse them off and dash back to the shack).

I do not rinse main filter during a filtering session, but thoroughly rinse and dry between sessions. I first noticed this problem last season when I ordered the large 36" sheets from SL and cut them down. Had a problem right away, so in my mind I thought their big sheets might have been a different manufacturer than their precut sheets in the filter sets. So yesterday I broke open a new SL filter set hoping my theory was true. I used the included 4 pre filters as well as 2 older ones on top for a total of 6. I filtered about 12 gallons of syrup yesterday. The first 5 gallons went through without even getting the entire surface of the filter wet. I do a really good job of filtering off the evaporator, so when I reheat to correct density the syrup is really clean, all the major gunk is already out of the syrup. The next 5 gallons (fresh and piping hot) starts to back up a little as expected. By the end of that it is an inch or so in the filter and going slowly. This is when I pull a filter to get flow going good again. Except now it doesn't. The filters do not look fouled at all. My only conclusion at this point is whatever the main filter is catching, the pre filters are not. Maybe I can only get 10 gallons out of a session? Past years have typically been less than 10 per session, this crazy year I have had to do more per session. Maybe I just never noticed it in the past?

I have extra main filters. Maybe I do 8 or so gallons and change everything out before I do more?

How many gallons at a time do you run through the canner each session?

[DRoseum]

How long is it between the two 5 gallon batches?

[dcast99]

This used to happen to us before we got the press. We concluded that the main filter was getting too cold and sugaring up. If it was the filter set that we were drawing off into we would just pour some near sweet onto it to thin the sugar in the filter out. If it was in the filter set on top of the canner we would pull the filter rack off the canner and put it over the front pan to steam heat it and thin the sugar out of it. It is also recommended to wet the filters before using them.

[wnybassman]

How long is it between the two 5 gallon batches?

About as soon as the first 4 or 5 gallons gets put in, the next is right ready to go.

[wnybassman]

This used to happen to us before we got the press. We concluded that the main filter was getting too cold and sugaring up. If it was the filter set that we were drawing off into we would just pour some near sweet onto it to thin the sugar in the filter out. If it was in the filter set on top of the canner we would pull the filter rack off the canner and put it over the front pan to steam heat it and thin the sugar out of it. It is also recommended to wet the filters before using them.

Yeah, I wet all the filters with piping hot permeate before use. With the canner half full of 188 degree syrup, do you think the filters still get too cold? With the lid on? I mean, that's exactly what the filters look like when I'm done, just full of syrup.

[johnallin]

Noel,
You're making a lot of syrup to not be using a filter press.
60+ gallons warrants the time savings and improvement in quality IMO.
I run from my press right into the canner.