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Thread: Filter advice - small filter press or vacuum filter?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
    Location
    Campbellville, Ontario
    Posts
    49

    Default Filter advice - small filter press or vacuum filter?

    I generally reheat, cone filter with liners and bottle in 5 gallon/20L batches, and repeat that 10 times a season (maybe more this year the way things are going). Package in glass, so clarity is important.

    I am sick of the mess, and bottleneck the gravity filtering though the cones causes. I was pretty set on a 5” Maple Guys filter press, and then saw 4Walls vacuum filter on here. I can convert my CDL cone filter/filler to. Vacuum filter pretty easily.

    For 50-100 gallons per year, what do you think is the right choice? Any difference in clarity (DE in the press vs just filtering in the vacuum filter?)

    Thanks for your input.
    2x6 Waterloo pan on an antique Piette & Fils arch

    2019 - 60 buckets, 85L of syrup, 2x4 pan outside
    2020 - 100 buckets, 105L of syrup, 2x6 flat pan in a Redi Rack Shack
    2021 - 137 buckets, 110L of syrup and a homemade RO (why didn't I do this sooner?)
    2022 - 154 buckets, 201L of syrup
    2023 - 166 buckets, 343L of syrup, cold sap float box, walking beam sap trailer, 4Walls vacuum filter

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Freeport,ME
    Posts
    78

    Default

    I can't comment on the clarity of the vacuum filter, however we made around 35 gallons last year and swapped to a small 5" sheets filter press. I would never go back to any other method now.
    Like you, we bottle around 2/3 of our product in glass so having no impurities is very important.
    We reheat in an 8 gallon brew pot with a valve at the bottom. Bring to a boil, adjust final density if needed and then run the syrup & DE directly through the press and into our steam bottler. It enters the bottler right between 180 and 190 degrees so very little adjustment is needed to bottle.
    At the end, we get what we can for syrup out and then roll the press over to the evaporator and run hot sap from the preheater through until it runs clear to avoid losing any sugar to the press gods.
    I think I spent around $900 on the press, a spare diaphragm, an extra pack of 100 papers and delivery. It will do up to 8 gallons or more if the syrup is clean without breaking down the press. You can also remove plates if you're doing smaller batches.
    2018 - 20 Taps on 3/16, Barrel evaporator with 2 steam pans. Unknown amount.
    2019 - Nothing
    2020 - 30 Taps on Shurflo, 30 taps on 3/16, 2x5 oil tank evaporator, 11 Gallons.
    2021 - 35 Taps on Shurflo, 11 buckets, RB10 RO Bucket, 2x3XL Mason Evaporator. 4 gallons
    2022 - 110 Taps on Shurflo, 77 taps on 3/16 gravity, 13 buckets to hit 200, Upgrade to RB15 RO Bucket.
    2023 - 110 Taps on Shurflo, New 3/4 Mainline with 125 taps, 2x4 raised flue, Upgrade to Homemade 4x40 RO.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Gaylord Michigan
    Posts
    147

    Default

    I am right about the same as craig wade. About 40 gallons a year and a sheets 5" press with hand pump. Its a great press and makes canning the syrup soooooooo much easier and crystal clear.
    Tim Schmidt
    2013 13 Taps 4 Gallons Syrup, Drum evap.
    2014 50 Taps 14 Gallons Syrup, Drum evap.
    2015 60 Taps on 3/16 gravity, 40 Taps on buckets, 42 Gallons Syrup, Home built 30 x 60 arch and flat pan
    2016 125 Taps all on 3/16 gravity average 18 in. vacuum, 43 Gallons Syrup, Same Arch and Pan
    2017 125 Taps all on 3/16 gravity average 18 in. vacuum, 44 Gallons Syrup, Same Arch and Pan
    2018 155 Taps all on 3/16 gravity average 18 in. vacuum, Same Arch and Pan, home built 100 gph ro unit

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Murrysville, Pennsylvania
    Posts
    476

    Default

    I have used both and strongly prefer the filter press. Make around 30 gallons per year give or take a handful. I have the smoky lake 7 inch all stainless short frame hand pump press with the shortener. I filter after each boil, and depending on batch size, use either 1, 2 or 3 frames in it.
    D. Roseum
    www.roseummaple.com
    ~100 taps on 3/16 custom temp controlled vacuum; shurflo vacuum #2; custom nat gas evap with auto-drawoff and tank level gas shut-off controller; homemade RO #1; homemade RO #2; SL SS filter press
    2021: 27.1 gallons
    2022: 35 gallons

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Nashville, MI
    Posts
    939

    Default

    I have the same press As you D. Roseum. It works so nice for the small batches with that little plate in place.
    2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
    2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
    2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
    2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
    made 17 gal. syrup
    2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
    2021 - Didn't work out
    2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

    Default

    I started using flat filters but then got a filter press, I got a Lapierre 7" short bank with brass gear pump, later expanding it to a 5 bank. A few years later I started using an air powered diaphragm pump, far better.
    I never used a vacuum powered filter. How ever until a few years ago, I had never heard of them. Based on what I've seen on You tube, I think I'd get a vacuum filter for any operation from a small to a medium size operation (maybe around 800-1000 taps) but for larger size I think I'd still go with an air powered diaphragm pump filter press.
    It appears both give perfectly clear syrup if used properly.
    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.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Ashtabula County, Ohio
    Posts
    1,792

    Default

    I've had both in different configurations and I would go with a filter press over a vacuum filter any day of the week. Even with less than 25 gallons a year.
    1000 taps on vac down to 100+ buckets 99% sugars
    2x5 SL Hi-Output Raised Flue Corsair evaporator
    SL Short bank press with CDL diaphragm pump
    Leader Micro 1 RO for 2024
    Constantly changing
    2010:36 gal 2011:126 gal 2012:81 gal 2013:248 gal 2014: 329.5 gal 2015:305 gal 2016:316 gal 2017:258 gal 2018:147 gal 2019:91 gal 2020:30 gal 2021:30 gal 2023:50 gal Total since 2010: 2047.5 gal
    Tapping the same trees my great, great and great grandfathers tapped.

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