Seacoast drilling

[Steam]

Drilled a dozen this afternoon. Only half ran, did get a sample for a test. 2.1% from a nice big red. My sugars shut down as soon as the breeze kicked up. Should be boiling real soon if the weather forcast holds true.

Gregg

[Parker]

Keep us updated!!

[Steam]

Tapped out at around 50. Sugar levels are low compared to last year?? Boiled twice last week, made a good amount of syrup but it has a strange flavor. Not an off flavor but a maple+something. Kind of sets you back a bit. Hope I'm not alone when this happens. At 1.5% I'm going with the freeze concentrate to help with the boiling times, and maybe the flavor!!! Strange winter so far around here, maybe there is a connection?

Gregg

[brookledge]

Try to describe the off flavor maybe we can help you determine what is causing it, especially the way you descibe it as setting you back a bit
Keith

[Steam]

What I meant by "sets you back" is that I was disappointed with the results of my labor. Sorry for the phrase. I think maybe I rushed the flushing of one of my lines and it may have had a hint of bleach in my bucket. With a limited number of taps I was trying to "get it all". During the next run I will segragate and see if happens again. As far as the flavor, it has a slight maple flavor and then something else, not buddy. Last year I tapped the same trees and had good results. This year I expanded and have a three pan set up on a "custom" 2 X 6 arch. I manually ladel from back to front and can do about 8-10 gal an hour. The color was between a light - medium amber. The only thing that was weird was this, while the wife and I were finishing on the stove (aproning) it tasted fine. We bottled two quarts and had some left over. The next morning we tasted it again (cold) and both looked at each other and knew it was funky. Hope this helps. Thanks for your input and comments.

Gregg

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Don't think it was the bleach unless there was quite a bit. :?

[brookledge]

Gregg
Try and look at what you are using or doing that is different than last year. You say you expanded to a 3 pan setup Is there a different type of pan that could be doing it? What did you put the syrup in when it tasted funny could there have been anything in that container previously? Another idea is re heat the syrup and see if it has the same funny taste. All I can say is trial and error.
Keith

[maplehound]

if your cleaning with soap then that might do it. I mean anything from your pans to the containers you put it in. NEVER USE SOAP ON MAPLE EQUIPMENT OR BOTTLES
Ron

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Ron,

Don't mean to disagree, but good old Dawn never hurt any dish or maple equipment. The key is to rinse it thoroughly. When I was up at the maple conference last year and we were in a large room with lots of producers, the guy ask who thought it was ok to clean with detergent like dawn and it was like you dropped a poison pill. I shook my head yes, but I don't know if anyone of the other probably 100 people did. He stated that it was one of the best things you could use to clean with, but just like your dishes, you need to rinse good. Safe in dishes you eat off of, it's safe in maple equipment.

Just rinse good! :D

[maplehound]

That's the first I have ever heard of anybody suggesting that you use a deteregent to claen with. When I talked to severa of them about the subject they told me that wearn't dealing with anything but sugar and definatly not grease which is waht Dawn and most other detergents are ment to cut through. The best thing for sugar is hot water and plenty ot it. At least that is what most advocat.
Ron

[Steam]

Thanks for the tips guys. I did find that one of my pans had some repair work done to it. I've stopped using this pan. I boiled all day yesterday and everything appears to be fine. However, I had some sap from a different bush that I boiled with yesterday. So at this point I am not 100 pct sure it was the pan. I will know tomorrow when I boil the sap from the original bush that produced the off flavor. One note, the suspect pan was only used as a preheat pan and was never boiled in. I'll keep you posted.

On a more positive note sap has been running good in the afternoons here.
I hope everybody is having a good sugar season so far.

Gregg