Fermented syrup

[rgmaple]

What makes syrup ferment in the barrels. The density is 36 baume. How long does it take to boil this fermented syrup to kill the ferment in it. I'd like to mix it with some C.

[maplecrest]

Did you rinse the drums with hot water before you filled them? are you sure your density was right? where did you store the syrup? in a cool dark place? was hot this last summer.boil it into ganulated sugar.boiling will never get the ferment taste out of syrup.

[DrTimPerkins]

What makes syrup ferment in the barrels. The density is 36 baume. How long does it take to boil this fermented syrup to kill the ferment in it. I'd like to mix it with some C.

Typically syrup will ferment if it is light in density and if the barrel is contaminated, or has some pinholes.

[Ausable]

Maplecrest is right - Once fermentation starts a chemical change is taking place - the sugar is going to alcohol and that will change the flavor. Some how wild yeast got into the syrup and if the temperatures were right - somewhere between 65-85F away we go. A byproduct of fermentation is carbon dioxide and if the syrup barrels were sealed the pressure would builld inside the barrels and eventually they would explode. Good thing You made the discovery or you would have one heck of a mess. Hey - there is a lot of very smart guys and gals on this site and maybe has some ideas of what might be done - to prevent a loss. --Mike--

[802maple]

I would mix it in the evaporator about 5 gallons to a time in the front part of your fluepan, late in the season this year. I have done this many times and by the time you draw it off the flavor will be gone.

[DrTimPerkins]

I would mix it in the evaporator about 5 gallons to a time in the front part of your fluepan, late in the season this year. I have done this many times and by the time you draw it off the flavor will be gone.

The solution to many off-flavor issues is dilution, especially when you're adding in a lot of strong flavored (good) syrup....it'll cover up a fair amount of ills. Heat (evaporation) also helps by removing the volatile flavor compounds. Just don't overdo it (mix in too much bad stuff at once) or you'll just end up with more bad stuff. Dilution doesn't work real well with all types of off-flavors....some are more difficult to cover up than others. Scorched/burnt syrup flavor and metabolism are notoriously hard to dilute out. Do small scale testing first if you can.

[802maple]

I have only done this with what was originally good flavored syrup that fermented. I have dumped in the front pan with not much luck at getting rid of the flavor caused by fermenting but putting in the fluepan with the additional time it takes to come through the evaporator has worked out well for me. I am very fussy with flavors and this works well. And yes i do it very late in the season so i am dealing with the stronger flavored syrup. I have actually seen where it improved the flavor while i was doing it.
The solution to many off-flavor issues is dilution, especially when you're adding in a lot of strong flavored (good) syrup....it'll cover up a fair amount of ills. Heat (evaporation) also helps by removing the volatile flavor compounds. Just don't overdo it (mix in too much bad stuff at once) or you'll just end up with more bad stuff. Dilution doesn't work real well with all types of off-flavors....some are more difficult to cover up than others. Scorched/burnt syrup flavor and metabolism are notoriously hard to dilute out. Do small scale testing first if you can.

[rgmaple]

Will the fermenting process go away with boiling, or will the process still be active in the fermented syrup.

[DrTimPerkins]

Will the fermenting process go away with boiling, or will the process still be active in the fermented syrup.

Yes, if you kill all the microorganisms responsible in the syrup and clean the barrel, there will be no more fermentation process.

[Ausable]

Hey Doc - As a Backyarder I have no experience with storing Maple Syrup in Barrels as I never have that much syrup at any one time. So the Barrels have to be sterile like a canning jar - which makes sense. Sealed so that no airborne wild yeast or other organism can get at and go to work on the sugars. Are these barrels under a slight vacuum like a canning jar? What is the ideal temperature to store maple syrup in barrels? I would imagine the maple syrup is put into these barrels hot - is that correct? Even as an Old Bird - I'm always amazed at how little I really know and Thanks in advance. -----Mike-----

[rgmaple]

My question now is how long do you have to reboil the fermented syrup in order to kill the microorganisms that are fermenting it?

[DrTimPerkins]

Hey Doc - As a Backyarder I have no experience with storing Maple Syrup in Barrels as I never have that much syrup at any one time. So the Barrels have to be sterile like a canning jar - which makes sense. Sealed so that no airborne wild yeast or other organism can get at and go to work on the sugars. Are these barrels under a slight vacuum like a canning jar? What is the ideal temperature to store maple syrup in barrels? I would imagine the maple syrup is put into these barrels hot - is that correct? Even as an Old Bird - I'm always amazed at how little I really know and Thanks in advance. -----Mike-----

They should be clean. They won't be "sterile". As long as the syrup is put in them HOT, and then the barrel is sealed, it will kill most everything in there, and will end up with a slight vacuum. If you have a small leak, it'll pull stuff in, and if the density isn't high enough, it can ferment.

[802maple]

The main culprit allowing air in is a bad gasket on the bung, to many sugarmakers use then over and over. Sometimes it is a bad weld in the seam or end crimps, A leak will be easy to find because it will leak. LOL