Manitowoc NE Wisc

[Maribel Orchard]

Tapped 34 tree around Feb 20th. Sap ran well for about 3 days, then the weather drop into the teens stopped everything. Have managed to boil for one gallon of syrup. No sap in storage and nothing drippng since. Some of the locals indicated the run was on during the January warm spell.
Question for all, needs answering. My first gallon of syrup this year has a slight odor, and my last few gallons last year also (but very strong). Can't exactly describe the odor except to say its like green wood. Last year I suspected it was because the sap was up and staying up, thus imparting the green smell. Any Ideas?
Dave B

[sweetwoodmaple]

The smell at the end of last year was probably the tree coming out of dormancy (called "buddy" sap). This smell is most pronounced in the steam while boiling. I do a test in my kitchen with a sample of sap to test for this.

Not sure why you would be getting this smell early this year. Were the buds swelling when you boiled last? What I usually do is find a low hanging branch and break the bud off and see if it is green and moist inside.

Are you tapping sugar maples or "soft" maples? The soft maples, i.e. red or silver maples, come out of dormancy much sooner.

[Maribel Orchard]

Sweetwoodmaple
As far as I know the trees are hard maple. I tap a couple of black maple too. I've been sappin for +5 year now at this location and have never had this smell problem before. All of the trees are down in a deep valley on the east slope, so I usually have a longer season (+2 months) before bud swell. I would expect what you describe, at seasons end, and I suspect your diagnosis is correct for last year. But I am dumbfounded why I have it this year and with the first batch. The ground is still frozen hard down 6". We had a 20 day stretch in January with temps above 35's then back to the single digits in February.
Dave B

[Russell Lampron]

Dave B, does the syrup have an off taste as well? What are you using for storage tanks etc. could be picking up something there.

Russ