Sugar sand

[maple flats]

I think I have had more sugar sand this year than ever before. I even started pumping from the syrup pan thru a filter and back into the syrup pan to remove some between boils. Yes, I do reverse the flow every day. Have the rest of you found the same thing this year?

[Ed K]

I have excess sand, and noticed its redder in color this yr.

[mapleman3]

I don't seem to have as much this season, also went from medium back to light this weekend. that with more people asking for medium and dark... 8O

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Gotta love the dark stuff, light just doesn't have the taste. What I have found is that the lower quality the sap or the higher the bacteria count, the more dead bacteria I have and a lot of this is often mistaken for sugarsand. Good sap, little sand. :D

[mapleman3]

I agree Brandon, now that I boil same day that may have something to do with it.

[maple flats]

I have treated my sap with UV and never stored more than 3 days and temp has not gotten over 40 so I do not think it is bacteria, sap is never cloudy in the least.

[Russell Lampron]

I have to agree with you guys about the customers asking for darker syrup. The large producers that sell most of theirs in bulk like to make the light syrup because they get more money for it. I have customers that want darker the grades because it has the best flavor. Another thing that I educate my customers on is that grade "B" is not for cooking only. I give them a sample taste of a lighter grade syrup and a taste of the grade "B" and let them make the choice. I have alot more request for grade "B" now and have a hard time keeping some for myself.

Russ

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

In all my years of making syrup, it has always held true for me. Most of the stuff that is referred to as sugar sand in my opinion is just dead bacteria. The higher the bacteria count, the more of the "BROWN" stuff I produce that is often referred to as sugarsand and may be.

Not disagreeing with anyone and I know just enough to make me stupid, but this has always held true for me. There may have been an exception to this a time or two, but none I remember. :?

[Ed K]

Dumb question? Does the dead bacteria taste gritty?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Ed,

I knew this was going to come up. In my opinion which isn't even worth two cents, it mixes with sugarsand and makes everything have some gritty texture to it. If you feel closely, you can tell a lot of it isn't truely gritty. :)