diluting syrup- larger scale

[tuckermtn]

Anyone have expereince diluting syrup on a larger scale?

here is my scenario. I have about 22 gallons of the first syrup we made this year that has an off flavor. Next weekend is our open house weekend. I do not think I will have any fresh sap.

Could I dilute that syrup with water back to say 6 or 7% sugar and boil it again? It was dark to begin with, so I suspect it will go down to B at a minimum.

If you can dilute, what is the correct procedure? Heat the water and heat the syrup? or just heat the syrup?

call me crazy...

[happy thoughts]

No experience doing what you want but that said, I don't think either would need to be heated before mixing especially with the amount of water you'll be adding to get it back to 6-7%. It's just a sugar solution and sugar readily dissolves in water. Just mix it all together to the dilution you want then reboil it if that's your plan.

The one thing I'm wondering about is how that much added water will affect the syrup tastewise unless you plan on using distilled and not well or city water. To get your 22 gals of syrup to 6-7% means adding something like 220 Gals water the way I figure. And if you're planning on selling it, would it still be considered 100% pure syrup when all is said and done?

[Amber Gold]

Why not just boil water that weekend? We do if we don't have sap and it makes the weekend easier if you don't have to worry about drawing off and filtering. Most people don't ask if you're boiling water, but the few that do are understanding. They know we can't control the weather.

[red maples]

I am just boiling water. But if you do plan on mixing the syrup with water since you have an RO I would run the tap water through the RO first. And then mix the permeate with the syrup then you can garentee that the water is 99% pure water other wise what will happen anything you have in your water will concentrate into your syrup and can give you a funny taste. Well water has a high concentration of minerals not always good ones and even if you have a water softener it won't remove heavy metals but an RO will. NH is famous for Arsenic at least in my area anyway and it might be fine right out of the tap but concentrated that far down your left with much higher concentrations of everything. We have a small RO under the sink in the kitchen just for cooking and drinking and if I have to thin syrup I just use that. Just a thought.

[Maplewalnut]

Eric-

I did that very thing today, I diluted to about 8 % and fill both pans. The smell of syrup is the best salesman I have open house weekend!!! Good luck

[red maples]

Why not just boil water that weekend? We do if we don't have sap and it makes the weekend easier if you don't have to worry about drawing off and filtering. Most people don't ask if you're boiling water, but the few that do are understanding. They know we can't control the weather.

Yeah especially this weekend although we know that the spring temps effect the winter season mainly(and amount of snow pack or just ground moisture in general) you can blame it on the strange winter weather If I had a gallon syrup everytime somebody asked me that this year!!!