Grade b

[1hardmaple]

Brand new evaporator 2x4 all stainless nice clear sap so far boiling off fast and the best I can get is grade b amber any help would be appreciated.

[SPILEDRIVER]

are you storing up your sap befor you boil??? longest ive ever held sap is 7 days and youve got to keep it cool!!!! older the sap the darker the grade.im batch boiling on a flat pan evap every 3 or 4 days and im still making light/fancy amber yesterday was the 4th boil and it waas the lightest ive made yet

[1hardmaple]

No it was 1 day, cold clear sap only thing I noticed different while evaporating was a lot of sediment in the bottom of pan other than that I just can't figure it out.

[jessecutting]

Hard telling how to change it or fix it sometimes you just make B. I help someone up the road from me and a couple years ago he only made B but then the next he only made fancy and other grade A.

[psparr]

The first two weeks I made a REAL light amber. This week looks like molasses.

[1hardmaple]

Ok thanks!!

[Ekrueger]

This is also my first year. I have made about 23 gallons of light amber, but Sunday and Monday it turned dark with temps getting into the 60's. I have been boiling almost all of it within 24 hours. I am hooked! I was happy to see the sap slow down yesterday after getting 215 gallons on 115 taps... It was a lot of boiling on a flat pan.

[PerryW]

Sometimes if you run the evaporator too deep, you will lose grade. I run my back pan 1" above the flues and 2" deep in the syrup pan.

Or, are you hitting a lot of dark-color wood when you bore your holes?

[1hardmaple]

Thanks perry, I'm right around 3 inches deep so ill cut back to two and hope I learned another another lesson. I love maple trader...

[Burnt sap]

This is also my first year. I have made about 23 gallons of light amber, but Sunday and Monday it turned dark with temps getting into the 60's. I have been boiling almost all of it within 24 hours. I am hooked! I was happy to see the sap slow down yesterday after getting 215 gallons on 115 taps... It was a lot of boiling on a flat pan.

Wow 23 gallons of light amber your first year? The syrup gods have truly blessed you:lol:

[motowbrowne]

What do you mean that amber is the best you can get? I wish I could make all of my syrup a nice dark grade B. That seems to be the trend for demand. Light syrup is a nice novelty, but in my opinion, Grade B has much, much nicer flavor.

[325abn]

Holy Christmas!! 23 gallons from hundred or so taps thats crazy good.

That kind of production one would think that OH would be a much bigger player in the maple game.

[1hardmaple]

I did not mean it in a bad way..... I just was trying to get different grades that I see others make on here only my second year so was not sure how much the color depended on the sap, handling or was it my actual boiling, I was just knee high to a grasshopper when your dad started sugaring so I turn here for answers from all the experienced makers..

[grinch5010]

Im in the same boat. It seems that most of what i make is grade b by color. Best tasting syrup ever. Everyone wants it including a local store. My dilemma is grade b cant be sold in NY in consumer size bottles if i read the regs correctly. That is absurd. If everyone wants it, it tastes great, why cant we sell it in consumer size bottles? What should we do with 20 gallons of "grade b" that everyone wants in quart bottles?