Syrup Up To Temp Issues

[filb972]

Hello, I have been having a problem with getting the sap up to temperature without it getting too thick and foaming up. Is it normal for the taste to change after it foams( almost a dull burnt taste). Quite frustrating after 5 hours of work to get to that point. Any ideas would be helpful.

[TerryEspo]

Is there any chance your thermometer is off and you have OVER boiled and maybe burning it now. The all foam sound to me,like when I make Maple Cream, almost all foam but temps are 230,s.

Do you have a hydrometer ?

Any more you can tell us is helpfull.

Terry

[DonMcJr]

Everytime it tries to start boiling over I lower the heat a lot til it stop then raise the heat but not as much as I had it when it started to boil over. Seems to do the boil-up right near every temp increase.

I have to do this for 219 F 220 F 221F and finally syrup at 222F...

[filb972]

I have not checked my thermometer for accuracy, could be the issue. I do know I did not have these issues earlier on in the season. Does the late season sap change as far as finishing goes. Will the sap get to the right temp with a lower heat setting eventually as it seems to stay at 213 forever when I lower the heat to control the boil over? I'm on my last batch for the season tomorrow. I'm gonna try toggling my heat as Don mentioned. Thanks for your help as this is my first season of this.

[psparr]

How much are you finishing. If its a small batch and its a lot of foam, it can scorch easily on the bottom ie: no liquid.

Are you using anything as a defoamer?

[happy thoughts]

Does your syrup have a lot of niter? If a lot, then that may be what's burning. Also make sure that your pot is shiny clean with no built up niter which may look like a hazy white film on stainless. If you're not using defoamer, you might want to try some to control the foaming. If you're cooking on the stove in something like a large stock pot, just a drop of bland tasting oil, like corn or canola should help some. In a full size steam pan 2-3 drops should do it.

[DrTimPerkins]

Does the late season sap change as far as finishing goes.

Yes, late-season sap is often considerably more prone to foaming issues. Try a little (drop at a time) oil as others have suggested. Also be careful you aren't getting too much niter build up on the bottom of the pan. That could cause a "burnt niter" off-flavor to form.

[filb972]

I am finishing it in a teflon coated pot. Should I be using stainless? I filter each batch with flannel before finishing, once from the evaporator pan to the turkey fryer and once from the turkey fryer to the finishing pot. I do have some niter present but it doesn't seem like a lot. I'm only producing a small amount at a time -14Gal of sap(ending with a little over a quart with each batch). I wonder if I should store the "almost syrup" sap until I have more volume for finishing?

[happy thoughts]

I ditched my teflon pots a few years ago so someone still using them may have more insight. That said, I do think they are hard to keep clean, even though theoretically nothing should stick to them, I think they eventually get a buildup just like the seasoning on cast iron. If that's the case with yours then that might be the source of your burnt flavor in which case I'd switch to a non coated pot of stainless or even aluminum if you have one.

As for doing larger batches, that's a thought worth trying. I try to match my batches to the volume of the pan I'm using, generally half the amount of very near syrup that the pan will hold to allow room for a boil over. You also want enough depth of the syrup to allow for accurate temp measurement. How deep is going to depend on the type of thermometer you're using. For instance, some metal dial thermometers recommend 3 -3.5 " into the liquid.

The flannel you're using? From an old shirt that may have detergent residue? Or new flannel that might have been treated with a finisher as many fabrics on the bolt have? Again, a possible source of the off flavor.

And if you're not using a defoamer, again, I think that's worth trying.

[filb972]

Well I finished my last batch today. It was the best tasting and clearest one yet. I went with stainless cookware and it seemed to make a big difference in how it handled tasted at the end. Thanks for your help.

[Ravenseye]

I do as Don mentioned and turn down the heat as it starts to boil up. I almost got the finishing part down to a science near the end of this, my first year. For me, the first time the pot would boil up, I'd turn it down a little. Second time I knew I was getting close to my finished syrup and I turned it down again. Usually, the third time it boiled up was withing a minute or two of the final temp and it would be ready to filter and bottle.

[mapleberg]

syrup is thick and not up to 58 on the hydrometer, I take it off at 218 then bring into house for the filering, never had this problems. 70 taps