Think my first batch of syrup is too smoky...talk me down!!!

[dseis1105]

I proudly finished off the sap I boiled down last weekend in my kitchen last night and I was licking it up like crazy; I thought it tasted good. Now today my co-worker says it's smoky (I expect a bit of a smoke flavor I guess) and nowI am starting to think it smells TOO smoky. I don't want to give away crap syrup, which is what I do with most of it!! :(

I threw together the block evaporator pictured below this year. Admittedly I did think there was a lot of smoke (and ASH for that matter) coming out of everywhere in addition to my 6 foot chimney, at least until the fire was going good. There was a fair amount of black stuff floating in my pans before I filtered it...I thought it was just flaking off of my buffet pans where the sap had boiled down, but I'm sure there was a little ash in there too. I am very distraught! :mad: Is there something I could be doing to manage the smoke better? Is this setup too small? Chimney too short? HELP!? If this is going to be how it is I'd be better off boiling over my fire pit...at least the smoke will blow away!

I'm going to have at least another 60 gal by Saturday when I want to cook again and I need to get this problem fixed!! I NEED you guys!

:)

[jrgagne99]

Looks like you have a decent setup there, as far as block-style evaporators go. I'd say smokey syrup is probably par-for-the-course in such setups.

If you're that concerned, consider boiling it off on your propane grill. Put the pan on some stand-offs so it doesn't sit directly on the burner, but rather about 1/2" above it. The nice thing about that kind of setup is that you can fill up the pan, then set a timer for 1 hour and re-fill, no need to tend the fire constantly, and no smokeyness. Plan on evaporating about 2 gallons per hour. You may get a small amount of scorching on the sides of the pans, but I made a lot of good syrup that way my first few years of sugaring. Of course, the down side is paying money for the propane.

[happy thoughts]

Find another coworker with better taste buds :) Your pic doesn't look like you are particularly smoky at all. On an outdoor wood fired block arch I don't think you can avoid some smoke or ash unless the smoke is from burning wet or damp wood. I don't think the fire pit will fare much better. Try dryer wood and a hotter fire. In the end, it is what it is. If you were a crown maple type, you'd be exploiting the uniqueness of your product as made in the traditional way over a wood fire. IOW, embrace the smokiness:)

[dseis1105]

Ok, I'm feeling a little better...:)

[Run Forest Run!]

I don't want to give away crap syrup, which is what I do with most of it!! :(

First of all, anybody that gave me syrup would be getting a big hug and not a critique. Second, my friend makes his over an open fire too and I just love the hint of smokiness that is present in its flavour. It's wonderful. It's probably closer to what it historically tasted like when it was made hundreds of years ago. I'd be presenting it as such.

[happy thoughts]

Exactly Karen! Embrace the smokiness:) And ditto on the critic and the critique. I'm afraid I'd be thinking syrup Nazi thoughts as in "%#*#!, no more pure maple syrup, the product of my hard work, devotion, and love, for you!". Let em eat pole syrup, lol!