temporary grading kit

[tbear]

Hi everyone. My dear sweet wife got me a grading kit (it's the new temporary kit) for Christmas. Does the syrup need to be a certain temperature to use this kit correctly? Thanks! Ted

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Syrup temperature will not matter.

[tbear]

Thanks! Ted

[tbear]

Hi Everyone,
I've already posed these questions on another thread, please forgive the duplication, I thought it might be better here. On the new temporary grading kits the bottles are marked "A" GOLDEN DELICATE, "A" AMBER RICH, and "A" DARK ROBUST. If my sample is darker than the GOLDEN DELICATE but lighter than the AMBER RICH it would still fall into the AMBER RICH category, correct? Also, how do you refer to the different categories? GOLDEN, AMBER, and DARK or DELICATE, RICH, and ROBUST? "A" AMBER RICH seems awful wordy. Thanks, Ted

[maple flats]

Each of the samples in the grading kit are the darkest it can be to grade as such. With those grades, are you sure Iowa has adopted the new grading standards? If not, you need to use the old grades until the legal change.
I wanted to use the new stds. for this season, but the NYS Maple producers assoc. says our new stds don't go into effect until 1/1/15. We can not use the new until then, and as of that date we must use the new, we have no overlap or phase in period. You may want to check to see what Iowa says on grading.

[tbear]

Thanks maple flats, I'm not even sure if Iowa has any regulations as far as maple syrup grading itself goes. I don't think we as a state produce very much syrup. Even if there are controls in place for grading I do this for my own use and to give to family and friends. The reason I asked Santa for the kit was because last year I threw out 2 gallons or so (1/3 of my syrup!) because it tasted funny to me. If I remember right, I think I pulled my taps early to get to the bottom of the funny tasting syrup. Come to find out it was just a darker grade! Oh, the shame and depression that followed! Not really.

On another note, will the new grades be GOLDEN, AMBER, DARK, and B GRADE? Thanks again, Ted.

[gmcooper]

With the new grade system there is no grade B. As long as they are good flavored they are all grade A. Off flavored syrup would goes as commercial and not eligible for retail sales to consumers.

[maple flats]

The new grades will be the ones you mentioned in Post #4 above.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

At CDL Rutland the only kits I believe they have for sale are the new ones, I wanted a new kit with all the original bottles but only found the new one so I'm grading new style this year. I prob Will never make the new fancy but that's ok I don't do candy and all my customers want darker any ways.