Newbie Help - First boil with 4 taps has a problem. Do you think I can fix it.

[rocklobster]

Hello,

This is my first post. I have enjoyed learning a lot on here by reading the post and final attempted it myself this weekend with my young son (4 taps!). Everything went well till the end.

Hours after I bottled, I noticed cloudy looking particles suspended throughout the syrup. I didn't notice it in there until after it was in a refrigerator for a few hours.

Here are the steps I did:


Boiled 20 gallons sap in concrete block evaporator with 2 hotel trays
Bought inside when I had about 1.5" deep left in one pan.
Boiled down on stove inside till it started to rise in the pan. I couldn't measure the temperature because there was so much steam in the pot I couldn't get my hand down inside to reach the syrup without scalding myself.
Filtered through paper towel in colander. Think this may have been a mistake? Is the particles I see paper fibers breaking free from my paper towel?
Re-boiled again in smaller pot to I could reach with the thermometer.
Put in one bottle.



I do think I may have overheated the boil over 220 (213+7). I figure it's either crystals or paper towel.

Do you think I can add some more sap and re-filter with a coffee filter to remove whatever is floating in there?


Thanks
Joe
Connecticut.

[TerryEspo]

I think it was you filter method.

Try and reheat what you have, to no more than 185-190 and filter that thru the coffee filter if that is what you have as a filter, not paper towel. Put two or 3 filters on top of each other, if it stops dripping, take away the top filter. Also, cover the syrup and filter to keep the heat in.

It may take awhile to drip through but should rid you of the cloudy.

Hope it works.

[maplerookie]

do the coffee filter thing order yourself a real syrup filter for next year. if you have some copper wire (Number 12 or 14) laying around cut a piece around 10 inches llong wrap one end around a pencil real tight about 3 or 4 coils. then bend the rest of your wire up at 90 degrees from the coil.it should be like an L shape leaving enough room for the top of your thermometer. stick your thermometer through the coils.. you can get way down in the pan and not burn your self.

[psparr]

Thats niter floating around. Wont hurt ya. And should settle out in a couple days. A coffee filter will work ok for the little bit your doing.

Wet the filters first with hot water. You'll want them damp when you filter. Will filter easier for you.

Back in the "olden days" they didn't filter just settled out the syrup and drew off the clear later on.

[happy thoughts]

The particles you see are probably not paper towel particles but sugar sand. Paper towels and coffee filters won't do the job. Either let it settle out and pour off the clear portion and rebottle or buy filters meant for the purpose. The cloudy portion can be diluted with fresh boiled sap and allowed to settle out again and the clear portion used for your next batch.

When you are ready to bottle don't let the clear or filtered syrup reach temps above 200 or more sugar sand will form.

Good luck and have fun :)

[Big_Eddy]

Hello,

Here are the steps I did:


Boiled 20 gallons sap in concrete block evaporator with 2 hotel trays
Bought inside when I had about 1.5" deep left in one pan.
Boiled down on stove inside till it started to rise in the pan. I couldn't measure the temperature because there was so much steam in the pot I couldn't get my hand down inside to reach the syrup without scalding myself.
Filtered through paper towel in colander. Think this may have been a mistake? Is the particles I see paper fibers breaking free from my paper towel?
Re-boiled again in smaller pot to I could reach with the thermometer.
Put in one bottle.


.

Nitre. By boiling it again after filtering you caused more nitre to precipitate out. Syrup must be filtered each time it is boiled. If you must reheat after filtering only heat to 195 max.

[rocklobster]

I want to thank everyone who offered help to my post. I did confirm you were right about Niter. I let it settle out and then ate it on our pancakaes. Everyone said it's the best maple syrup they ever had. It actually tasted a little hint of vanilla and was buttery!

Have a great year!!

Joe

[Ausable]

Like everyone else has already stated - It is Nitre or Sugar Sand. Treat it like a bottle of homemade wine with sediment on the bottom of the bottle. Slowly decante it off into another container leaving the Sugar Sand (sediment in a wine bottle) behind in the original container - to be washed down the drain. Sugar Sand is common for us hobby producers. I filter my maple syrup twice when hot - When I draw off from the evaporator and again when I finish to syrup prior to canning and I still get a little sediment from some of it. Hey! You did good. You made Maple Syrup. Congratulations and welcome to the whacky world of maple syrup makers.