Floating niter-like stuff in syrup?

[Sandersyrup]

Ok so my last batch of syrup has an cloudy dark, almost black niter looking stuff in it except instead of sinking it floats at the top.

It survived the coffee filter and its floating in my bottles. Any ideas? I'm wondering if it's some sort of ash. I used a lot of small wood and had to keep opening the door to the evaporator and I'm wondering if this caused ash to float up I to the pan? Any ideas?


~ John Sanderson

[saphound]

Don't know what it is, John, but sounds like you need a better filter. :confused:

[maple flats]

I'm not sure, never had that, but did the pan get burnt?

[emo]

Just noticed a similar thing in some of my later batches. Looked like niter had settled on the bottle of the jar, but when we tipped the jar over, instead of just seeing the individual particles get suspended or start falling, if stays in a fluid mass; blob looks like lava from in a lava lamp. Will try to re-filter and see what happens.

[MapleMark753]

Could it be tiny carbon particles, or soot? Is your finished/filtered syrup covered as its being filtered and after? I had carbon appear in syrup one time, for me it was the mistake of not covering everything when I brushed the flues one day. That batch took two filtering sessions and ended up being for home use syrup. Anyway, good luck, hope you solve the problem.
take care, Mark

[Sandersyrup]

I don't remember burning the pan. But i did have the hottest fire of the year. I burned a lot of small pallet wood. My best guess is soot or ash.


~ John Sanderson