Throw out sap ice: really?

[Camofrog]

I keep hearing that sap ice has no sugar, but is this actually true or is it an old-timers' myth?

I find it hard to believe that a max 3% sugar content is going to keep sap from freezing in any significant way. And on a cold enough day, the whole bucket might be frozen, so it stands to reason that even if sugar migrates out of freezing sap, there is still some left in it.

Bottom line is that unless you have so much sap you don't care, I think it's worth boiling the ice and in fact I wonder if frozen sap is any different than liquid sap other than that it happens to be frozen. Has anybody actually tested this rigorously?

[Run Forest Run!]

Read this recent thread Camofrog. It will be very helpful.

http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?25432-survey-how-many-of-you-throw-away-the-ice

[Camofrog]

Thank you RFR!

[Camofrog]

There's no definite answer in that thread, just anecdotes in both directions.

A bucket will freeze from the outside in, giving the impression that it is concentrating sugar, but the temperature gradient does that naturally. That happened in my 5-gallon buckets too.

[bees1st]

I think it all depends on how hard it's frozen . If the sap is in a "slush " state . You will find that the slush has little sugar content . Filter it out , melt it , and measure the sugar content . you will be convinced .

[smokeyamber]

So I did lots of reading and research on this last year... the scenarios I came back with are this.
1. a slow freeze after a day of above freezing temps will leave a thin later of ice that is close to sugar free... I dump it... people on this site have tested it so I feel comfortable doing this.
2. a hard freeze will get everything sold.
3. in between.... frozen with a core of unfrozen... I do think due to the way it freezes that the core is concentrated. Sometimes I chuck it, most times I leave it and let the next day melt it. I look at it as a way to keep the new sap nice and cold. Totally frozen chunks also get saved and put in the tank to help keep it cold.

My biggest issue is keeping stuff cold since I boil on weekends mostly.

The whole question really only applies to us small timers... anyone bigger is often running tubing and ice is a non-issue with that setup. They also have RO which makes the who sugar content issue moot.

[Kilroy]

I tossed out ice one time, and the resulting evap time went from what should've been 10 hours down to 7 hours.
I don't have a sap hydrometer, but will have next season. I'm already sold on tossing the ice, but will be checking melted ice & sap for sugar content next year.
You should do the same 😃

[Paul VT]

Last weekend we gathered our buckets. Dumped ice and all in the pump station. When done pulled all the ice out and filled 4 5 gallon plastic buckets with the ice. After it melted I tested it. The best one was .4%. with no RO it's not worth boiling. And the sap we boiled tested 4.5% we throw ice away when we can.

[MichtonTree]

Sugar in sap will not freeze in temperatures above 16 degrees (F). Below 16 buckets will freeze solid. To be safe I toss ice when temps are in the 20's.

[Diesel Pro]

This past Saturday I collected icy pails and poured through a screened funnel. I thn ytook some of the ice in a cup and melted it then tested. It was over 1% so I put the ice in the evap since I could not wait for it to melt nor could I process it through the RO.

[PerryW]

anyone who has taken a drink of sap out of a half-frozen buckets knows that freezing concentrates the sugar. I've seem almost totally frozen buckets where the remaining liquid was as thick and sugary as corn syrup (but, of course, with no maple flavor).

[bigschuss]

I tossed out ice one time, and the resulting evap time went from what should've been 10 hours down to 7 hours.
I don't have a sap hydrometer, but will have next season. I'm already sold on tossing the ice, but will be checking melted ice & sap for sugar content next year.
You should do the same 😃

+1

Without a doubt, tossing the ice always results in shorter boiling times for me as well.