Maple vinegar

[Tweegs]

Has anyone ever made this?

From what I understand, it takes about 6 or 7 months to produce a batch.
Also, from what I understand, it’s a very niche market, but vinegar aficionados go nuts over the stuff.

Wine, cigars…vinegar…who-da-thunk-it?

Ever looking to expand our product line, we’re going to roll out a small batch, see if it flies.

Anyway, wondering what others experience with this is.

Pitfalls?
Pratfalls?
Tips/tricks for making?

[maplwrks]

Hey Tweegs! I did try a batch 2 years ago. Start with a sugar content of 1.9% - 2%. Use a champagne yeast to ferment. I think one packet did 5 gallons. Here is where I went wrong....Start your vinegar in the fall, after a freeze. I did mine shortly after the season and it turned out very yeasty flavored. The reason for this is that there are lots of free, wild yeasts in the air during the summer months, and they attacked my vinegar. I'm going to do a batch in October and ferment it during the winter. It is easier to maintain a constant temp during the winter also. I did a lot of research on the web on this and as you have probably found, there isn't much out there. I think I'll do a large 5 gallon batch this year and maybe a half dozen little batches of 1/2 gallon or so to play with other recipes, techniques, etc.... Good Luck! Keep us posted on your progress!

P.S. A thick layer of scum will form on top of your vinegar. This is the "mother". Do not throw it out! Put it in a jar and feed it with a little syrup and use it in your next batch. This will cut down on your fermentation time.