Color of sap

[sugarin4fun]

Most of the sap I collect is just like water. But I have this one large maple and a couple of small ones the sap has a yellowish tint to it. It is not cloudy I can see the bottom of a 5 gal bucket just fine, so I'm assuming it's not bacteria. Is this normal? Does the sugar content have something to do with it?
Greg

[325abn]

Did it rain?

[brookledge]

Sounds like you had rain dripping down the tree and into your bucket, however it is possible to have a tree give off a slight tint of yellow. Boil it all
Keith

[sugarin4fun]

It did rain some yesterday. And that would make since because it doesn't always have the tint to it. Learning alot from everyone,
Thanks Mapletraders.
Greg

[markcasper]

I have noticed over the years that it is qutie common to have sap with a yellowish tinge. I've also noticed that sap that is a day old or more, will get a tinge of yellow to it sometimes. Some would say that your drilling into dark colored or decayed wood. I never stick a tap into that kind of wood when I hit it, so am not sure why the yellowing. Sap isn't clear water, so that would expalin some of it. The syrup has never been afected to my knowledge.

[maplehound]

When I was tapping with buckets and bags, I would get alot of trees with yellow sap. I asked an old sugar maker about it and he told me that it was from over stressing the trees. Don't know for sure if he was right but I was young and inexperienced at the time and probably had more taps on smaller trees than I should have. I don't notice it now that I am on tubing. I also didn't notice it then as much when the sap was in a larger tank.

[Sugarmaker]

We have dumped a lot of yellow to almost orange sap at times usually during really warm spells or some rain, small runs, or just from that tree and one tap hole. I have boiled a lot of it mixed with good sap. But I am sure that it will make slightly darker syrup, compared to clear sap. Anyone ever notice the clearest sap almost looks like it has a bluish tint. That usually will make nice fancy syrup too.

Sugarmaker

[sugarin4fun]

Keith, you must have been right because yesterday I got about 2 gal from the same tree and it was clear. I also took your advise and boiled it all last night, had 20 gal of sap and made my lightest 1/2 gal of syrup ever(my 4th batch in two seasons, a long way to go, but having fun). Chris, see you at the open house.
Greg

[3% Solution]

Greg,
I have gathered a lot of colored sap (some orange as mentioned) never bothered, made just as good syrup as the rest.
Want to have some fun?
When someone mentions the yellow color tell them "Aah someone just took a leak in the bucket, we'll take it back and boil it out of it".
I have left sap in the evaporator for a few days at the end of the season, wow smelled like a brewery in there, didn't bother made a good tasting "B".
Have fun and boil it all.

Dave

[PA mapler]

My first year, at the end of the season, I had a batch of spoiled/buddy sap. It was really cloudy, and even almost stringy. I decided what the hell and boiled it. I still have a pint of it in a Mason jar to remember the experience- it was black and thick and smelled almost like road tar.