Cloudy Syrup

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

I need some help please. I have good light amber color to my syrup but it is a little bit cloudy. It isnt real bad but i can tell it is there.Any help or suggestions.
Thanks to all replies
Rich

[fred]

If You Use An Ro A Paper Probably Riped. If A Cone Filter You Might Not Be Using Enough At One Time

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If the syrup was past 200 after you filtered it, it may have released some more nitre and thus the cloudiness. It will settle out in a few days. Try not to go above 195 when bottling it after filtering.

[SapSipper]

Is it the cloudy slightly grainy stuff in the syrup I make?

In years past I generally ignore that cloudy stuff, but then again If there is an easy way to remove why not!

So - I'm not sure I understand the previously mentioned method of removal... Generally I boil in my Grimm 2x6 till I have a concentrate, then remove in a large pot for finishing in my kitchen... I have a digital thermomenter that beeps when it hits 216, then I'm done!

So - I guess I'm lost when you mention the 195 degree statement... If I'm already at 216 are you saying let it cool to 195 then filter to remove the nitre?

I use a coffee filter inside a wiremesh coffee filter... Not sure of the microns removed here...

Sorry for the long post... I'm really new at this and would love to be able to make a better product even its for personal use!

[maplehound]

Sap sipper,
Sounds like you are a smaller producer that just makes for yourself and maybe to give some away. First I don't think that on the average day 216 deg is hot enough to fet to syrup stage. syrup stage is at about 7 deg above the boiling point of water. Water ussually boils at about 212 but varies due to atmospheric pressure, so 219 would be closer for syrup.
Yes niter is the gritty stuff in your syrup. Someone you size has a couple of choices for filtering it out. First you could just let is set for a couple weeks and most of it will settle to the bottom, or you could go to you local maple dealer and get some cone type filters. Cone filters come in two parts the main part is ussually wool or cloth, the second is paper. You put the paper filter in side the cloth filter and put the syrup through it as hot as possible. Keep in mind though that the niter won't harm you but it could over time give off and off or stonger flavor that may not be desirable.

[sweetvt]

sipper, if you are drawing off of your evaporator before it tests as syrup then you will still need to bring it to 7 degrees over the boiling point of water for it to be syrup. Then I would think it should be filtered again and canned at a temp of approx 190 degrees. If it is brought back to boiling it can cause more niter to reform. Not sure if you are using a hydrometer, but if not I recommend it as it is the most accurate way to check for syrup and proper density.

Some people like to make syrup on their evaporator and then hot filter as they draw off the evaporator and others with smaller rigs will get it within a degree or so and then draw and finish off in a smaller pan. Either way to remove the most niter the syrup should be 7 degrees above water boiling temp and proper density when it is filtered and canned at approx 190 degrees

[SapSipper]

You bet - small beginner here. I'm finding it really hard to control the burn etc... on my 2x6 pan, so I just do it in the house...

Thank you guys for the advice... I'll filter once boiled, let cool to 190 then bottle.

Tx again...

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

It is best to run it thru the filters as hot as possible, but what I was referring to was not to reheat it past 190 to 195 after filtering. If you filter it when it is at the correct density, then this won't be a problem.

[Asthepotthickens]

You bet - small beginner here. I'm finding it really hard to control the burn etc... on my 2x6 pan, so I just do it in the house...

Thank you guys for the advice... I'll filter once boiled, let cool to 190 then bottle.

Tx again...

When I first started I always finished on a propane burner outside. I would bring the sap to 214 and them transfer to propane.

[Boats]

I am a hobbiest with about 5 years practice. I have fluctated from 30 taps to 144 now at 90 this year. No reitred yet. Anyhow my filtering is quite off this season. My process is to pour off from my 2'X4' evaporator into my finish pot, through (2) doubled up white cotton t-shirts. After that I finish on propane to 59-60 brix. I then filter through (2) pre-filter bags inside of an Orlon filter. I used this method for the past three seasons with relatively good results but this season I have cloudy finished syrup with a lot of nitre sediment. Am I missing something?
I also made a vacuum system similar to one I saw on Roth Sugar Bush's website with similar results.

[tgormley358]

I’m a hobbiest in my 5th year with 145 taps now. I started with 20 taps or so in a loaner flat pan evaporator, finishing my syrup on a stove in the kitchen. Is I finish in my shack with flat filters, much easier ( cost me $400). I’ll try to explain what others here have said in my own words, and hope it helps.

You’re boiling on your evaporator but bring it in to finish in order to better control the temp. When you finish inside, you need to boil til it’s 7 deg above water boiling, and you need to check density as well, before it’s “technically” syrup. The combo of temp and density is what tells you you have syrups. The water boiling point can change a lot day to day. Last week it was low, around 210, so syrup was around 217. Yesterday it was a full 212 and syrup 219. The hydrometer tells you this. If you don’t sell any and dont care to be overly fastidious about technical syrup, then you can fudge a little, but the syrup may either crystallize or be thin if your syrup is heavy or light density wise.

Once you have syrup, you filter to remove niter, and with paper and orlon it filters best very hot, much slower when it cools. This is not where you let the syrup cool to 190. You can filter at 217 right off the heat. If your syrup comes out of the filter cloudy then your filtering setup is not working. May need to updated to finer material, standard stuff at maple shops. When you’re ready to bottle, the syrup may have cooled, and needs to be at least 180 to kill any germs in the container. But do not go above 190-200, because you’d be nearing another boil which would create more niter and you’d have to re-filter before bottling if you want real clear syrup.

Tom

[tgormley358]

By the way, sometimes you take your eye off the syrup heating up for bottling and pay the price. Yesterday I had 4
Gallons ready to bottle and was out stacking some wood. When I can back it was at 215. I shut it down and then argued with myself whether to re-filter, which I eventually did. If I hadn’t I lost Certainly would have had Cloudy syrup.

[30AcreWoods]

Have you used the same orlon filter for all three years? about how many gallons of syrup have you put through it? all filters have a lifespan, perhaps you have reached the limit. Also, I assume you know not to try and force the last of the syrup through the filter by squeezing...I learned that lesson the hard way!