Super dark foam with black flecks?

[Marvel26]

This year was a bit odd in the boiling dept. The flu section of my pan was almost black and the foam was dark with flecks of black all through it. I added a pic.

Last year the same trees gave me perfect medium amber syrup, mind you the season was super short. I know that seasonal variation can change syrup colour and holding sap increases darkness. I did hold my initial runs of sap for some time BUT there wasn't a day that the ice melted completely.

Any thoughts as to why the dark foam and flecks?

1428014280

[MapleMark753]

Well, it looks like you got some funky foam, lol. I know its not really a laughing matter, but there's too many variables to really even offer any type of educated opinion.
You boil outdoors? Smoke or ash contamination? Leak in your pan that "healed" over w sugar allowing some soot in first? Is your sap filtered at all first? Any woods debris make its way in? Any insect parts? Got a good seal between your pan and arch, all the way around? How high is your stack? Clean your pans in season?

Dunno, more questions than answers, I know. Maybe others will chime in.
take care, Mark

[DrTimPerkins]

Any thoughts as to why the dark foam and flecks?

I would suspect that you had a localized scorch somewhere in the flu pan (deep down along the bottom of one or more of the flues). Have you cleaned the pan yet?

[Marvel26]

There weren't any scorches in the flue section at all. I did have a brownish layer in the middle section. which was thicker than I expected. I boiled indoors this year, stack is outside and the sap is all inside tubes or in barrels with tight connections...debris was unlikely. seal wasn't perfect but it was way better than last year.

....confusing it is.

Thanks Rob

[adk1]

I would suspect that you had a localized scorch somewhere in the flu pan (deep down along the bottom of one or more of the flues). Have you cleaned the pan yet?i thought the same cause it happened to me

[MapleMark753]

Small scorch spots (black) can happen under the brown baked on layer, that could be it. Dr. Tim may have nailed it on his first try:) You might not notice it as you clean/scrub up your pan.
Or wipe your finger on the top edges of your pan(s) as you boil. Is there dark soot (any). I had that happen early in boiling with my set up, it was a small area that I didn't see that wasn't sealed well from the arch with the pan gasket. That could be it too, however you're sealing your pan from the fire.
take care, Mark

[Marvel26]

I forgot to mention that the sap in the flue pan was also dark....like barely see through it dark. It was weird, as last year the flue pan never really turned darker than the colour of pee.