Frozen Sap

[woodey24]

This is our 2nd year. Last year when collecting we often had a frozen rim around the top of the sap in the bucket or barrel. We would not discard the ice chunks. I have seen threads on here where syrup makers purposely freeze it to discard the ice. We were afraid that the discarding the ice would cost us some syrup. The ice seemed to have a hint of sweet like the sap. So after the paragraph leading into it. Should the ice be thrown away or saved that forms in sap?

[buckeye gold]

If you melt that ice and test it you will find very very little to no sugar content, throw it away!

[Jim Brown]

Natural RO !

[bigschuss]

I'm about the same size operation as you on the same size evaporator. I pitch all my ice, and I do notice a nominal decrease in boil times and an increase in production based on my estimated boil times and production values on the raw sap I collect. That is...40 gallons of sap boils more like 30 and yields more like 50. Now if the buckets are solid ice that's a different story!

[daniel_wentworth]

I've tested with a digital sucrose refractometer and it's true there is next to no sweet in the ice. Throw it out. Definitely a poor mans RO.

[n8hutch]

I keep my sap ice in a 275 gallon tote, then when the really warm weather comes I'll use the ice to hold sap a day or 2 longer than It would keep otherwise.

[Urban Sugarmaker]

I think the only way you might register sugar in the ice is because the ice is in contact with slightly concentrated sap. Toss the ice because you are literally losing a few drops of sap and gaining a substantial advantage with sugar concentration. I think tossing the ice can leave you with plenty of 3%+ sap.

[scottdevine]

I'm in my second season, and by no means any type of expert on anything maple, but last year i too had the same question. I collected my ice from several collection days and left it in my garage for several days while it did the gradual thaw, then tested the sap on a refractometer. The original sap was testing between 2.5-3%, my ice tested at 1.2-1.5%. I decided to keep and boil the melted ice. I am a small hobbyist, less than 50 taps then, and less than 100 now, but i will be testing the ice again, and depending on the increase in my collections, i will determine whether or not to boil the ice this year.

[Urban Sugarmaker]

I wonder what the ice would test at if you rinse it off thoroughly then tested again. Even if it registered a small amount, it's probably not worth keeping unless it's used to chill sap on warm days.

[woodey24]

Please share your findings here. Thx for the info.