Another Novice Question - Sugar Crystals

[Conococheague]

This is only my second year making syrup. Last year we boiled 120 gallons of sap to make 3 gallons of syrup and used a thermometer only to determine when it was done. I got the notion to get into this from two friends who had started the year before. The one mistake that they made was that their first batches were not boiled quite enough and they got bacterial spoilage, even in the refrigerator, after a couple of weeks. I was paranoid about that and didn't see the harm in removing a little extra water when making syrup so the first year I took our syrup to around 9 degrees above the measured boiling point for water for that day and location. Great syrup and no problems. This year we wanted to double our production but we had a strange winter and we only had the taps in for 9 days in Southcentral PA. We did get close to 300 gallons of sap in that time though. Anyway, when we boiled I took it to 10 degrees above the measured boiling point of water using a new Smoky Lake syrup thermometer (which I really like). Again, I don't mind the extra thickness and like not having to worry about bacterial growth. However, a week after bottling, I got a lot of sugar crystals in my syrup. While it's not as visually appealing, my thought is that the clear portion of syrup should be perfectly fine, correct? I figure that I had a supersaturated solution and that the sugar precipitated out until the solution was saturated and that the solute (syrup) should be fine. (I did purchase a hydrometer and plan to get a Murphy Cup after the friends that got me into this told me how confusing, difficult and messy their experience was with a hydrometer and standard hydrometer cup). I tend to learn more from my mistakes and don't want this to happen again, but am I correct that there is nothing wrong with I have? Thanks.

[Run Forest Run!]

The syrup that you have is perfectly fine. Sugar crystals will likely continue to form in the bottles. If you want to add some water to what you've got and reheat it you will dissolve the sugar crystals and get syrup back.

[Cedar Eater]

You've made the best kind of maple syrup. After you pour out the liquid gold, you can dissolve those crystals with Canadian whiskey and you'll have sipping sap. It might take a while to get the maximum amount of crystals.

[maple flats]

The crystals are sometimes a bonus for home use syrup, but many customers if you sell it will not appreciate the "broken glass" in the syrup. Get a murphy cup and a hydrometer and make your syrup the proper density, or just a hydrometer and an accurate thermometer to read the temperature of your sample. Then you need a chart found in the North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual, you can still go +10 on home use syrup if you like.

[Conococheague]

Thanks for the responses. I am getting a Murphy Cup and will use it next year. I'm not a whiskey drinker but my partner in this syrup endeavor is and will likely try it out. Thanks again.

[wmick]

You've made the best kind of maple syrup. After you pour out the liquid gold, you can dissolve those crystals with Canadian whiskey and you'll have sipping sap. It might take a while to get the maximum amount of crystals.

I Love this idea.... :o My wife puts the syrup in her coffee, but I like mine black.... Now I will have a maple drink too... (just not too much on those all night boils).. Thanks for the recipe.

[Conococheague]

The very first boil we ever did was only 40 gallons of sap. As the boiling progressed, I was pleased with the sweet pungent odor of the steam and the darkening of the sap as it got concentrated. At some intermediate stage of boiling, I drew some out of the pans, let it cool and tasted it and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. A while later, by buddy in this asked me to draw him off a glassful and let it cool. When it had cooled a little, he put ice cubes and some Jim Beam in it and said it was one of the best drinks he ever had. Now when we are boiling, when we get to a certain stage we refer to it as being "Beam Ready". Because our boils usually draw a crowd of interested onlookers and those looking for an excuse to party to the farm (1200 cow dairy), we draw off a pitcher of concentrate and set it aside to cool. This becomes a popular mixer for the drinkers who add ice and their favorite liquor to it. I never drink when I'm boiling because I am always dead tired by the time all is said and done and a drink would only add to my fatigue.