First time sugaring questions (Please Help)...

[KevinsHope]

Hi all,

This is my first year harvesting sap from the maple trees in our yard and I have a lot of questions as I learn this process. I have done 5 batches now. I boil them down in my kitchen, about 5 gallons at a time, in a large pot. I filter the sap using double folded cheese cloth before the first boil. Then I filter it again using "Tap My Tree" maple syrup filters when I pour it into the smaller pot for the final boil. Finally, I filter it using the "Tap My Tree" maple syrup filters again as I bottle it. I have been recently cold filtering it one more time after refrigeration over night to get rid of any niter that collects on the bottom. My water boils at 207.7 degrees, so i heat each batch to 214.9 degrees. However, I have had certain issues and I am trying to find an answer. I'm hoping you more experienced maple sugaring folks can help. I'm sorry if any of these have obvious answers. I've tried my hardest to find answers on my own.

1. My biggest question is that the syrup I've created has been consistently cloudy, even after all the above mentioned filtering, and after sugar sand is NO LONGER forming at the bottom when it is left to sit overnight. The sap is clear when I start this process, but then gets cloudy throughout the boil. Reheating it does not help. Re-filtering it does not help. I noticed that there is some kind of white deposit that is building up on the pots I've used that does not respond to being washed or even scrubbed. It does not seem to be sugar, as it can not be washed away or scrubbed away. It reminds me of lime or calcium deposits that build up on tubs. Is it possible that my syrup has some mineral in it that is causing the cloudiness?


2. Does it matter when you refrigerate the Syrup? If it is still warm, should I let it cool down before refrigeration?

3. The way that our collectors are set up, there may be a small amount of rain water getting into the sap. Can this effect the batch in any way?

4. If syrup is registering at the right temperature during the final boil (214.9 in my kitchen), but it is still very thin after it cools down, what should be done about that?

5. What if you are getting an unusually high amount of niter in a given batch. For example, half your container has the thickened cloudy stuff after you leave it refrigerated overnight. Any idea what would cause that?

Thank you in advance for any thoughts or knowledge that you can share on these questions.

[Trapper2]

I think the first thing you should do is calibrate your thermometer. Unless there's a very high mountain that I don't know about in Ohio I doubt that your water is boiling at that temperature.
I'm not familiar with tap my trees filters.
When I didn't filter properly it took weeks before my clouds disappeared. Definitely not over night.

[mellondome]

If you are filtering cold, and it doesnt take days for the syrup to filter... then your filter is not fine enough to get clear syrup out of it.
As for boiling temp. Make sure you use the same thermometer that you boil in water to boil syrup with. ( and it is calibrated in VIGOROUSLY boiling water) 207 deg would put you in excess of 2200ft above sea level normally. Also calibrate every time you boil.

[KevinsHope]

I think the first thing you should do is calibrate your thermometer. Unless there's a very high mountain that I don't know about in Ohio I doubt that your water is boiling at that temperature.
I'm not familiar with tap my trees filters.
When I didn't filter properly it took weeks before my clouds disappeared. Definitely not over night.

What is "Proper filtering"? And...yeah...I figured that digital thermometer might be off...but 7.2 degrees is still 7.2 degrees if I know my baseline temp, isn't it?

[KevinsHope]

Keep in mind that I'm only filtering about 6 to 8 oz out of each batch...it still takes about an hour for it to filter through. I would say that the filters I'm using are very similar in thickness and density as coffee filters. Maybe slightly thicker.

[psparr]

Keep in mind that I'm only filtering about 6 to 8 oz out of each batch...it still takes about an hour for it to filter through. I would say that the filters I'm using are very similar in thickness and density as coffee filters. Maybe slightly thicker.

If they're that thin, their just pre filters.
They won't remove the niter that's making your syrup cloudy.
For as little syrup as your making, you'd be better off just letting the niter settle out for a few days and pour off the cleared syrup. If you plan to use it within a few months, you don't need to reheat and bottle it. It will last just fine.
Also another tip for small batches is to keep collecting all your finished syrup until you have enough to justify running it through a filter. Filtering once is a pain. Filtering that little bit every boil is really $@@/-?!

The white stuff in the bottom of your pan is niter baked on. It won't be a problem unless it gets thick. It could burn the bottom of the pot because the sap is no longer touching the pot.

Good luck

[Cedar Eater]

If your syrup is that thin, it is unlikely that you are actually making it all the way to syrup. If your syrup doesn't become thick and pour slowly at refrigerator temp, it isn't syrup. Are you getting a really hard water boil at 207, or is it just simmering? Many of us who get a hard boil at 212 take our syrup all the way to 222 or higher to make it dense enough to be syrup. It sounds like you are not even close. You will see very glassy bubbles and foam trying to climb out of the pan when you get close. This is the best video that I have found to show how to know that you are close: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOYQ4LbFiM0&index=1&list=UUuvi2U_74O7oS7KbQzxdJLQ

Your filtering method also sounds highly suspect, but until you are sure you are getting all the way to syrup, it almost isn't worth it to talk about it. I screen the sap through a tight strainer going into the boil. Then I filter it through unbleached muslin when it is still very thin but ready to come inside for finishing. When I decide that it is very very close based on temperature, I let it settle for several weeks in gallon containers in a refrigerator. Then I pour off the clearest part, test the density and if necessary adjust it. Then I filter through prefilters and an orlon filter cone.

[Trapper2]

I filter off of the flat pan at 218 degrees through 2 layers of flour sack towels. I then finish on propane to 219-220 depending on the day. Then I filter through 3 prefilters and an Orlon bag, it comes out crystal clear. I realize this method wouldn't be for you as your syrup would all end up being absorbed by the filters seeing that you are only doing 6oz at a time.
With doing very small batches as you are and probably only using the syrup for yourself, I guess I would just filter through 2 layers of flour bag dish towels and call it good. Most niter will be settled out in a few weeks.
Your thin syrup probably has to do with not cooking it down far enough, I assume you don't have a hydrometer to test. Maybe get your thermometer calibrated and then try again. Take the syrup to 219 for your location, then stick a spoon in it to see if it sheets (sticks to spoon) or if it runs off.
Good Luck.1617016171
These pictures were taken immediately after filtering.

[maple flats]

Yes, likely., thermometer off but you may be OK just adding 7.1 or .2. I usually add about 9 and get better results.
The filtering leaves a big question. Looking online at the filters Tap My Trees sells, I would like to know how thick the filters are? It looks to me that they are selling you 2 pre-filters and no filter. A syrup pre-filter is very thick and you don't need 2, but what you do need it 2 or 3 prefilters on top of the syrup filter. You filter by putting 2,3,4 or even 5 pre-filters on top of a syrup filter. If only filtering a little at a time, one or 2 is fine. Then with the syrup at 185-190 or more you pour the syrup on the filter stack. As it flows thru the top prefilter often gets plugged up with niter and if it slows excessively, you carefully remove the top pre-filter, letting the syrup flow into the second one and continue filtering. Keeping the syrup hot enough is the hard part on a small operation.
You do not need to nor do you want to filter so many times, the syrup will end up the clearest with just 1 proper filtering operation.
Go to a catalog for Leader Evaporator, or CDL, or Lapierre, or any other maple supply catalog and look at the filters, (or Bascom Maple carries a few different brands but likely only one filter choice. The main filter is very thick, maybe in the 3/16"-almost 1/4" thick. It will last for a very long time IF you take care of it. Wash it in clean hot water only, squeeze it to get rid of excess water, use no soaps or detergent and NEVER wring it. That will break the fibers and render it useless. You have 2 options, synthetic or wool. Most now days use synthetic. For the pre-filters, they can be and are washed many times and reused, again, use only clean hot water and those also should never be wrung out, just hang them to dry.
Keeping the syrup hot is key to getting it thru the filter. Try to come up with a way to help the syrup stay good and hot, pot in a pot, or some way to help hold the temperature. I said 185-190, but that is minimum, I filter at 210-215. Then be sure the syrup is at 185 -190 to bottle it. Do not heat it to over 190 to bottle or you create more niter. Here's a link to a page from Bascom Maple https://www.bascommaple.com/category/filter_flat/filters/
You will see their FPR22 pre-filters at $18/doz. and the FSYN22 is the filter to go with it. With proper care both should last yo 10 or even 20 years. Back when I was filtering small batches, I made a rack to hold a cone filter and placed it in a large pot (SS in 24 qt size) and then put the pre-filters in the cone. At that time I stacked 3 or 4 in the cone. Then I poured the HOT syrup in the cone and put a lid on the large pot. That held temperature. However cone filters are a problem because they fill and clog the bottom of the cone far too fast, make something to do similar with a large flat filter and it will work better.
Have fun.

[KevinsHope]

The syrup is pretty thick after refrigeration and pours slowly...almost like honey. I may think it is too thin after the boil due to not being experienced yet. I took this temperature read at a hard boil, on 5 separate occasions to establish my baseline temperature. However, I do not live on a mountain, so maybe the thermometer is not calibrate properly. Still, 7.2 degrees is 7.2 degrees, which is the recommended temperature increase and has been pretty close to where I feel like the batch is coating the spoon for a moment and leaves a trail if you run your finger across the spoon. The bubble up you are referring to is a very familiar sight. I always know we are almost there when that bubble up starts in. Thanks for your thoughts. I was wondering...how long will hot syrup take to flow through the orlon filter cone? I will definitely feel like I need to refine my filtering process, and some people on here are saying that syrup can take weeks to settle out.

[Boats]

Question, I am a first time Hobbyist taper. I only have about 30 taps this season. I cooked four times, each time a little different result (all good though). For my most recent batch I purchased a syrup Hydrometer from Roth Sugarbush. When finishing I got my sap to 219 degrees and the hydrometer never came close to 60 Brix (hot). I actually had the temp between 219 and 220 degrees for nearly 40 minutes and never got to 60 Brix. I finally decided to call it because I had lost a good portion of what should have been syrup. The next morning I tested again at room temp and still only got to about 63 Brix (at room temp it should have been 66 or 67). Am I missing something? Sugarbush said all of their hydrometers are accurate.

[Trapper2]

Question, I am a first time Hobbyist taper. I only have about 30 taps this season. I cooked four times, each time a little different result (all good though). For my most recent batch I purchased a syrup Hydrometer from Roth Sugarbush. When finishing I got my sap to 219 degrees and the hydrometer never came close to 60 Brix (hot). I actually had the temp between 219 and 220 degrees for nearly 40 minutes and never got to 60 Brix. I finally decided to call it because I had lost a good portion of what should have been syrup. The next morning I tested again at room temp and still only got to about 63 Brix (at room temp it should have been 66 or 67). Am I missing something? Sugarbush said all of their hydrometers are accurate.
There are days depending on barometric pressure that I have to take the syrup to 221 to float the hydrometer. Go to your app store and download the sap tap app. A member of these forums from Michigan developed it and I find it very interesting and useful.

[Cedar Eater]

how long will hot syrup take to flow through the orlon filter cone? I will definitely feel like I need to refine my filtering process, and some people on here are saying that syrup can take weeks to settle out.

If you have enough prefilters and filter at a hot enough temperature and keep the filter and prefilters warm, the syrup will go fairly quick until the first prefilter plugs. Then you pour that one into the next prefilter and then the next and it will slow down over time until, depending on the density of the syrup and the load in the filter, it will just stop. This can take over an hour even with the filter remaining warm the whole time. It's a PITA. But this is the cheapest way to do it right enough. Some people invert the center of the filter cone and the prefilters "like a sailor's hat" and report much faster filtering. I'm going to try that when I filter next. It has the advantage of increasing the prefiltering and filtering area and they report that it seems to filter just as well.

[BSD]

Question, I am a first time Hobbyist taper. I only have about 30 taps this season. I cooked four times, each time a little different result (all good though). For my most recent batch I purchased a syrup Hydrometer from Roth Sugarbush. When finishing I got my sap to 219 degrees and the hydrometer never came close to 60 Brix (hot). I actually had the temp between 219 and 220 degrees for nearly 40 minutes and never got to 60 Brix. I finally decided to call it because I had lost a good portion of what should have been syrup. The next morning I tested again at room temp and still only got to about 63 Brix (at room temp it should have been 66 or 67). Am I missing something? Sugarbush said all of their hydrometers are accurate.Trust the hydrometer, not the thermometer.

[wmick]

There are days depending on barometric pressure that I have to take the syrup to 221 to float the hydrometer. Go to your app store and download the sap tap app. A member of these forums from Michigan developed it and I find it very interesting and useful.

That is a really cool app... Just opened it... and I would get syrup at 220.5 today... I double checked the barometric pressure and it's bang-on.

[Cedar Eater]

Question, I am a first time Hobbyist taper. I only have about 30 taps this season. I cooked four times, each time a little different result (all good though). For my most recent batch I purchased a syrup Hydrometer from Roth Sugarbush. When finishing I got my sap to 219 degrees and the hydrometer never came close to 60 Brix (hot). I actually had the temp between 219 and 220 degrees for nearly 40 minutes and never got to 60 Brix. I finally decided to call it because I had lost a good portion of what should have been syrup. The next morning I tested again at room temp and still only got to about 63 Brix (at room temp it should have been 66 or 67). Am I missing something? Sugarbush said all of their hydrometers are accurate.

Being accurate at one time doesn't mean they remain accurate. The paper inside can slip which would give you a false reading. If it does, most likely it will slip down and give you a false low Brix reading. The paper is most likely glued and wouldn't slip from glue bond failure for a long time, but it is always possible that it didn't get glued properly. If you use the sheeting (some call it "aproning") test that is shown in the video that I referenced earlier, as long as you aren't selling your product, that will get you close enough. Trust the sheeting test. If the syrup sheets really well, you are more likely to get crystals from being too heavy than thin syrup from being too light. Crystals can be easily dissolved with Canadian whiskey which has the added benefit of making the whiskey drinkable.

[saphound]

I think, as others have suggested, that you could skip all that filtering for such small batches. Filters and prefilters are expensive and they rob syrup. My batches are usually 3-4 quarts. When my hydrometer,(not my thermometer), says it's syrup, I pour it into a wide mouthed gallon glass jar and let it settle for at least a week..on my kitchen counter, not in the fridge. You will watch the cloudy syrup clear as a surprising amount of niter settles to the bottom. No way would your syrup settle out in the fridge in just one night. When it's settled, start pouring off into whatever bottles or jars you use. It can be a little tricky getting the last of the syrup without getting some niter too at the end. Use a separate jar and let that one settle out again if you think it needs it. If you want to store any unrefrigerated for months, you can re-heat the cleared syrup to 180, not over 190, and can it in mason jars. That's how I do it now, and others here too. Happy sugaring! :cool:

[Sugarmaker]

Filtering small batches is not quick. I agree that settling may be the best method for you.
Also it sounded like you were reheating the syrup higher then 180 for canning. Around 200 F and niter will form again each time you boil it.
CE did a good job explaining it!
Regards,
Chris

[KevinsHope]

I think, as others have suggested, that you could skip all that filtering for such small batches. Filters and prefilters are expensive and they rob syrup. My batches are usually 3-4 quarts. When my hydrometer,(not my thermometer), says it's syrup, I pour it into a wide mouthed gallon glass jar and let it settle for at least a week..on my kitchen counter, not in the fridge. You will watch the cloudy syrup clear as a surprising amount of niter settles to the bottom. No way would your syrup settle out in the fridge in just one night. When it's settled, start pouring off into whatever bottles or jars you use. It can be a little tricky getting the last of the syrup without getting some niter too at the end. Use a separate jar and let that one settle out again if you think it needs it. If you want to store any unrefrigerated for months, you can re-heat the cleared syrup to 180, not over 190, and can it in mason jars. That's how I do it now, and others here too. Happy sugaring! :cool:

Will the syrup go bad it if you don't refrigerated?

[saphound]

Will the syrup go bad it if you don't refrigerated? No, not in a week and not if the hydrometer says it's syrup. I've not had any spoil yet doing it this way.

[saphound]

Trust the hydrometer, not the thermometer.

Agreed. Even the best thermometers on the market are accurate to within 2 degrees. The digital thermometer I use now says accurate to within 4 degrees. Two different dial thermometers and my digital at the same time and they all read different. They will get you close, but your new hydrometer is most likely right.