What's floating on top of my syrup?

[RobbieH]

Hi all. I made my first batch of syrup a couple of weekends ago. Came out great. But today I noticed in some of the mason jars that I put the syrup in, there's some kind of gel type substance floating on top of the syrup. The syrup was filtered and put into clean mason jars, and sealed. I don't think it's mold...not sure how it could be. This substance is kind of white and transparent, and is sort of like a slimy gel. Any ideas on what it could be and what caused it?

I am going to heat up the syrup and re-filter and bottle again pretty soon. Hoping that'll take care of it. I included some pics.

Thanks.

18173

18174

[maple flats]

What did you use to filter it? What the process?

[RobbieH]

I used one of those synthetic wool cone filters with a paper one inside it. I know the syrup was really hot when I filtered it. In previous years, I'd filter it when it was around 180F. It was much hotter this time around. I have some sugar on the bottom of the jars. Could filtering it too hot have caused this stuff to be on top?

[maple flats]

The syrup can be 220+ without issue. Did you use anything other than clean water to wash it, and did you wring it out? The filters must never be wrung out, just squeeze them then let dry. Some how it looks like fibers got pulled from the filter.

[RobbieH]

They were brand new filters. I'm not seeing fibers, just some kind of gel. I'll refilter tomorrow and see what happens. But whatever it is, it wasn't there a week ago.

[mellondome]

What do you use for defoamer?

[RobbieH]

i appreciate the replies.

ive never used a defoamer before.

[mellondome]

Give it a week and then look again. If it has changed, then you have mold.

[RobbieH]

Thanks for the reply. I decided to reheat and refilter my syrup this morning. Upon opening the jars, I noticed they didn't take the seal. So yes..it was mold. A few spores in most of the jars. I skimmed it off the top, emptied the jars into a pot, brought up just past 200F, skimmed, then filtered and re-bottled. I think maybe the syrup cooled a little too much to create the seal. The jars are nice and hot now so this should do it!
just curious - what do some of you use to skim the top of the syrup? I'm talking about when it's finished and in a small pot of the oven. Small time here ;)

Thanks again.

[JoeJ]

The mason jars should be heated to 200 degrees before the hot syrup (at least 185 degrees, but not over 190) is added. Probably best to have enough syrup to fill the mason jar to the top. According to the newer recommendations reheating the moldy syrup is not acceptable and should not be used (except by your self with the knowledge that there might still be mold spores in the syrup)

Joe

[RobbieH]

would bringing it up to a boil kill any spores that might be there?

[JoeJ]

The researchers who have studied "the mold in the syrup problem" say that even though reboiling the syrup will most likely kill the mold spores, it is still best to NOT use the syrup. You can read about the research into the glass mold problem that was done by Kathryn Hopkins at the University of Maine. Kathryn is the person who discovered that pouring hot syrup into some sizes of cold glass bottles cause the syrup to cool so fast that there is not enough residual heat in the syrup to kill the mild spores. Thus came the recommendation that when bottling with glass, heat the glass bottles to 200 degrees before adding the syrup.

Joe

[BSD]

were the mason jars new or previously used?

[wobbletop]

We boil the mason jars just before filling with syrup.