Bringing back gooey syrup

[Earthman]

Hi all. Busy day yesterday and a cold night. Choked down the evap last evening as always, ensuring plenty of sap in flue pan and an inch and a half in the syrup pan. Closed the valve between both pans and went to bed. Still evaporating but just off the heat of the fire bricks and a couple embers. Went out this a.m. And it was in the single digits. Level in the file pan was still ok, bit the syrup pan was gooey and thick. I couple use a spatula and move it around but thicker than mollasses. No idea how it burned down to that thick. Couldn't even draw it off barely. Added raw sap, heated slowly using the spatula to mix the raw sap with congealed syrup. Eventually brought it back to the correct place, tasted for any burnt or off taste, and after tasting, bottled it.

Did the crazy cold have something to do with this? Thoughts on what I did.

Thank you for any insight.

Earthman

[maple flats]

Likely a long boil with more hardwood and frequent fuelings did it. You must have had more hot coals than you realized and the bricks were hotter too..

[Sugarmaker]

How big is the syrup pan and how close was it to syrup when you shut down?
Cold should not have affected it.
Regards,
Chris

[Russell Lampron]

I'm sure that the cold had nothing to with the syrup pan boiling down lower than normal. I always flood my front pan to 3" or more. My arch holds a lot of heat and the depth is at or near the correct level to start boiling the next session. Flood the pan a little deeper to keep it from happening again.

[blissville maples]

Hi all. Busy day yesterday and a cold night. Choked down the evap last evening as always, ensuring plenty of sap in flue pan and an inch and a half in the syrup pan. Closed the valve between both pans and went to bed. Still evaporating but just off the heat of the fire bricks and a couple embers. Went out this a.m. And it was in the single digits. Level in the file pan was still ok, bit the syrup pan was gooey and thick. I couple use a spatula and move it around but thicker than mollasses. No idea how it burned down to that thick. Couldn't even draw it off barely. Added raw sap, heated slowly using the spatula to mix the raw sap with congealed syrup. Eventually brought it back to the correct place, tasted for any burnt or off taste, and after tasting, bottled it.

Did the crazy cold have something to do with this? Thoughts on what I did.

Thank you for any insight.

Earthman

I was looking at my syrup pan yesterday, it was 20 degrees after a 10 degree night and it looked exactly like you say....a thick congealed looking thick stuff, However there was frozen water crystals here and there, o think it's the frozen leftover sap mixing with the frozen syrup. I know it did not boil down or burn as we leave 21/2 inches in it. But it was thick, and slimy looking...

[Earthman]

Thanks Maple flats! I did use some hardwood that was punky, and perhaps had more embers than I thought.

[Earthman]

Thanks Maple Flats. I did have some punky hardwood that I used and perhaps more embers than I thought. Hope your season is going well.

[Earthman]

Thanks Blissville. I ended up adding raw sap and fired up slowly. It all panned out and tasted fine. Was a little scary at first as I am very OCD in ensuring there is enough in both pans when I head in from the shack. Take care!

[Earthman]

Thanks for your response, Russell!

[Earthman]

Syrup pan is 1.5 by 2 feet. It was a ways off from syrup, and I usually leave over 2 inches left in the pan before I head in. I am very careful to choke the rig down before I go in and always leave enough sap to last as it continues to evaporate. I was able to bring it back by adding raw sap, tasted it, and it was fine. A little scary at first......Thank you.

[Daveg]

What was the density of your single digit F° syrup? Maybe you didn't need to add raw sap........Warm a sample up and take a reading......219°F? Filter it!

[Earthman]

Didn't even bother trying to do so. Was worried if I didn't add raw sap that I might have an issue and possible burning of the pan. I barely could draw off with the way it was. THick, thick, thick.