Really light syrup

[KJamesJR]

Anyone in the New England area making really light syrup lately? My syrup went from golden delicate for about a week (tapped 2/24’ish), to robust for about a week. Now back to golden, for the past two weeks now. Going on three.

I didn’t have this many taps last year so I’m not used to my trees yet, but I’m getting a lot of really light. I wonder if those two or three nor’Easter’s had anything to do with it.

[Trapper2]

Not New England but this years Syrup is my lightest ever.
183371833818339

[Run Forest Run!]

Trapper2, your syrup is gorgeous. Talk about clear!

[Texas t.]

Hey, trapper2 are you finishing your syrup with a hydrometer or are you just using a thermometer? Because I finished some light syrup that was kinda runny and I was wondering if it has to do with using just a thermometer.

[Trapper2]

Hey, trapper2 are you finishing your syrup with a hydrometer or are you just using a thermometer? Because I finished some light syrup that was kinda runny and I was wondering if it has to do with using just a thermometer.
I finish with a Hydrometer . Thermometer for reference.

[WoznicaSyrup]

I'm getting the same thing in Upstate NY. Started with what I thought was my lightest ever, went to amber for about a week and a half, and last night my syrup was lighter than our golden delicate bottle from our grading kit. Can't believe the amount of syrup I'm getting either. Over 30 gallons off 75 taps.

[KJamesJR]

Yeah I’m finishing over propane with a hydrometer. Filtering. Then reheating to bottling temp with a thermometer and it’s all been really light. 80% of what I’ve bottled has been golden delicate and that’s with a new set of grading bottles.

[KJamesJR]

I’ll have to post a picture when I get home.

[KJamesJR]

Pictured.

18375

[BSD]

i follow an operation in NY and he posted some sample jars of the lightest looking syrup i've ever seen. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=903367536532193&id=170817486453872

i'm in CT and didn't make any delicate, but made almost all Amber Rich this season. just one batch of robust. even finishing out the season making Amber Rich again. very odd for sure.

[jmayerl]

We have had some pretty light also

[berkshires]

My first season, my first two batches were super-light. 18382

They tasted like caramel and vanilla, not like maple. I much prefer the dark stuff.

[smokeyamber]

Lightest stuff I have ever made came off the finisher last night. I have always made a dark robust , but this stuff is cool. First runs were all dark, then this last run is all light, my sugar content was way up there as well so maybe that was the key ? Either way I am on my way to a record year. Looking like it will reset one more time for us and then go til mid April...

[maineboiler]

Last year I made 40 gallons of syrup and about 10 of it was Golden Delicate. This year I've already surpassed 40 gallons and 32 were Golden Delicate. the sap has been crystal clear

[KJamesJR]

i follow an operation in NY and he posted some sample jars of the lightest looking syrup i've ever seen. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=903367536532193&id=170817486453872

i'm in CT and didn't make any delicate, but made almost all Amber Rich this season. just one batch of robust. even finishing out the season making Amber Rich again. very odd for sure.

Yeah that’s pretty light. I feel if some of us up here could boil faster it would be even lighter. It seems though the syrup has gone from really light, to not flowing at all. Maybe my taps are drying up?

EDIT: could also be because it’s warm. Looks like next week, low in the 20’s highs in the 40’s. Might start running again. Buds haven’t opened yet so who knows!

[S.S.S]

18389Made 80 gallons of lightest syrup ever tonight.

[maple flats]

My syrup is all Amber so far, even a batch made from sap that took 5 days to get enough to boil and it had gone cloudy, still made great tasting Amber. I'm still looking for dark, that's where most of my sales are.
If the amber continues thru to the end, I do have some very dark from last year and I've blended in the past, it takes very little very dark to change amber to dark if I need to. However I suspect the tail end of my season, which based on the forecast might be up to 2 weeks yet will go to dark, it always has. Forecast thru 4/8 for me only shows 1 night above freezing, but that is always subject to change.