Who wants some ropey syrup

[Haynes Forest Products]

Well its been quite the season. Have been up at the shack for 6 weeks enjoying the sport of sugar making. This season has been a good one BUT a long one. With the extended season because of 2 days run and 5 day freezing its hard to predict when the sap will run again. This last freeze up gave me time to drain the sweet from the finish pans into 5 gallon buckets and soak the entire evap with vinegar I finally did all the small things that I have wanted to do and today the sap started flowing. Decided to dump the 25 gallons of what I thought would be a good start to the next boil. I opened the first bucket and was getting ready to dump it it when I noticed it didn't look quite right and stuck my finger in it.........That of course was after I triple washed my hands and sanitized them 4 times all the time wearing a hair net. I now have 5-5 gallon buckets of great looking grade A road tar. Sat to long in 40 degree temps :( oh well will be starting all new and clean>

[jmayerl]

Good run today? We had our second best run of the year in Green Bay. Still 6" in the woods, gonna be a busy week. Always sucks when dumping syrup in the garden.

[Sunny Knoll Farm]

Had the same thing 2 weeks ago. Tried to stretch an extra day between "sanitary" boils and didn't quite make it. Wasn't ropey just a little stringy! Pulled the plug because I couldn't get enough to keep pans fresh. Very poor year - only 18 gallons on 230 taps.

[Haynes Forest Products]

If its stringy is ropey. This might be my best year yet if the weather turns out as they predict.

[Super Sapper]

You might get rid of it for bear bait. I have a guy by me that says he gets more for bear bait than good syrup.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I have a friend that was the victim of ropey syrup a few years back and wants it for that very reason so it will go to good use. Question is do the bears like it on pancakes or French toast.

[RC Maple]

I had never experienced ropey syrup before last year. We had a warm stretch between runs and I drained the sweet from the pan into a 5 gal bucket. Before the next boil I went to inspect it by dipping a ladle into it. I watched the sweet run into the ladle as I pushed it down into the bucket but when I lifted it back out the ladle was empty! All the liquid was pulled back out of the ladle as I lifted it up. Not believing my eyes I tried it two or three more times and then ran to The Trader to research my options. I learned that unfortunately, there was no saving it and to get rid of it and thoroughly clean anything the sweet came in contact with. We carefully boiled a little in a small saucepan...I couldn't resist... and saw how that would have been a big mistake to boil in the pan. An interesting experience - one I won't forget!

[Sugarmaker]

Yea no fun to boil this stuff! I dumped mine last year.
Regards,
Chris

[n8hutch]

Just a thought? Is putting this near syrup into non sterilized Pails the leading culprit of it turning Ropey? I cleaned my flue Pan last week and I put it into a Freshly cleaned barrel but I never really gave it a thought that it could turn Ropey in there.maybe I will give it a little more thought in the future.

[Sugarmaker]

Warm weather, spoils sap which can make ropey syrup.
Regards,
Chris

[bstewar]

My rig sat for about a week or so during the March Nor’eastars. Fired up the evaporator and the stuff rose in both pans like a giant marshmallow. Pretty wild in a bad way. It got dumped, pans cleaned and then made some nice light syrup later that day.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I have been very careful to keep my sap fresh and cooked ASAP. This was the sweet out of my finish pans. IO should have chased it all the way out and finished it. Oh well live and learn. Its a strange year with long waits so I be more careful.