What caused this cloudy syrup and how to prevent it in the future?

[NoblesvilleIN]

I'm a backyard hobbyist (10 taps - 6 sugar & 4 reds). The bottle on the left is what my syrup normally looks like (this is my 4th year). The bottle on the right is from my last boil of the year (last Thursday). The samples that I tasted prior to bottling tasted fine. What could have caused the bottle on the right to be cloudy and have more niter in the bottom? What are things I can do to prevent this next year? The trees are in my front yard and down our lane - I transplanted them from my parents farm in the early '90's and never thought they would get big enough for me to play with. It's kind of neat to tap trees that I planted.

A little more background:
- I concentrate using an RB-5 bucket (smallest one). This is my 1st year using RO and it has been a real time saver.
- I batch boil on my homemade smoker using a steam pan that holds up to 4 gallons of sap/concentrate. It's not efficient, but the price is right :)
- On March 3rd, I boiled twice - 3.5 gallons of 8.5% concentrate (7 gallons total) and ended up with 2 quarts of nice looking syrup that I put in the fridge for later bottling.
- On March 5th, I did my final boil of 2 gallons of 9% concentrate and ended up with 5 cups (.625 quarts) of syrup that looked a little light colors, but I didn't think anything of it. It tasted fine.
- On March 5th, I combined the 5 cups with the 2 quarts, heated it up to a little over 180* and bottled. Licking the scraper after bottling tasted fine. The next morning the bottles looked cloudy.
- The concentrate for the last boil came only from sugar maples as I had pulled the taps on the reds on March 1st (I was seeing buds on the reds). It came from 4.5 gallons of 2.5% gathered on March 2nd and 3 gallons of 2% gathered on March 4th as I pulled the sugar maple taps. I ran the RO on the evening of March 4th and boiled the next morning.
21175 21176
Thank you in advance for your help,
Don

[billyinvt]

This looks like maybe the result of an old or faulty filter. What is your filtering process?

[NoblesvilleIN]

I use a synthetic "wool" filter with a disposable cone pre-filter:
21177
I rinse both filters with hot water prior to use, squeeze the water out, and let them drain into the measuring cup (I dump the measuring cup just before I start filtering).

After each use, the synthetic filter is turned wrong side out and rinsed out in the sink. Same for the disposable paper filter. I then put both thru the rinse and spin cycle on our front-load clothes washer. This is the 4th year for this particular synthetic filter and the second year for the disposable paper filter. Note: this year I made a little over 2 gallons of syrup; last year I made about 1.5 gallons, and the prior year I made 6 bottles. My first year I made 2 bottles (1 of sugar :cry: and 1 of syrup). So not much syrup thru the filters. Also, all my prior batches looked fine. I did throw away the paper filter after I finished this year.

[30AcreWoods]

Thinking you might have reached the longevity limit of your filter. Perhaps the forces in the clothes washer are contributing to loosening particles that are now ending up in your syrup? Also, I never keep the pre-filters for more than 2 draw-offs - so you may have an issue there as well. I've had extremely good luck with the natural wool filters - 4 years on one filter. I do use multiple (3 pre-filters) and pull them as they plug. You probably know this, but I learned it the hard way: NEVER press/force the syrup through these types of filters/pre-filters as it will cram small particles through and result in cloudy syrup.

[johnallin]

May not be the reason for the cloudiness, but I’d keep your filter(s) out of the washing machine.

[30AcreWoods]

I agree. Hot water rinses do the trick for me. Also, do you pre-heat/wet your filter in hot sap? That really helps the flow during the filter process.

[Big_Eddy]

I use a synthetic "wool" filter with a disposable cone pre-filter:

I rinse both filters with hot water prior to use, squeeze the water out, and let them drain into the measuring cup (I dump the measuring cup just before I start filtering).

I then put both thru the rinse and spin cycle on our front-load clothes washer.

A few things
1) Don't squeeze or wring your filters - that breaks down the fibers. Typical process before filtering is to steam, or moisten, not to rinse or saturate the filter. It should not drip water. After use, rinse and rinse and rinse .... then hang to dry.
2) As someone who has disassembled and repaired both top load and front load washers, I strongly advise you not to ever let your filters get near either. Fabric softener deposits are everywhere inside there, and the smell never comes out.
3) You don't talk about when you filtered and then bottled. If you heat after filtering, even if you don't take the bulk temperature of the syrup over 180, there is a possibility that some of the syrup (close to the pan) exceeded 205, and if that happened, then additional nitre can precipitate.
4) did you preheat your bottles? If so - to what temperature. If the glass is hotter than 200, same thing.

[buckeye gold]

I agree with everyone that you have reached the life of your filters. I Hot water soak them for an hour, hot water rinse back out the way syrup went in and I hang them to dry. They get much cleaner than sink rinsing. Someone on MT once suggested laying them in the dishwasher with no soap and hot wash. I never keep filters from one season to the next and I have my wife sew up two sets and toss one set mid season. Filter material is just not that expensive for a hobby guy like me. with that said I have experienced the same thing as you have. It will always be late season and you will notice the syrup just does not go through the filters as fast. Something about late season niter is finer and usually filters are worn that causes this. If it's for home use just let it settle and your fine. The only way to fix it is reheat and refilter, my guess is it would be clear. I double filter all mine anymore before bottling. I had one batch do this anyway this year, because I wasn't watching and it got too hot in the bottler. and I set it aside for gifts and family use. It's been a month now and it's clear as a bell with a small layer of nitre on the bottom.

[NoblesvilleIN]

Thank you all. I will change my filtering for next year. The bottles are in my basement and I'll check them in a month or so to see if they have settled out and are clear.

I fill my bottles with water and boil them in a large stock pot filled with water. After they reach a boil, I turn off the burner and let them sit until I need a bottle. I have no idea what temperature they are when I pull them out. Pretty hot though. I'm guessing this is not the issue because I've followed this procedure with no prior issues for 4 years.

Based on your feedback, I'm guessing that I used my filters one batch too far (is this a new movie title?)

Thank you all for the help.

[Galena]

Thank you all. I will change my filtering for next year. The bottles are in my basement and I'll check them in a month or so to see if they have settled out and are clear.

I fill my bottles with water and boil them in a large stock pot filled with water. After they reach a boil, I turn off the burner and let them sit until I need a bottle. I have no idea what temperature they are when I pull them out. Pretty hot though. I'm guessing this is not the issue because I've followed this procedure with no prior issues for 4 years.

Based on your feedback, I'm guessing that I used my filters one batch too far (is this a new movie title?)

Thank you all for the help.

Well, if your bottles are over 190 degrees...and water boils at 212 or thereabout depending on the day....and you are putting in hot syrup, then you are basically making nitre, which forms at 190+. The cloudiness sounds like freshly made nitre floating around. Let it settle out, carefully pour it off, and filter what syrup is left.

FWIW to avoid breakage I heat syrup to 185 and pour into jars heated to 190 for 10 min in the oven to sterilize the jars...and often pull out the jars and let them sit and cool for a minute before decanting. I have very few nitre issues!

[tpathoulas]

I can feel your pain. Last year after my last boil I had a terrible problem with cloudy syrup. When taking off the heat it looks crystal clear. After bottling and cooling small flecks of solid material began to float in the syrup. I reheated, filtered and bottled, same result. I let sit for months to settle, poured off the clear, reheated and bottled. This year after two boils, I have made cloudy syrup just as your photo shows. After speaking to maple experts it was determined that my trees must be putting out a mineral that when hot is a liquid, which passes through the filter, when cools becomes a solid. Syrup tastes great but looks poor. I guess that's why the make plastic bottles that you can't see through! I also have a lot of very dark sediment in my pan and filters this year which is new for me. I always have the sugar sand/niter but this is different. I actually thought I had burned my pan but it cleaned right off and no burn. Wish I was more help.

[PaulRenaud]

Anytime there is nitre in the bottle, the issue is with your filtering process. Can occur from dirty or insufficient filters, or from not filtering after even a light finishing boil. The latter can occur if you draw off early and finish boiling on a stove. Anytime you boil the syrup, it is a good idea to filter again before bottling.

The disposable filters are meant to be disposed, not washed. Rinsing them out will not likely clean them thoroughly and could degrade their function (insufficient filtering). The wool filter can be washed and re-used as most folks do.

I use 4 disposable cone filters inside the wool filter and discard the disposable filters after each boil. I have limited sap storage, so end up doing a couple of boils per year as my inventory of sap is replenished. I use a clean wool filter with each boil.

Last year I experimented by cheating with only 3 filters in the wool cone and had some light nitre deposits. This year will be using 4 each time. They come in a 12 pack for a reason I figure.

Hope this helps you.

[michiganphil]

Note: this year I made a little over 2 gallons of syrup; last year I made about 1.5 gallons, and the prior year I made 6 bottles. My first year I made 2 bottles (1 of sugar and 1 of syrup).



Based on your feedback, I'm guessing that I used my filters one batch too far (is this a new movie title?)
Thank you all for the help.

So you've put about 5 gallons through that filter...? It's not worn out. I pack my syrup in 5 gallon pails, then re-bottle it as needed throughout the year. When re-packaging I bring it up to temp, filter, and bottle (usually 5-10 gallons at a time). I have probably run a couple hundred gallons through my current cone filter and it is still fine.

Some years are worse for niter than others. Sometimes it seems like you get a batch that just won't filter.

[maple flats]

Anytime there is nitre in the bottle, the issue is with your filtering process. Can occur from dirty or insufficient filters, or from not filtering after even a light finishing boil. The latter can occur if you draw off early and finish boiling on a stove. Anytime you boil the syrup, it is a good idea to filter again before bottling.

The disposable filters are meant to be disposed, not washed. Rinsing them out will not likely clean them thoroughly and could degrade their function (insufficient filtering). The wool filter can be washed and re-used as most folks do.

I use 4 disposable cone filters inside the wool filter and discard the disposable filters after each boil. I have limited sap storage, so end up doing a couple of boils per year as my inventory of sap is replenished. I use a clean wool filter with each boil.

Last year I experimented by cheating with only 3 filters in the wool cone and had some light nitre deposits. This year will be using 4 each time. They come in a 12 pack for a reason I figure.

Hope this helps you.
Paul, if you are using maple pre-filters, they are made to be cleaned and re-used. Just rinse well with just hot water and use them over and over.