Tropical Sugarin'

[GOwin]

Hello everyone. My name is Erwin from the Philippines.

If you're wondering about maple trees, as far as I know, there aren't any maple trees in the Philipppines. However, we do have plenty of coconut trees.

So, what am I doing in this site then? Well, I am researching for information on we could improve our palm sugar processing, and then I realized (except for a few minor differences) that it's not very different from what you do. Compared to how you do it, ours are very close to primitive.

We tap the palm tree's inflorescence instead of tapping the trunk. We could draw, on average, about 3 liters of sap a day. The sap's sugar content is between 8 and 20 percent, depending on variety, the weather, and tree's condition. If not processed within 2-3 hours, fermentation takes place and they would be unusable for sugar production (but would remain usable for producing vinegar or vodka, after distillation).

http://lh3.google.com/govvin/R4S5jI0Ki8I/AAAAAAAABZY/TH0raA061cQ/s144/cns001.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/govvin/TropicalSugarin/photo?authkey=wQVeCMncF_w#5153447886931528642)
Here's a tree with tapped spathes juices being collected in hollow bamboo receptacles. They are collected twice a day (morning and late afternoon) and taps would last for about four weeks. A spathe can be completely tapped, or half-of it is left to let the flowers develop, which would eventually turn into coconut fruits.

http://lh6.google.com/govvin/R4S5m40KjBI/AAAAAAAABaA/zUM_TN2jB0E/s144/sap1.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/govvin/TropicalSugarin/photo?authkey=wQVeCMncF_w#5153447951356038162)
The collected sap is poured in a large iron wok and immediately boiled to evaporate the water in traditional wood-fed open-fire stoves at medium fire. The sap is stirred occasionally and any foam formation is removed to prevent any "burnt" after-taste in the sugar.

http://lh4.google.com/govvin/R4S5nY0KjCI/AAAAAAAABaI/m_ugrBSYfPQ/s144/sap3.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/govvin/TropicalSugarin/photo?authkey=wQVeCMncF_w#5153447959945972770)
If excessive foaming occurs, we either put a few drops of coconut oil, or place an open-ended basket to prevent sap from over-flowing. See picture below.

http://lh6.google.com/govvin/R4S5n40KjDI/AAAAAAAABaQ/TmSAHap48_4/s144/sap4.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/govvin/TropicalSugarin/photo?authkey=wQVeCMncF_w#5153447968535907378)
When foaming subsides, the basket is removed from the wok.

Picture link is here (http://picasaweb.google.com/govvin/TropicalSugarin/photo?authkey=wQVeCMncF_w#5153447981420809282).
When the temperature of the syrup reaches 115 C, temperature of the liquid at medium fire is further maintained for about 30 minutes to 1 hour until it becomes very sticky.

Wok is removed from the stove and a whisk is used to introduce air into the concentrated syrup.

Picture link is here (http://picasaweb.google.com/govvin/TropicalSugarin/photo?authkey=wQVeCMncF_w#5153447912701332450).
When the sap thickens, continued stirring is done using wooden spatula.

Picture link is here (http://picasaweb.google.com/govvin/TropicalSugarin/photo?authkey=wQVeCMncF_w#5153447929881201650).

Picture link is here (http://picasaweb.google.com/govvin/TropicalSugarin/photo?authkey=wQVeCMncF_w#5153447942766103554).
It is vigorously mixed until it break into smaller granules.

Picture link is here (http://picasaweb.google.com/govvin/TropicalSugarin/photo?authkey=wQVeCMncF_w#5153448002895645794).
It is then placed in trays to air dry at room temperature. It is now ready for packing.

Picture link is here (http://picasaweb.google.com/govvin/TropicalSugarin/photo?authkey=wQVeCMncF_w#5153447869751659442).
A picture of our "primitive" cooking tools.


I am hoping that we could refine and adapt some of your processes and techniques for our requirements. I've been reading a lot of your archived postings, and discussions, especially in the DIY section.

In fact, I've been lurking the forums for quite some time, before I decided to join. I can see how the use of flat-bottomed pans increases efficiency. Same with the use of arches/fireboxes. I also found the physics of sectioned pans very interesting. You see, with our present setup, we process the sap by batches.


Am looking forward to hearing your comments, exchange ideas and hopefully, learn something from your experience.

PS
I was trying to post the pictures themselves but forum rules limit picture to four images per post. Sorry.

[maplehound]

How interesting. I find this very fasinating and hope you can learn something of usfullness from us. Maybe you can contatct the Maple Guys directly or any of our other suppliers. They may be able to set you up with some test equipment to see if it will work for you as well. I am sure that it would be to there benifit to add another outlet ( use) for the equipment that they already produce.

[royalmaple]

Very interesting indeed. I'm glad you came out from the hidden lurkings and shared that with us.

So you get 4 weeks from your tap holes, but do you have to tap during a certain season? And do the trees heal quickly? You can't just give us this small tid bit and not give us the whole scoop. I'm sure you'll have many many questions. This is really great. From the looks of the pictures you are bringing the sap right to sugar, or cream. What is the use for the product, just sweetener? What is the market for the product? What is it called?

We need to get you some tubing, vacuum pumps and an evaporator. Then you'll be high production for sure.

[Gary R]

Hello Erwin! Welcome to the maple trader. Yes, very interesting. I think Royalmaple started you of with a few questions to answer. We are curious sorts. I am a beginner so I don't alot to offer. Do you ever use it in a syrup state and what does it taste like?

[VT maple maker]

20% sugar content, how nice that would be!! I have never heard of anything like this before. It is very interesting. The way the weather is here in VT right now, we might be doing a little tropical sugaring of our own when the season arrives. Welcome aboard. Can't wait to hear more about it.

[tapper]

Wow this is a dream come true! I am moving to a tropical island and taking my evaporator with me!

[Dave Y]

GOwin,
Very Interesting, I think you may be able to take your sap to a syrup and store it then make your sugar at a later date. That way you could process more sap with out it spoiling.

[Jim Brown]

Hey Guys I think we all need to take a "ROAD TRIP" and see GoWins operation? If we car pool we can save money on gas! I can't think of a better place to be in January(lol). Looking forward to more info coming out of the South Seas!!!GoWin you have just touched the tip of the sugar icebergh,can't wait for more info about this amazing project!!

Jim

[Sugarmaker]

Erwin,
First Welcome!
Awesome! When can we get a taste of the finished product? Can you describe the flavor? Looks like it goes through a creamy stage just like maple.
Are those tubes the pipes from the tap hole?
And how much of this do you make?
Looks like a nice off season hobby for us folks around the Great Lakes.:)
Great pictures too!
Regards,
Chris

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Looks like maple cream at one point.

[RileySugarbush]

Bad new, guys. Look at this link and picture yourself tapping these!

http://www.ecobuddy.in/PalmSugar.php

and you can get some on Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Thai-Palm-Sugar-16-package/dp/B000EUD8M8

[GOwin]

Thanks everyone.

Tapping
Basically, we could tap the tree all-year round (Yippee!). A spathe or spadix will last about 4 weeks, depending on the health of the tree, and its variety. We don't usually tap the whole spadix (but there are others who do).

The life cycle of the spathe is shown below:
http://www.bioversityinternational.org/publications/Web_version/198/p071.gif

Production peaks during summer, and though we could still tap them during the rainy season. It's not usually done because of the slippery trees and higher water content of the sap.

We tap the trees (or more accurately, the spathes) differently. First, a tapper need to climb the tall palms (which may grow more than 15 meters, though there are dwarf varieties reaching just 7-9 meters). Once he reaches the top, he needs to prepare the spathe (if it's a new one) by tapping or bruising the spathe to encourage the flow of the sap.

Now imagine yourself climbing (several) trees a day just to harvest the sap. It's difficult, dangerous work. Unlike maple trees where you just drive a spout into the tree and wait for the sap to run, we have to slice off about 3cm of spathe keep the sap running. So, some ingenious folk devised sky bridges. However, the more prevalent practice is to climb each tree.

(I'm not a good photographer, but here's a site with plenty of nice pictures of the our bamboo sky bridges and the tappers (http://my_sarisari_store.typepad.com/my_sarisari_store/2007/03/sky_bridges_cli.html). There are other pictures about coconut vodka making as well.)

Sugarin'
The sugar or syrup are used as sweeteners. In syrup state, it could be used as pancake syrup :eek: and if crystallized, just like any other sugar. However, we rarely produce syrup but instead, process them into sugar crystals which is usually called coconut sugar or palm sugar. One could produce two types of sugar, granulated or blocks but we usually just produce the granulated type.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/cocopalmsugar/SKzJxb4Df-I/AAAAAAAABw8/uL1a3M3KY_c/s400/P1060133.PNG (http://picasaweb.google.com/govvin/TropicalSugarin/photo?authkey=wQVeCMncF_w#5153699146813312210)
To produce one kilo of sugar, we need to process about 8 or more litres of sap.


Benefits
Our local research centers have determined that coconut sugar is a viable natural alternative for synthetic sweetener, or regular cane sugar. To process the sugar, no chemical additives are added to it. It is also considered a low GI food (glycemic index - measures release of carbohydrates in body, which then raises blood sugar levels. low GI is good. high GI is bad), meaning it is also recommended for diabetics and people who need to watch their weight.

We are trying to promote it as a natural, healthier sweetener for the health-conscious and the organics/natural market. Most of our production is exported to Korea and Japan.

Taste/Flavor
So, how does it taste like? Unlike cane sugar (or anything from cane - muscovado, mollasses, white sugar, brown sugar, etc), it doesn't leave a cloying sweet aftertaste in your mouth. When you put some in your mouth, they simply melt. There's a hint of coconut, but not enough that it would destroy the primary flavor of the food or drink. It simply enhances it with just a dash of tropical coconut flavor, and the use of wood stoves and open woks adds a hint of smokey flavor.

It is also used as a counter-flavor when cooking traditional recipes that calls for fish sauce. Of course, regular sugar could be used but it's never quite the same.


@royalmaple
Honestly, I felt some trepidation at first. But the more I read, the more I came to the conclusion that the people here are a friendly lot. :)

I'm not sure if tubings, as you use them, will work. I'm trying to bend my head around it.

@gary r
We sometimes use it in syrup state but that's rare as we really haven't found a market for it. We usually just produce granulated sugar.

@dave y
Yes, we could do that but they're usually processed as they come in so we won't have to spend more on storage. To preserve it without resorting to any additives, they would have to be placed in freezers.

@sugar maker
If you'd (or anyone else) like to try it, I'd be happy to send some to tickle your taste buds. Just take care of the shipping & handling.

@WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER
Yes, it does look a bit like maple cream.

@RileySugarbush
Yes, that's how traditional thai, indonesian and indian block palm sugar looks like, except for color. Thai palm sugar is lighter in color compared to indian or indonesian palm sugar.

Our market (Philippines and elsewhere) prefers granulated crystals, mostly for convenience sake.

[royalmaple]

The part that you cut to tap...is that hollow or could you actually drill a small hole and put in a spout? If you could then you could drill a hole use one of our regular taps and run a length of tubing down the tree into a collection bucket below. THen you don't have to climb the *&)^ tree every day or several times a day. Would that work?

I'd send you some money to try some. Do you have any of the cream available?

Send me a private message. People won't know what to think if you listen to us and have tubing run all through the areas. You'll be the sugar king.

That bridge is amazing, I have not seen too many sugarmakers that would be able to do what you are doing. Even if there was a case of beer waiting for them at the top of the bamboo walk.

[RileySugarbush]

I was thinking along a similar line. How about if you fit a soft tube fitting over the cut spathe? Think of milking machines. With or without vacuum, you could run a tube down to the ground. There has to be a big advantage to not climbing to collect every day.

[GOwin]

The cutting/shaving of the spathe is an inevitable part of the process. If no cutting is done, the spathe would just heal itself and the sap would stop running. If you start tapping a spathe, you're not allowed to get sick because missing a day means you have to wait for 2 weeks to get the sap running again. If you're lucky, that is. If you aren't, that spathe is useless for tapping sap and you'll have to wait for it to mature as coconut nuts to make it useful.

A device that would automatically shave off a thin slice of the spathe twice or thrice a day is yet to be invented. Someone, somewhere, with a more mechanical bent probably made one but I haven't seen one yet. I really wish it could be as "easy" as yours but it's not. I guess, what Mother Nature is saying is "oi, your sap sugar content is already better than the maple's. i think i'll make it a tad harder to tap you." :p

So, at the moment, I'm trying to focus the process improvement in the sugar processing itself - pans, evaporators, better stoves/furnace design.

@royalmaple
that beer comment of yours made me laugh hard.

If you like to try the cream (we call it butter), I'm sure I can spare you some. However, I hope you're not rushing to get some coz I'm taking a break in Manila, about 600 kilometers away from the farm.

I'll keep you posted as soon as I get back.

[Valley View Sugarhouse]

I wonder what a RO would do for this?? do you guys think you could get it to almost crystal state and eliminate almost all of the boiling???

[royalmaple]

No problem, enjoy your break and send me a private message with your details when you are back and have some cream. I'd like to try some.

Can you tap the base of the trees or only the tops?

[Gary R]

I would get me a JLG man lift. You could drive around, tap and collect! Would an extension ladder help? Back to the area your focusing on. I don't know what kind of resources you have but if you could come up with a small flat pan and a barrel it should greatly improve your effiecency. There are many pictures on this site of homemade equipment that should show you how there built. Good Luck.

[Sugarmaker]

Erwin,
Holy up in the air! WOW!
Cheryl (wife) broke her leg last year when she slipped crossing a ditch checking on a sap tank. This looks a little tougher:)
At least maples have some limbs that we could climb easier, hopefully we won't have to!
I would like to get some sugar form you. Let me know. Would be nice to have some in the sugar house to nibble on and tell your story.

Chris

[jemsklein]

wow that would suck if we had to do that how long have you bin doing this

[GOwin]

@Valley View Sugarhouse
I thought about those R.O. systems but the prices are prohibitive for us at this point.

@royalmaple
We can only tap from tree tops. This is where the spathes are.

@gary r
Yes, I'm scouring the homemade maple equipment forum, especially the drum evaporator.

Would anyone have any blueprints or diagrams for a gas-fired arch?

I'm keen on using gas because I could get hold of rice hulls for free. Rice is a staple food in the Philippines, and rice hulls/husks are considered waste products and are just thrown or given away. I would like to veer away from firewood because it's not sustainable and is a major source of of deforestation in the countryside.

Here's an example of a local rice hull gasifier stove:
http://www.bioenergylists.org/files/images/Continuous-Flow%20Rice%20Husk%20Gasifier%20for%20Small-Scale%20Thermal%20Applications_img_1.preview.jpg

@sugarmaker
I'm sorry to hear about your wife's accident. Now, just think what a little slip could do when you're up there. :o

PS. I was looking for that fat dog of yours in your photo gallery. Can't seem to find him/her. :)

And your bees are interesting. I'm also planning of keeping bees to help pollinate the coconut trees.

@jemsklein
I'm still considered a greenhorn. Barely a year into it.

For those interested in the coconut sugar, I'm still checking other options. I asked FEDEX but I find it very expensive. I hope to post more info next time.

[RileySugarbush]

Maybe this has been tried, or maybe not:

With the high sugar content, the healing that is happening could be due to evaporation at the cut, with the sugar clogging up the flow. If that was a closed connection, like the tube collaring the outside of the spathe discussed earlier, it may prolong flow between cuts by quite a bit as well as delivering the product to the ground through a small tube. If the tube is pre filled with water or sap and is sufficiently small in diameter, the weight of the column of fluid will create quite a vacuum at the spathe. Depending on the density of the sap, you would need to limit the drop length of the tube to prevent cavitation at the top. With water, max tube drop would be about 30 feet. less height for higher density sap.

If I was there, I'd try it just out of curiosity!

On another topic:
Does anyone burn the rice husks directly? There are some furnaces here that burn corn with an automatic feeder.

[Jim Brown]

RileySugarbush: Wouldn't you love to get over there with a 2x6-a pile of tubing and taps and a vacumm pump and see just what a guy could do?

I sure would !!!
and if that rice hull burner thing would produce a blue flame then you could replace the oil burner in a 2x6 and burn rice hulls to produce heat.
The posibilities seem to be endless!

Jim

[RileySugarbush]

I'd just like to see the 20% sap pouring out of one of these things. If I need to go to a tropical paradise to see it, all the better!

[GOwin]

@RileySugarbush
That is interesting. I will try this out when I get back and see how it works out. I'll be posting the results here.

Yes, rice hulls are still burned directly but this is not the optimal way of harnessing the stored energy in rice hulls, hence the use of gasification.

@Jim Brown
The rice hull burner produces blue flames, quality similar to burners using propane/LPG. In fact, a local bakery replaced its LPG-fed system to a Rice Hull Gasification (RHG) stove. Details in PDF here (http://www.crest.org/discussiongroups/resources/stoves/Belonio/Rice_Husk_Gasifier_for_Bakery_Oven-Agri_Magazine.pdf).

The stove model used by the bakery is of an older design. Now, continuous flow systems are available with power output rated at 19kW.

Pipe-type burner flames:
http://www.bioenergylists.org/files/images/Continuous-Flow%20Rice%20Husk%20Gasifier%20for%20Small-Scale%20Thermal%20Applications_img_3.jpg

Jet-type burner flames:
http://www.bioenergylists.org/files/images/Continuous-Flow%20Rice%20Husk%20Gasifier%20for%20Small-Scale%20Thermal%20Applications_img_5.jpg

Drum-type burner flames:
http://www.bioenergylists.org/files/images/Continuous-Flow%20Rice%20Husk%20Gasifier%20for%20Small-Scale%20Thermal%20Applications_img_4.jpg

These RHG stoves can also use sawdust and other fine-particle biomass but is optimized for dried rice hull.