filtering, and sterilizing sap before boiling?

[Three Saps Sugar Shack]

from mid to late season, the quality of the sap just isnt what it was at the beginning of the season, with the increasingly warmer days, tubing and taps take an interest in bacterial groth , which in turn causes the sap to become cloudy making for darker syrup, and increased sludge in my wool filter.
has anyone had any expieriance with the use of a 5 micron water filter , and an ultraviolet sterilizer?

[tstew]

I've used the water filter and have had it actually clear up some of the sap. I pump through a 5 micronfilter when pumping into my storage tanks and personnaly think it helps. I usually go through a couple filters a season. As far a uv I don't have any experience with one but hoping to buy one in the near future. Hope this helps.

[sapman]

When I started, I tried different kinds of filters, as I have easy access to them. They were nice to clean up the sap, but didn't do anything appreciable for cloudy sap. Now I just use a pop sap filter to get the big stuff. The filter bag that Agzone used to make did make a difference, I believe, but they've apparently gone out of business.

I've always used a UV, since again I got it easily (free, actually). But it's location isn't really right, just before it goes into the evaporator. So it makes no difference in my mind. It should have been before the bulk tank outside, as I dumped. I'll continue to use it with concentrate, though, as that can get bad so much quicker.

[mountainvan]

I filtered my sap with a whole house filter and then run though a uv light, before I got my ro. Now with the ro it's filtered with milk sock filters, when pumped into the ro tank. 30 micron I think. Then through a uv light, then through a 5 micron filter , then the ro, and to the back tank. Early in the season there's not much difference between my syrup and the guy over the mountains without a uv light. Latter in the season, I'm making dark amber or NY extrs dark, while they are making grade c. The only grade c I've ever made was buddy, but graded light amber. In my opinion uv lights are worth it. Make sure you get the flow right, not too fast, and filter before it goes through the uv.

[Three Saps Sugar Shack]

well... my plan was to collect then filter, then uv then to the storage tank, and i was hoping that this process would slow the turn from light to dark... i made approx 65 gals last year and plan to make about 100 this year. last year it was approx 20 gal. fancy, 30 gal. medium amber, 10 gals dark amber( half with good flavor and half slightly buddy) and 5 gals of B with a buddy flavor.. as soon as it got to that ( make you pucker dry buddy , road tar flavor) i called it a year.. is that the syrup( if you would call it syrup) referred to as "C"
so in turn , i was wondering if the filter and uv treatment would increase the %age of medium and dark amber before the turn to "B", and if this process would remove the buddy flavor from my grade "B"?

[mountainvan]

The uv light will help make more grade a. You still have to keep stuff cleaned on a regular basis. It will do nothing for buddy syrup. Grade c is any syrup daker than grade b, or with any off flavor. This can be buddy syrup, washed the tanks with bleach and forgot to rinse, washed filters with detergent and some stayed in the filter, etc...

[H. Walker]

Mountainvan, would it not be better if you put your 5 micron filter before the UV light? I've looked into the UV lights and was told to get the full effect of the light that all particle matter should be below 5 micron.

[Brent]

you need to get Brandon to chime in here.

I was going back and forth with him about UV. His lifestyle only allows him to boil on Saturdays.

He both filters and runs UV and gets good stuff through the whole run.
( and he keeps adding frozen sap to stop bacteria RE-growth )

[mountainvan]

Yes it would be better to put the 5 micron filter ahead of the uv light.

[Sugarmaker]

Filtering and UV is not going to remove buddy taste? Am I right?

I do not filter or use UV but made buddy syrup years ago and it was just the pucker up after taste, and usually dark.

Now in April of 2007 I hung 120 fresh taps got beautiful clear sap with a slight flat taste , made 12 gallons of fancy syrup ( color) that had the strongest metabolic flavor and smell that I ever witnessed very offensive but not buddy. I had to sell it as bulk.

Moral of the story when your done don't go tap more trees.

Chris

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I try to boil on Weds, Fridays and Saturdays around my work schedule and church on Sunday. I run my thru a UV light just before my 625 gallon milk tank and then filter the sap thru a sap filter after the UV light as it goes into the tank. I am looking into adding an inline water filter before the UV light, but that is a project for maybe next year. I like to freeze 8 to 10 gallon of sap each day and throw the frozen buckets of sap into the milk tank. This helps keep the sap cold as my sugarhouse is on the north side of the hill and is normally significantly colder on the inside than outside during the day. The ice really helps to keep the sap much colder and makes a big difference. I don't know how much the UV helps, but I am going to do some experimenting this year and will have more info after the season is over.