Options for sweet during upcoming 8-day freeze temps?

[tgormley358]

I decided to start tapping with 20 buckets for now, and add tubing for the other 100 taps during the freeze starting next Tuesday 2/13 and ends 2/20 or later per the current forecasts. I expect to have around 120 gallons collected by the start of that freeze, barely enough to sweeten my 2x5 raised flue and might not even get any syrup yet. My question is whether to let it sit and freeze in the pans for a week or more with temps no higher than 34 and lows in the single digits, or handle it like end of season and finish it all into a few gallons of syrup, then start fresh after the freeze around the 2/20 a 2/22 timeframe. Can solid ice damage the pans if left there? I could keep some low heat on to prevent that but would have to avoid making it to warm at the same time.

[Bucket Head]

Well, the sweet will probably "keep" in those temps. but I would not let it freeze in the pans. Knowing it could be a long time before the next boil, I would finish what you have and start again when Mother Nature allows for more sap.

Steve

[Bucket Head]

And yes on the damaged pans. Damaged pans will be waaay more demoralizing than some lost sap and/or syrup. The sweet may only skim over with thin ice and not freeze solid- but why take the chance with your rig? Drain it out and clean it out. You'll sleep better at night doing that.

Steve

[tgormley358]

Steve, agreed that’s where I’m leaning. But if a hassle having to shut down then restart, oh well. I might consider emptying all of it into buckets then reload it post freeze, but that would also be a pain if it froze anywhere near solid in buckets. Thanks.

[aamyotte]

If you have it in buckets frozen solid you could bring it in somewhere warm the night before restart to let it thaw out. That way frozen it won't spoil at least and your pan will be safe.

[Bucket Head]

Yes, restarting is a pain, but the bucket plan will work fine. It'll save the pans and eliminate worry. The sweet probably won't freeze solid, even in the pails, but pails are expendable! Good luck this season.

[MRFNY]

For long stretches of cold weather i put a lantern in the arch on a very low setting and that is enough to keep it from freezing and not getting it nearly warm enough to grow anything. The first boil after the cold freeze is going to kill anything anyways

[bigschuss]

Does freezing sap really ruin a pan? I allow sap to freeze all the time in my 2x4 pan and I've never ruined a pan in 20 years. Sap freezes in my buckets constantly and it never ruins them. And water in my 18,000 gallon pool freezes every winter and does not run that. If the water (or sap) has space to expand into there will be no damage.

Just curious?

Personally I think you're fine allowing the sap to freeze in the pan.

[toquin]

I wouldnt like a solid freeze in a raised flue pan.

[Andy VT]

I cannot tell you for sure that it is safe to let the concentrated sap stay in the pan during a long freeze.
However, I am amazed how soft concentrated frozen sap is, and suspect it would be safe in the pan.
I discovered this during the making of this video, where I scoop frozen sap with an ice cream scoop easily, straight out of the freezer:
The sap is roughly 5 gallons and made a bit less than 1 gallon of syrup, whatever that comes out to in sugar content:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogILoF9odgI&t=33s

[Vtmbz]

I never rest easy with anything in the flue pan during a cold spell. It’s thousands of dollars to replace. What if eight days from now the forecast drops ten degrees?

[bigschuss]

I never rest easy with anything in the flue pan during a cold spell. It’s thousands of dollars to replace. What if eight days from now the forecast drops ten degrees?

Yes, I see your point. I have a flat pan and have never once considered draining the pan. I am at 2,000' elevation on a cold and swampy spruce/fir plateau...we routinely experience temp. swings as you mentioned. It's never been an issue.

With a flue pan though I can see the concern...I think. I was just curious if there is any truth to this. Or if it's just something people say with no real experience to back it up. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. Fresh raw sap is one thing. But if the pan was sweet there'd be a lot less water in it to begin with that I seriously doubt there'd be any risk to a flue pan. In my flat pan I can say for sure that over the past 20 years I have not suffered any damage whatsoever allowing even a semi-sweetened pan to freeze solid.

[Vtmbz]

It gets to zero here between boils sometimes. I have an antifreeze tester that I use only for sap. Draw a sample off, take it into the tester and read the freeze point. Sweetened sap will test nearly to zero, depending. But for long spells I draw the sap out.

[MRFNY]

It barely takes any heat to keep sweet from getting slushy let alone freezing solid. A light bulb in the arch or oil lantern is all it takes. I have a drop flue pan and never came close to having sweet freeze even in temps around 0.

[LMP Maple]

This is why sometimes I don't like to read these posts. Raised flue here never had an issue leaving it is the cold now you all have me thinking that maybe I should drain that back pan before the next freeze. I will say at our sugarhouse in upper Northeast kingdom of VT if my dad ever drained the pans before a freeze I certainly don't remember it. I guess its better to be safe than sorry.......

[4 Paws Sugar Shack]

I've just put a 250 watt heat bulb in a reflective hood for chickens in the arch and never had any ice form in my pans. Yeah it's a little money in electricity but it's better than having it freeze up in a barrel and being delayed

[UB29]

I try to kill two birds with upcoming long freeze periods.
Drain the pan...........and then do my least favorite thing - CLEAN IT :)

[Bucket Head]

There's two good ideas.

Steve

[DrTimPerkins]

Cold temperatures and high sugar concentration will greatly slow, but not fully halt spoilage. If possible, drain the pans and finish any concentrated sweet in another way (turkey fryer, home stove, finishing pan). A bird in hand theory.

If finishing is too problematic, drain it into REALLY clean buckets while still fairly hot (assuming the buckets can handle high temperatures).

As as mentioned...it's a good opportunity to clean the pans.

We've had 32 Brix concentrate in refrigerated bulk tanks at 25 deg F go ropey in a week. Quite painful when you have to dump 400 gal of that. Of course that started with sap that was a bit suspect after running through black mainline on a warm, sunny couple of days.