Mold? & crystals

[mtbguy]

I've got 2-4 bottles of last years syrup left (my first attempt), one batch has large crystals in the bottom which I assume is because I took it past syrup (they do look kind of neat though like a huge gemstone). But I also have a hazy substance on the bottom of the bottles. This haze will break free if you turn the bottle upside down and shake it. Has this syrup spoiled or is it mold?

[Haynes Forest Products]

The haze at the bottom is not mold but sedement and will not hurt a thing. Mold will be at the top and most likely will be off white and will be thin and will slip right off the top. The nice thing about the mold is it stops growing and as long as its sealed it wont keep growing and consume the syrup just skim off and reheat and serve.
Bust up that rock candy and let air dry and dont let the kids get it they wont appreciate it. I did super dark 2 points over last year and one of the last bottle I have has over 1 1/2" of solid crystal in the bottom man is it cool to look at right up there with watching your releaser dump or the sap ladder work.

[mtbguy]

What can I do to reduce the sediment? I did use the orlon cone with prefilters last year and this year I'm doing a prefilter off the evaporator and the orlon and prefilter off the finishing pot. I haven't bottled yet so I don't know if the double filtering is worth it. Thanks for the quick response.

[Haynes Forest Products]

you will never have crystal clear syrup unless you put it thru a press. BUT what you can do is set a 5 gallon container out of the way with hot packed syrup in it and let it sit for a few weeks and then ever so gently siphon off the top and reheat and bottle its a messy syrup wasting kind of way to get nice clear syrup just alot of work.
Its like good wine or home brew there will be sedement

[maple marc]

As my syrup comes off the evaporator I run it through 2 or 3 prefilters and the orlon. This is usually adequate if I am bottling in plastic. However, I have learned that to get that really clear look in glass, I need to filter again. I do this after I have re-heated it to bottle. If your are going to the expense of buying glass, it's worth it to make the extra effort and filter twice.