the "normal" smell of sap?

[SilverLeaf]

OK, after posting this question about "buddy" sap (http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?t=8642) the other day, I've a new theory.

This is the first year I'm storing sap in bulk (I've got 55-gal drums). Every other year I just left it in the 4-gal buckets I was using to collect it with. What I'm noticing this year is that I don't smell anything when it's still in the buckets but the second I put a bunch of the sap in my drums I get a good whiff. My drums are clean, so there's nothing leaching into the sap.

So my question is - when you aggregate a bunch of sap together, does it intensify the normal smell which would be otherwise too subtle to notice? Those of you out there with big holding tanks - if you stuck your head in the tank would you get a good whiff of somethin' even when the sap is good? (or is the sap still odorless?)

Many thanks!

[PerryW]

So my question is - when you aggregate a bunch of sap together, does it intensify the normal smell which would be otherwise too subtle to notice? Those of you out there with big holding tanks - if you stuck your head in the tank would you get a good whiff of somethin' even when the sap is good? (or is the sap still odorless?)

Good sap is odorless, even when stored in a large tank. If your tank needs cleaning, then it will smell even if you have good sap going in to the tank.

RE Buddy Sap: I.M.O., you can NOT tell if the sap is buddy by the smell (until it starts boiling). I have taken good-looking, clear, odorless sap (from late in the season) boiled it down and made light colored syrup that still tasted buddy. COnversly, I have boiled down cloudy sap that smelled and made good tasting syrup.

[SilverLeaf]

Interesting. For what it's worth, I boiled down all the "smelly" sap this weekend and it made perfectly fine syrup. The second it was in the evap for a minute it smelled just like the normal sweet smell of sap-becoming-syrup. I was very relieved!

Not sure what the deal is, but the new sap that's flowing in the big run we're having these past couple days doesn't seem to have such a strong smell in the tanks. The problem must have been something to do with the first trickle of sap that the trees were releasing. It's been a strange spring.

[PerryW]

The problem must have been something to do with the first trickle of sap that the trees were releasing. It's been a strange spring.

My guess is that the first sap that runs after a warm spell is flushing all the spoiled sap residue that's been sitting in the small sags in your droplines & tubing.

When we (hopefully) get a freeze here in NH on wednesday night, I plan to wash out my tanks before the freeze. When the saps start flowing on thursday, I plan to run dump out the first few percent of the saprun to reduce the amount of smelly sap in that first run to keep my grade up.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

When sap starts clouding any, it will get an off smell. Funny thing, the steam coming off even evaporator, even the syrup pan has a different or "off" smell sometimes when boiling cloudy sap, but most of the time, it turns out beautiful syrup.