Dark syrup why?????????????????

[cpmaple]

Hello all,
Last year i made 17 gallons of med. light syrup and it was on a 2x3. This year i got a 2x5 homemade with small brother pans and the syrup is coming off really dark. I dont know why boils real hard and take about 30 to 40 min. between draw offs. I dont understand why its so dark sap is going about 1.9 to 2.5% sugar. Well I hope there is a answer out there for the dark syrup but its fine for myself kids love the flovar. Hope for a better year next season. Gonna go to 350 to 500 taps for 2011. 150 on buckets and 250 to 350 on tubing cant wait hoping to upgrade one last time this summer. Happy season to all and have a great off season. (cpmaple)

[wnybassman]

Overall mine has been darker this year as well. And I have a new batch rig that boils twice as fast as before.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Warmer weather, Higher bacteria count, yellows in the tank quicker, Sweet sits in the tank longer. It is what it is so sell it dark and have fun.

[PerryW]

Every year is different. For me, I've made more Light Amber syrup than any year in my 22 years at this location, but some years I make no light amber

[cpmaple]

I finished boiling this morning and pulled the plug. I figure the sap went bad it had a yellowish tint to it only 25 gallons left. But thanks to those who responded on my question glad to know it wasnt just me. Gonna clean up and call it a year. Way off from last year only at 7 gallons for2010 compared to 17 last year.Who well get ready for next season clean sugar bush and get tubing together and taps. Have a great summer and talk to you all later.

[Groves]

I'm a batch guy on steam table pans, and one thing I've noticed no matter how I clean them is that some of my pans just produce darker syrup. I'm sure there's a reason, but it's interesting that what looks like the same pan will just produce different syrup.

Maybe your 2x5 is just a dark-maker?

[mauisun97@yahoo.com]

Made the darkest syrup in 5 years of boiling, IMO its the temp its been 60 deg. daytime and around 28 to 30 at night for a week, trees are starting to bud its time to call it quits for this season.

[heus]

Aftermaking almost all light for the season, I finally made grade B yesterday on my final boil. It actually tasted better than all the other grades in my opinion.

[maple sapper]

I consider myself a professional B maker. I have never made anything light. Dont know why. I have invested in a small RO system, sweetened my sap up as high as 7% and use a 1 micron filter bag in tank, run a 2x3 upper pan and a 20"x4' lower pan, added channels to the lower pan for more gradiant and still end up with B. I boil my sap as soon as its collected at end of the day. So it is what it is. Its really good tasting B though. Frustrated can you tell. :(

[shane hickey]

Maple sapper
I dont where your from but here in michigan there is more of a demand of b grade then light syrup and we cant understand this. I had an order of 150 gallons of budded syrup this year and I dont know what they do with this, but I guess you have to go where is money

[LawnMowerMan]

our last batch came out a beautiful reddish color, it was the best tasting syrup so far for us. I am in michigan too, and up untill this year I have bought my syrup mostly from the store and it is alway dark amber so that is what I am used to and enjoy the most. I will hoard this last batch for myself!

The light is great but just lacks the nice strong flavor I like. I would rather the dark.

[Peepers]

Getting amber/red here from the start this year as well whereas last year we had several really light batches. Must be this warm weather. This last batch was all fresh crystal clear sap but still came out fairly dark. I'm tapping silvers + 3 box elder taps. Like someone else said I prefer the darker syrup anyhow.

[wnybassman]

My medium to dark ambers have been reddish as well.

[KenWP]

Getting amber/red here from the start this year as well whereas last year we had several really light batches. Must be this warm weather. This last batch was all fresh crystal clear sap but still came out fairly dark. I'm tapping silvers + 3 box elder taps. Like someone else said I prefer the darker syrup anyhow.

I get red syrup also when it's in the pan boiling. It starts out light but gets dark by the end of a batch. Nothing has run well this year yet to separate the different tree saps like I did last year. I found the box elder boiled up the lightest.

[maplemaple2020]

ive accutly gone lighter in syrup most years i make grade b but this year i made grade a med amber

[maple flats]

Mine is dark too. Haynes hit the nail on the head. The sap is warmer and micro organisims grow faster in warmer temps. Dark is always my biggest seller, followed by med and then very few ask for light. It's all related to maple flavor, the darker the more flavor.