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Thread: bad sap

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Ravena,NY
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    12

    Default bad sap

    How do you know if sap is bad? I am in ny and we just had our first of the 50+ degree weather and I am worried about the sap. Some of it looked a little yellow. This sap has only been in the buckets since sunday and it was freezing cold both nights and it barely got to 40. Any thing would help?

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    central Maine
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    104

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    You can smell it, it smells like dirty socks. Sap can have a yellow tint. It usually takes a few days of warm weather to spoil the sap. You might freeze some jugs filled with water and throw them in sap or bury it in snow.
    200+- taps buckets & tubing
    waterloo/small 2x6
    raised flue
    Ferguson TO30
    24x24 saphouse
    5" filter press by D.L.Sheets Maple
    1996 SkiDoo Skandic

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Nova Scotia
    Posts
    156

    Default

    Sap will look cloudy when it it just about spoiled. Sap that has frozen in buckets looks yellowish due to the water freezing and the sugar not freezing. The "yellow" is concentrated sap. Mother Natures RO at work.
    Darren

    Tapped 100 % Red maple for 14 years.
    Grew from 22 trees to 325.
    New woodlot and sugarwoods will have 3-4000 taps.
    3x8 LaPierre raised flue already bought and waiting patiently in storage.
    Looking forward to using 3/16" tubing.
    Can't wait for 2019!!!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    guilford, ct
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    20

    Default

    ...so what happens if you boil bad sap?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Belchertown, MA
    Posts
    181

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    Depends on how spoiled it is. Because there is more microbial activity, your sugar content is going to be a lot lower than fresn sap e.g you aren't going to get the ratios you would with fresh sap. Naturally occuring microbes and yeasts convert the sugars in the sap. So, lower ratios. Older sap will also make darker syrup. Personally I like the darker stuff more and it wouldn't bother me. If sap is too far gone you will make syrup with off flavors. Judgment call on your part. You can smell and taste the sap. If it tastes bad chances are the syrup will taste bad as well. Good luck!
    John

    2 x 8 custom arch, custom raised flue pan, AOF/AUF, custom auto draw off and other automation
    400 taps (buckets and tubing)
    18 x 24 timber frame shack
    Two daughters that are a LOT of help
    Greyhound that drinks sap (and has gas)
    2011 Gator 825 XUV with 100 gallon tank
    5 275 gallon IBC totes for storage

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Caledon, Ontario
    Posts
    2,176

    Default

    Now if you're talking metabolic or buddy sap, you'll know without a doubt you've got it. The smell of it boiling will just about make you sick to your stomach.

    The real trick is to keep yesterday's good sap seperate from today's buddy sap so you don't spoin the good stuff by
    mixing it.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Ravena,NY
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    I boiled the sap yesterday and the syrup came out fantastic. I am new to this but for sap that was 2 days old I got 1 gallon out of 35. It was my best ratio this year. I appriciate the help. This is a great site.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    NY
    Posts
    7

    Default

    If you taste the sap can you tell the difference between buddy sap and good sap.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    guilford, ct
    Posts
    20

    Default

    ok...so I pretty much know I boiled some spoiled sap. It didn't look yellow or smell particularly bad during boil, but the near-finished syrup is really dark; it does taste very sweet though. What I'd like to know, is there any health hazard to using syrup made from possible bad sap?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    NE PA
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    1,564

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Adammp1 View Post
    ok...so I pretty much know I boiled some spoiled sap. It didn't look yellow or smell particularly bad during boil, but the near-finished syrup is really dark; it does taste very sweet though. What I'd like to know, is there any health hazard to using syrup made from possible bad sap?
    No, the long boil at the high temp needed for syrup is going to kill anything that might have been growing in there. As long as it tastes good it's fine.

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