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Thread: Question - first syrup looks like honey and tastes like butterscotch - what's up?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    Delafield
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    Default Question - first syrup looks like honey and tastes like butterscotch - what's up?

    Question - my first pint ever - syrup looks like honey and tastes like butterscotch - what's up? It's not bad, real sweet, but not the amber, maple flavor I was expecting. Did I not boil it down enough?
    Any coaching is appreciated,
    Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Birdsboro PA
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    1,326

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    Early syrup is usually lighter and less pronounced flavor.
    first year 2012 50 taps late season made 2 1/2 gals.

    2013 2x6 homemade arch 180 taps. 20 Gals.

    2014 40 on 3/16 gravity 160 on buckets.

    http://omasranch.wix.com/omasmaple

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Lyman, NH
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom M View Post
    Question - my first pint ever - syrup looks like honey and tastes like butterscotch - what's up? It's not bad, real sweet, but not the amber, maple flavor I was expecting. Did I not boil it down enough?
    Any coaching is appreciated,
    Thanks
    I notice my first syrup was extremely light and not your typical "maple" taste. Probably the lightest color I have ever made! After 29 gallons, it's gotton a little darker and more mapley but still exceptionally light and well above the Fancy Test Cup! I suspect things will darken and the traditional maple taste will resume.

    I may do some blending for my first few drums to bring the color and taste that my fancy customers expect. Or blend it with some Dark Amber to make a nice Medium blend!
    2012: Probably 750 gravity taps and 50 buckets.

    600 gal stainless milk tank.
    2 - 100 gallon stock tanks
    one 30 gal barrel
    50 buckets

    3' x 10' Waterloo Raised Flue wood fired evaporator w/ open pans.

    12" x 20" Filter Canner

    Sawmill next to sugarhouse solves my sugarwood problem

    Gather with GMC 3500 2wd Pickup w/ 425 gallon Plastic Tank.

    Been tapping here in Lyman NH since 1989 but I've been sugaring since 8 years old in 1968.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Rockford, IL
    Posts
    175

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    My first batch from my Sugar and Red maples were exactly the way you described. The second batch from these trees has a maple flavor and is a little darker in color. Now I just finished my first batch from my Silver maples and guess what? Butterscotch flavor and looks like honey. Can't wait for the second batch if ya know what I mean. By the way how much syrup can one eat and still be considered in control?
    2020
    8th year making sugar
    120 taps second year on vac

    2x4 Divided pan.
    Homemade RO 4x42XLE
    Shurflo 4048 pump

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Plymouth, WI
    Posts
    398

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    We tap all sugars and our first batch was super light and has a smooth hint of butterscotch flavor. We blend different batches together to give our syrup the full spectrum of flavor. That is what our customers like about our syrup.
    150 on 3/16 gravity 2018 and 120 sap sacks
    14 x 20 sugar shack
    2014 New custom 2x6 arch "The Firestorm" w/ preheater, AUF & AOF
    Smokey Lake pans and water jacket bottler
    2024 new 2x8 set of drop flue pans and hood from Smoky Lake. Lengthen our arch.
    Just a hobby but seems like more work every
    year
    3 generations working together
    Wife that guards our syrup
    43.74° N

  6. #6
    lpakiz Guest

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    I have experienced the butterscotch taste also. Usually on the first batch. I also think that it has a very smooth, silky feel on the tongue.
    Now, for you folks who have this butterscotch taste, does it stay in the syrup forever? I ask because it seems that after several weeks, the butterscotch taste is not nearly so pronounced.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    River Falls, WI
    Posts
    831

    Default mine too

    I made the lightest syrup I have ever seen the other day. Looked just like honey. I cooked mine on my woodstove, because it was just the first five gallons of sap of the season and it hasn't run since. Hope the weather warms up a little bit for us, we're ten degrees below average right now, when all I want is some average days. Personally I like the B grade much better.
    -Ryan


    Went off the deep end. Might be in over my head...

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Caledon, Ontario
    Posts
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    The butterscotch flavour in my light syrup did, in fact, stay in the syrup. Well, until I ate it.
    ~ Karen ~

    2012 - 10 taps, 1 turkey fryer - 169.5L sap 4.2 L syrup
    2013 - 23 taps, 2 turkey fryers - 748.5 L sap 17.56 L syrup

    2014 - 22 taps, 509 L sap 12.5 L syrup
    2015 - 28 taps, 1093.75 L sap 25.1 L syrup
    2016 - 25 taps, 1223.5 L sap 28.25 L syrup
    2017 - 21 taps, 518.5 L sap 12.7 L syrup
    2018 - 28 taps, 2 turkey fryers & Denali 3 burner propane stove - 798L sap 16.9 L syrup
    2019 - 28 taps, 1409.5L sap 40.12L syrup

    Sugar, Norway, Manitoba, Silver and Freeman Maples



  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Steubenville,Ohio
    Posts
    378

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    Thats the stuff we bottle for ourselves. love it.
    SevenCreeksSap
    About 80 taps and a sapsucker.
    A wife who doesn't shop and lets me buy Maple stuff

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    North Grenville
    Posts
    1,477

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    LOL cool to read that Wisconsians/Wisconsonites? are also getting *honey*-coloured syrup... provided I have actually done things right this time, the following link should take you to my Maple Gallery and show you similar batches of honey-toned syrup.

    http://www.dpchallenge.com/portfolio...ction_id=41009

    If you read the area below the photos in the Photographer's Comments, you can read a descrip of what you are seeing as in some pics there are several lookalike bottles from different years.

    As to taste...hmmm taste of mine is milder than usual full-out expected maple flavour, but I don't really pick up any butterscotch overtones. Generally I get my honey-coloured syrup mid-run, normally my first few batches are light to medium amber.

    Hope this helps and hope my linky works this time, if not please PM me! Thanks!
    Been tapping since 2008.
    2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
    2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
    2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
    2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
    2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
    2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup

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