Frustration

[eustis22]

I am seeing a marked difference between how much syrup I expect to get and what I am actually putting up and I can't see where my disconnect is. I collected 325 gallons of, at worst, 1.5%. Even at 100:1 I should expect at least 3 gallons of finished syrup from that but I suspect at best I will put up 1+ gallons.

Here's the background....for starters I draw off by temp vs density (I have not yet mastered the hydrometer at the evaporator trick) and, based on the temp of my finished syrup last night, was probably drawing off about 2 degrees too low (thermometer said 219, I think it was 217). Still and all, I ended up with about 10 gallons of concentrate that I wil finish on my kitchen stove. I think so far the two batches I've finished have been boiled down to about half their original amount before they got to 59 brix (and 221+ via the thermometer so now I have a approximation of how much it is off). Then I filter into a coffee urn using two prefilters and a woolen filter. This year I've had to change the first filter a lot more often. Then once I've gotten all the finished I can get, I reheat to 180-185 and jar it up.

Of the four gallons I started the finish process with I've ended up with approx 72 ozs of syrup. I have approx 6 more gallons to finish. Last year I collected about the same amount of sap but finished with over 4 gallons using the same system. Outside of drawing too early and not using the hydrometer at the evaporator, where might I be misplacing the difference?

[DaveB]

Are you saying that you've boiled the 325 gallons down to 10 gallons of concentrate?

Syrup is just sugar and water and if you've boiled off the excess water, the sugar should be in what's left. I don't think that drawing off too early can effect that. Are you pre-wetting the filters? You could be losing some syrup there.

I know that the sugar content has been reported to be low this year (seemed about average to me) but I wonder if either the sugar content was extremely low or you actually had less sap than you thought.

[psparr]

Did you test sap for sugar content? If so how long did the sap sit till you boiled? Microbes will eat the sugar while its stored.

[sticky_sleeves]

You can get a 0-5% BRIX refractometer on ebay for about $25 - there might be some trees that have very low content depending on the time of the season. I live about 40 miles from you and with 30 taps had about 60:1 this year - much worse than last year (but hoping for a rally as another freeze in sight)

[Ryan Mahar]

If it makes anyone feel any better, my main two sugarbushes at around 2500 taps are giving my only .5% sugar content the past 48 hours. So that's 175 gallons of sap per gallon of syrup on my calculator. The syrup though still tastes very good and is dark robust.........

[eustis22]

> Are you pre-wetting the filters?

I started doing that this year, yes.

>you actually had less sap than you thought

This is a distinct possibility.

>Did you test sap for sugar content?

Not until the end of my drawing. It measured from 1.5 to 2%. Basically I just set a sap hydrometer into the bucket. Should I have used a test cup?

>If so how long did the sap sit till you boiled? Microbes will eat the sugar while its stored.

A lot did sit for a bit. I figured no harm as there was ice in the tank. After it got warm it got a bit yeasty smelling so I dumped the last 25 or so gallons.

>Microbes will eat the sugar while its stored.

They will? Oho. If that's the culprit then I will institute a new policy of boiling everything immediately after collecting forthwith. Homey Claus don't give out free meals.

[psparr]

Yes, even with ice they will still feast.

[Maplebrook]

Are you tapping reds or sugars?
I tapped reds for 14 years. Ratio was usually low 70's to 1 for sap to syrup.

Also, don't get too caught up in filtering fresh syrup for home use. Let your finished syrup settle for a couple days and the sugar sane will settle to the bottom. Pour off the clear syrup, re-heat and bottle then. Another way is store your syrup in gallon jugs in the freezer and de-cant to a serving jar as needed.

[Clinkis]

Although yes, microbes do eat sugar, your not likely to notice any significant drop of sugar content because of this. The sap would spoil long before that happened. As long as it's kept cold sap can be stored for a while and then boiled without issue or drop in sugar content. Like I mentioned, spoiling is normally the issue.

[eustis22]

>Are you tapping reds or sugars?

I have what I think are two sugars and the rest may be Norways. The fall colors match up. I'll do a closer leaf ID in the spring.

>microbes do eat sugar, your not likely to notice any significant drop of sugar content because of this.

Rats.