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Thread: Spoiled sap?

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Mosinee, Wisconsin
    Posts
    15

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    I know it doesn't help you now, but people have froze water in empty milk jugs, prior to season beginning. So, when they run into situations like this with warm temps, they drop a few of the frozen jugs inside the sap to help keep it cool. I've done this in the past and it definitely helps!

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    chester, ma
    Posts
    905

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    I had a batch like that last year. Smelled just a little funny, and when I boiled a little bit of it, it the smell intensified. I dunno about what you want to make into syrup, but I dumped the sap. Of course, this is a hobby for me, if I had to make a living off it... I probably still woulda dumped the sap, but who knows!
    2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
    2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
    2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
    2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
    2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
    2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
    2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
    2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
    2024: 17 taps
    All on buckets

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Pembroke,ON
    Posts
    55

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bad Bunny View Post
    My sap looks the same and I was going to ask the same question, so thank you for the advice. :-(

    So how do small operations keep their sap cold enough to keep from spoiling when February temps are pushing 70 degrees? I tapped 68 trees this year and have about 55 gallons so far (and already threw 5 gallons away).
    Luckily I have lots of snow now but later in the season I will freeze pails of sap to keep them, I sometimes remove the blocks from the pails, cover them in plastic bags and stack in the freezer like cord wood. I can then use the blocks to keep drums cool. If you watch the local classifieds you can usually pick up old freezers for pretty cheap when people are downsizing or upgrading to more modern ones. I bought three large clean freezers for $25 to $40 each.
    2018: 40 taps, 19.5l syrup
    2017: 80 taps, 20 liters syrup.
    2016: 40 taps, 38.5 liters maple syrup. Bonus 1 liter of Birch Syrup from 12 taps.
    2015: 1st time! 13 taps, 175l sap, 8.2l syrup

    Boiling on arch made from old wood furnace with 4 steam table pans

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Central Vt
    Posts
    402

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    the battle to keep sap cold is one that all weekend boilers fight... but in the end the only answer is to boil asap. I have buried containers in snow, covered with insulation and even then 70 degree weather you need to boil that day. Some will take jugs and fill them with sap and freeze them in the freezer, then drop into the sap. This helps for marginal days, but likely not for several 70deg days. I had considered making a cold storage location set into a hillside like a root cellar, but in the end opted to just boil as soon as I can. It means some sleepless nights and bleary days at work, but really is the only solution for me.

    Good luck and I know how sad it is dumping sap
    31 Taps in 2011 with buckets, Barrel evap
    45+ Taps for 2012 with buckets, 2x5 Dryer Arch with steel pans ! 8x11 Sugar Shack, Dump Stations,
    60 Taps for 2013- Insulated Dryer arch, AUF,
    2014 watched from sidelines...
    70 Taps for 2015 - dryer arch, new 2x5 divided pan from Smokey Lake with a float box !
    70 Taps for 2016 - added a preheater and new grates for the Dryerator.
    80 Taps for 2018 - Dryer arch got new front and door

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Genesee County
    Posts
    7

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    We had quite a bit of sap that looked like that, too-although it wasn't bubbly. Ours definitely didn't taste sour (we experienced that in 2013 when we had 80° days and had to dump 150 gallons of sap <sick still over that one!>); it actually tasted quite pleasant. With that being said, I measured Brix at exactly 38° and it was at 2.8; the latest (03.11.17), which was barely cloudy, measured 3.7. We started our season on Feb. 14 with 32 taps - all Sugar maples- and the sap run has been very intermittent with our roller coaster temps-Brix started out at 3.7. We've had hardly any "crystal clear" sap-only week one. Many times the sap has actually been slightly cloudy when collected the next day in cooler temps. I'm not entirely sure what's happening. I realize it'll make super dark syrup but it's still worth it and awesome! Could the cloudiness have to do with rain?

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