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Thread: craptacular end to my season.

  1. #1
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    Default craptacular end to my season.

    What a crap way to end the season, I ruined the last 15 gallons of syrup i drew off. apparently my filter out of the head tank got contaminated and was ruining the sap as it passed through, as i was finishing it over the last few days i could tell there was something a little off. i have 10 gallons finished inside and another 4-5 gallons of nearup out in the pans. The syrup is cloudy despite my usual filtering method and has a weird after taste.

    Tomorrow i'm going to dump the pans and scrub them, and rip the **** filter housing out, set it on fire, smash it with a hammer and maybe use it for target practice for good measure.

    Very doubtful i'll make much more syrup this year unless they run like they did at the start of the season (not very likely). this sucks. so much for selling any real amount of product to put towards next years upgrades.

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    2016 - 36 Taps - File Cabinet Arch + Food Pans
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  2. #2
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    What was your filter contaminated with? How do you know it was your filter?
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrTimPerkins View Post
    What was your filter contaminated with? How do you know it was your filter?
    i believe the filter housing was heating up in the sunlight and causing the filter to taint the sap as it passed through. it was cold, but i believe it heats up like a greenhouse effect. when i checked it today, there was a definite aroma coming from the housing and the sap looked like soapy dishwater after it thawed.
    2016 - 36 Taps - File Cabinet Arch + Food Pans
    2017 - 2.5'x10' drop flues - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 122 Taps
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  4. #4
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    That sounds unrealistic unless you never changed the filter in the housing all year. I assume you are referring to a filter like a whole house filter.
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  5. #5
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    Usually when I start smelling that odd smell and can taste it as well, that is usually the budding taste. No matter how often you change your filters or keep your tanks clean, you won't be able to get rid of the budding taste, and your season is done. Your filters and tanks will get that sour smell after just one run, especially near the end of the season. I wouldn't rip out that filter just yet. Maybe you can try to cover it to keep the sun off it though?

    Good luck with your hospital stay. Nothing serious I hope.
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  6. #6
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    I have had a hard time getting sap through the RO this week - thought it was fouled membranes so gave them a good wash and scrubbed out housings. Sap was clear and around 35º and syrup has been some of the lightest I have made all year. The weird thing is there has been a slight yeasty smell to the sap coming out. Syrup tastes fine and is crystal clear but not sure what is going on with the trees after that freeze there is definitely something plugging up the water filter and membranes. Will collect tomorrow and then pulling out.
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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by jmayerl View Post
    That sounds unrealistic unless you never changed the filter in the housing all year. I assume you are referring to a filter like a whole house filter.
    i've changed it a few times and washed in between runs, but i'm still quite certain that's the source of my problem. i'm going to test boil a gallon direct from the head tank and another gallon direct from the pans (which as been run through the filter already) and see where the problem is.
    2016 - 36 Taps - File Cabinet Arch + Food Pans
    2017 - 2.5'x10' drop flues - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 122 Taps
    2018 - 16x20 Sugar Shack - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 235 Taps

  8. #8
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    please post what you find out - I actually had this happen back in 2013 - similar situation with a warm-up followed by a cold snap. Again I thought it was the RO but looking at my logs I am thinking it is something coming out of the trees that was caused by the weather.
    2' x 3' backyard evaporator with homemade steam hood
    38.5 gallons produced in 2022
    120 taps all on 3/16" tubing
    4" x 40" homemade RO built for 2023
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  9. #9
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    The filter will fall to degradation of any sugar that is on the filter media. When this is contaminated it will contaminate all product that flows through it.

    Have the filter on a quick disconnect fittings so it can be removed if there is a problem.

    Warm temps expedite the bacteria growth.

    Consider a screen media that can me rinsed off daily. it can even be set into the back pan and the boiling sap will kill any bacteria.

    20+ years of filtering sap you learn a few tricks.

    Good Luck!
    Ben

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by BreezyHill View Post
    The filter will fall to degradation of any sugar that is on the filter media. When this is contaminated it will contaminate all product that flows through it.

    Have the filter on a quick disconnect fittings so it can be removed if there is a problem.

    Warm temps expedite the bacteria growth.

    Consider a screen media that can me rinsed off daily. it can even be set into the back pan and the boiling sap will kill any bacteria.

    20+ years of filtering sap you learn a few tricks.

    Good Luck!
    Ben
    i had a metal screen filter but felt it wasn't catching enough, so i went a household type filter, which is looking like the culprit at this point. Lesson learned, pre-rinse the filter with hot water and dispose of it daily, if i decide to leave it inline next year. I'm trying to isolate my problem by testing different batches from the tank vs what went through the filter into the pans already, that discussion is here -> http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...a-water-filter
    2016 - 36 Taps - File Cabinet Arch + Food Pans
    2017 - 2.5'x10' drop flues - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 122 Taps
    2018 - 16x20 Sugar Shack - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 235 Taps

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