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Thread: Saving messed-up maple cream

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Location
    Rochester, NY
    Posts
    3

    Default Saving messed-up maple cream

    So, my team and I got in over our heads with an extra-large batch of maple cream the other day. First half of the batch went just fine, but the second half hadn't cooled down enough yet when we reached the end of our work day. We took a chance and put it in the fridge overnight to try again the next day. On coming back to work, we brought it back up to room temperature and started it through the cream machine. Something clearly wasn't right -- the room-temp syrup was too thick and taffy-like. Once the machine started agitating it, it turned color and set up very quickly, enough that the motor seized up and shut off. So once we got everything cleaned out, we were left with three bricks of very hard maple candy and half-a-pot full of dark, thickened syrup. I assume getting sloppy with the temperatures caused our problem, but I'm wondering how we might salvage the materials. Is all that crystallization reversible -- as in, can we melt that candy back down, thin the syrup, and start over? I'm pretty new at all of this so any suggestions would be much appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Chatham NH
    Posts
    1,309

    Default

    You should be able to add water, some people use distilled water to avoid the minerals in normal household water.
    Boil it back down to something that you can use, may not make cream , but should be fine to make maple sugar with, or you could filter it and just have a Darker Grade syrup.

    Your going to want to heat it/stir it somewhat slow at first until it slurrys up again. So as to avoid burning it.
    Nate Hutchins
    Nate & Kate's Maple
    2022 1000 taps?
    3x10 Intensofire
    20x36 sugarhouse
    CDL 600gph RO
    A wife and 2 kids.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

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    That's the beauty of maple, the sugar as long as nothing got into it that should not be there, the sugar is not ruined. Thin it back and make something great with it.
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Middlebury Center, PA
    Posts
    1,391

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    I always have syrup on hand to add. I have had mine clog up the machine before. Cleaned it all out put it in a bowl then added it back in while adding syrup a little at a time. Made perfect cream. I would avoid adding water.
    Jared

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Orwell,Vt.
    Posts
    1,126

    Default

    Jared nailed it, do not use water. mix in some fresh syrup and slowly bring it back to the temp you want for cream. Start over.
    2 1/2 x8 Lapierre Waterloo-Small (oil fired)
    Leader Steamaway
    1200 gph Lapierre RO
    1800 taps
    http://s268.photobucket.com/albums/j...ks/Sugarhouse/


    Mike Christian
    505 Main St. Orwell, Vt.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Chatham NH
    Posts
    1,309

    Default

    I Get the Add Syrup thing, Do it all the time when my cream sets up more than I expected. But when I hear " Bricks" I think that is beyond just adding Syrup. But maybe not.
    Nate Hutchins
    Nate & Kate's Maple
    2022 1000 taps?
    3x10 Intensofire
    20x36 sugarhouse
    CDL 600gph RO
    A wife and 2 kids.

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