If you finish the syrup to the proper Brix range,(66-68.9), filter it well, then bottle it between 185 and 190°, can you still end up with nitre?
Thanks
Gary
If you finish the syrup to the proper Brix range,(66-68.9), filter it well, then bottle it between 185 and 190°, can you still end up with nitre?
Thanks
Gary
You might not have any niter problems with only 50 to 100 taps.
Ken & Sherry
Williston, VT
16x34 Sugarhouse
1,500 taps on high vacuum, Electric Releaser & CDL Sap Lifter
Wood-Fired Leader 30"x10' Vortex Arch & Max Raised Flue with Rev Syrup Pan & CDL1200 RO
https://www.facebook.com/pumpkinhillmaple/
You will still get niter. Perhaps your buildup in your pans won't be that bad if you clean them out frequently (every boil or so). However you will absolutely have nitre in your syrup. Its unavoidable and a natural byproduct from the boiling process. That is why you have to filter. And even with the best gravity filtering methods using pre-filters and high quality orlon filters, you will still have a small amount of nitre settle out of the syrup over time. Using diatomaceous earth (filter aide- special maple grade) helps a ton, especially when used in filter presses and vacuum filters.
D. Roseum
www.roseummaple.com
~100 taps on 3/16 custom temp controlled vacuum; shurflo vacuum #2; custom nat gas evap with auto-drawoff and tank level gas shut-off controller; homemade RO #1; homemade RO #2; SL SS filter press
2021: 27.1 gallons
2022: 35 gallons
This is an interesting topic.
I don't doubt that there will be nitre in the syrup. That isn't what I call a nitre problem since syrup should always be filtered which should address any problem, particularly if you are using a filter press.
My point is that I never even noticed nitre when I had only a small pan and less than a 100 taps. On a larger operation you'll have the serious nitre showing up in the syrup pan and I've heard about nitre problems in the flue pan too, particularly in the later season. The nitre can be so extreme that the plates of nitre impede flow through the float box and may be crusted around the end of the flues too. That's when you can have a real problem. I think that this level of problem typically occurs when you upgrade to vacuum and RO which results in a lot more niter minerals passing through the evaporator. Without RO you will need insane hours of boiling to get the nitre nuisance problems in the evaporator. The other problem I always had with a small divided single-pan evaporator was that the extreme boiling times in a single pan would result in very cloudy dark syrup which is why most people finish the syrup in a separate setup.
A good question for our research experts is whether vacuum/RO systems experience more nitre problems because of concentrating higher volumes of lower sugar sap -
Specifically: Are sugars and nitre mineral concentration in raw sap proportional? When your sugar drops off does the nitre stay the same, or maybe even higher? Therefore, when we squeeze the 1% sugar sap in the last boils of the season are the nitre mineral concentrations even higher?
Ken
Ken & Sherry
Williston, VT
16x34 Sugarhouse
1,500 taps on high vacuum, Electric Releaser & CDL Sap Lifter
Wood-Fired Leader 30"x10' Vortex Arch & Max Raised Flue with Rev Syrup Pan & CDL1200 RO
https://www.facebook.com/pumpkinhillmaple/
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, 5.3 gals
All on buckets
That said, the filtering and bottling process is a finicky one, and you may wind up with nitre in some of your bottles until you get the kinks worked out (I certainly did). Making syrup is like cooking, it doesn't always come out the same, and it takes time to develop the skills to get the consistent results you like.
GO
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, 5.3 gals
All on buckets
And if you do end up with a small amount of niter in your own personal syrup, big whoop. Best thing I've done for a hobbyist is go to the settling method for ridding the syrup of niter.
I once had the opinion that unfiltered (or less filtered) meant more robust maple flavor. That changed when I got my first filter press and realized the huge boost in quality. The filter press is the single most important piece of equipment for creating a quality product in my sugar house. A filter press is also used to filter the sweet during mid season pan cleaning and makes an even better and more consistent finished product. There are some small moderate priced filter presses for hobby operations and I recommend one.
Ken
Ken & Sherry
Williston, VT
16x34 Sugarhouse
1,500 taps on high vacuum, Electric Releaser & CDL Sap Lifter
Wood-Fired Leader 30"x10' Vortex Arch & Max Raised Flue with Rev Syrup Pan & CDL1200 RO
https://www.facebook.com/pumpkinhillmaple/
Ken & Sherry
Williston, VT
16x34 Sugarhouse
1,500 taps on high vacuum, Electric Releaser & CDL Sap Lifter
Wood-Fired Leader 30"x10' Vortex Arch & Max Raised Flue with Rev Syrup Pan & CDL1200 RO
https://www.facebook.com/pumpkinhillmaple/