Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

[Homestead Maple]

Thank you for explaing why the grade color can become lighter after prolonged cold spell during a maple season. I was wondering about this earlier today. I hope the temperatures moderate after this freeze up so that the season is extended!

[Meuphrat]

Thank you so much for that response!! Exactly the info I was looking for. So cool!!

Good to hear that your season is going well.

Buds don't really affect flavor....until they do....meaning that when it turns buddy, the season is basically done. Almost like a switch, although sometimes there is a little "pre-bud" and sometimes (rarely) a real cold snap can cause the a slight buddy off-flavor to recede temporarily. This is caused by a change in the amino acid composition in the sap due to bud development. Active buds release a suite of amino acids into the sap.....which make the sap taste terrible. They do this only at and after budbreak. Any "pre-bud" flavor is due to some trees in the system having started to bud, but most have not. Usually it's just a short time period before they all pop.

Regular flavor development in syrup is fairly complex, however it is the microbes in the system converting sucrose to invert sugar, and the combination with various amino and organic acids in sap that results in darker color/stronger flavor (one of the most common organic acids is malic acid....the compound which also gives apples their tartness....malic acid is a major constituent of niter -- calcium malate). More microbes when it is warm, thus darker syrup. When you have a cold snap, you kill off some of the microbes, therefore less sucrose inversion so the grade comes back up. In rare circumstances, near the very end, the sap pH can get so low that the color can lighten due to reduced "alkaline degradation" during boiling. That'll make light syrup with a not so great flavor.

[sapman]

Good to hear that your season is going well.

Buds don't really affect flavor....until they do....meaning that when it turns buddy, the season is basically done. Almost like a switch, although sometimes there is a little "pre-bud" and sometimes (rarely) a real cold snap can cause the a slight buddy off-flavor to recede temporarily. This is caused by a change in the amino acid composition in the sap due to bud development. Active buds release a suite of amino acids into the sap.....which make the sap taste terrible. They do this only at and after budbreak. Any "pre-bud" flavor is due to some trees in the system having started to bud, but most have not. Usually it's just a short time period before they all pop.)

Hi Doc,

Not sure if I'm experiencing that temporary bud recession or what, but my syrup has gone from what I thought was buddy, to good flavored, overnight! I even had about 7-8 gallons of finished syrup that I put back in the front pan from yesterday, as I didn't have the filter press ready. It had very bitter aftertaste. When dumping back in today, it tasted fine. Couldn't believe it!

Here's hoping I have another good day or two! And I almost started pulling taps yesterday, but I found out buddy isn't worthless, after a call to Bascom's. Wife said finish what I had, but it's been running so hard, I decided to keep going.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Dr Tim,

When the reds start the flowering bud is the sap still good until they start the leaf bud and same with sugars?? Seems most of the time my reds get to that they are done running anyway.

[woodfordmark]

Sap has started running again here in the Bennington area....northern exposure....todays run tested 2.4% and as of 8pm the run was still steady....all gravity

[woodchuck]

Sap ran well for me here on the western slope of Chittenden county. Kicked in around noon and is still going. SC did not improve with the last freeze. Starting to believe the old say “Weak sap means a long season”...... Lots to learn.

[MJPJ Sugars]

Steady drip-drip-drip in Georgia, VT here tonight. Crystal clear... Reminds me of 2 Saturday's ago at the start of that 4-day non-stop run.


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[wiam]

200 gallons in my woods tank at 5:00. Temp had been dropping to 30. Went up on hill to check tank just barely. Temp was 31. Almost 600 in tank. Releaser had froze stuck open. Sap started pouring out dry line before I got Releaser straightened out. And had warmed up to 33 in about 10 minutes. Hold on guys. It is coming.

[DoubleBrookMaple]

Southwestern Vermont is flowing on my west facing mountainside! Turned vacuum on at 1pm, and in 12 hours I have 300 gallons in the tank from my 330 taps. Flowing at 30 gph right now under 23" and 1.5%, again.... and just below my average of 1.7, so I am not complaining now that I have my RO running so good. I just tested it today with my improvements. Nearly 2 gpd per tap! 30's mostly, so gravity is plugging along..
Looks like a good week ahead. Supposed to freeze again here Friday night, maybe Saturday night, and again next Tuesday night. Good cycles if all goes well! No temps over low to mid 50's so, I hope the trees stay sleepy.
Then comes April...

[wdchuck]

Sap ran well all day yesterday and then continued overnight- temps went to 34, but my releasers never froze up. Go figure!...My new tanks with A gallon and a half per tap capacity are just about to overflow. C'mon Dad,wake up and start hauling!