Originally Posted by
DrTimPerkins
Turns out there is. It is a spoilage microbe (same one that spoils milk) that causes ropy. It is pretty much always there, but when it is warm it can proliferate. It has nothing to do with the buds on the trees, except that they both tend to happen when it warms up. Best thing to do to avoid (ropy) it is to process your sap quickly, maybe aerate the sap or ultrafilter (jury still out on those), and fire up your pans every couple of days when it is warm to knock them back until you boil again.
We had a terrible time with ropy last year. Hot weather and lots of low and slow flow days. Sap was coming out of the lines really loaded with microbes, so by the time we could get it through the RO and into the refrigerated bulk tank it was already too late. Ruined about 25-35% of our crop. Our worst production year since 2004...even counting 2012.
A few places are doing some research on possible uses of ropy syrup...turning it into alcohol or something else useful. If it isn't too bad there is a process that "might" be able to salvage it, but again, not enough info yet.
So that's interesting.. the ropey-ness isn't due to budding at all.. I could have helped prevent it by cleaning my tank and pump filter as it warmed up! Good to know for next year.
So two quick questions: 1) you mention running through the RO and then into a refrigerated tank.. I don't use an RO but there have been discussions on some of the FB maple pages where users swear that you can't refrigerate concentrate.. it needs to be boiled right away.. But from what I'm reading that is not true? Concentrate can be refrigerated until you can boil? 2) I was going to try and make sugar with my ropey syrup.. I can usually make sugar with my last batches of the season, but should I not bother trying with ropey syrup?
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2023 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,845 L sap; Syrup count: 49.25L
2022 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,530 L sap; Syrup count: 48.65L
2021 -29 trees -23 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1240 L sap; 34.5L of syrup
2020 -30 trees 32 taps. ~900 L sap; 27.1L Syrup.
2019 -27 trees 31 taps. ~725 L sap; 22.2L Syrup.
2018 -19 Trees 20 taps. ~750 L sap; 18 L Syrup
2017 -4 trees 4 taps. ~60 L sap; 1.5 L Syrup