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Thread: Eastern Ontario 2022

  1. #231
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    North Gower, Ontario Canada
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrTimPerkins View Post
    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?
    ______________________________
    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

  2. #232
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    Lanark, ON
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrTimPerkins View Post
    It isn't real uncommon to get really light syrup late in the season. Sap is normally a bit acidic, but as it spoils it turns more acidic. During boiling, sap goes through an "alkaline degradation" phase, where the pH rises sharply, then drops off. It is during this time (high pH, alkaline) that niter forms and there are lots of chemical reactions that form flavor and color. So if the sap starts out quite acidic, it may never or just barely reach an alkaline pH. If this happens, less color and flavor are made (very light-colored syrup), less niter forms...all seems really good...except that the syrup may taste sour.
    This happened to us today - the 2nd drum we filled came all the way back to 60LT.
    4,600 Taps on vacuum
    9,400 gallons storage
    3 tower CDL RO
    3.5'x14' Lapierre Force 5
    Twitter & Instagram: @ennismaple
    www.ennismaple.com

  3. #233
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    Mar 2016
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    North Gower, Ontario Canada
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    So this is interesting. This whole season I had been of the mindset that it was shorter but much more furious than last year. However I just checked my logs.

    I tapped on March 16/2021 last year, with my first boil on March 20th and my last boil on April 4th/2021.

    This year I tapped on March 10th (well, the lines were running on March 10th..the buckets were hung on March 7th, but barely had anything in them). My first boil was March 17th (we had a freeze for 2-3 days over the weekend of March 12th) and my last boil was April 5th.

    For me, this season was actually almost a full week longer than last year while this whole time I thought it was shorter. Approx 1,530L of sap this year vs 1,242L last year. Boiling was all done within about 3 weeks from first boil to last boil in both years.

    Funny how the mind works sometimes..
    ______________________________
    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

  4. #234
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    Mar 2006
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    Lanark, ON
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    Paulslund - We've been tracking data on our seasons for decades. Over the past 20 years both out mean and our median season is 32 days from first boil to last boil. This year was 28 days (> average), 2021 was longer for us at 34 days but produced less syrup.
    4,600 Taps on vacuum
    9,400 gallons storage
    3 tower CDL RO
    3.5'x14' Lapierre Force 5
    Twitter & Instagram: @ennismaple
    www.ennismaple.com

  5. #235
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    Quote Originally Posted by paulslund View Post
    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?
    We concentrate to 32 Brix, refrigerate from 1-5 days (down to about 25 deg F), then boil when we have 500-750 gal of concentrate. It can still go ropy, but much slower than otherwise. We are looking at ways to slow down that process even more (aeration, UV treatment of filtrate, etc.), but typically if we're concerned about it going ropy we will boil.

    As far as making sugar...hard to tell. Depends on the invert level and HOW ropy it is. Best I can say is give it a try (maybe on a smaller scale).
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  6. #236
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    Quote Originally Posted by ennismaple View Post
    This happened to us today - the 2nd drum we filled came all the way back to 60LT.
    Yup...looks great. Doesn't always taste great though. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  7. #237
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Lanark Ontario
    Posts
    73

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    Quote Originally Posted by DrTimPerkins View Post
    It isn't real uncommon to get really light syrup late in the season. Sap is normally a bit acidic, but as it spoils it turns more acidic. During boiling, sap goes through an "alkaline degradation" phase, where the pH rises sharply, then drops off. It is during this time (high pH, alkaline) that niter forms and there are lots of chemical reactions that form flavor and color. So if the sap starts out quite acidic, it may never or just barely reach an alkaline pH. If this happens, less color and flavor are made (very light-colored syrup), less niter forms...all seems really good...except that the syrup may taste sour.
    What about Brix level? In the last week, after 4 days of hot weather followed by snow, the Brix level in my sap jumped from 2.5 to 3.0. I was expecting it to drop as the season wore on.
    Eastern Ontario (Lanark Highlands)
    http://www.espritdanslaforet.ca or http://www.spiritintheforest.ca

    Canada's First Provably Net Zero GHG Emissions Maple Syrup Producer
    Waterloo 18" x 5' wood fired evaporator

    2022 - 121 taps on gravity lines, 1150 L online + 600 L offline storage
    2021 - 92 taps on buckets & gravity lines, 750 L storage
    2020 - 75 taps on buckets, 750 L storage
    2019 - 34 taps, 400 L storage
    2018 - 12 taps, 100 L storage

  8. #238
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    May 2009
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    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    Quote Originally Posted by PaulRenaud View Post
    What about Brix level? In the last week, after 4 days of hot weather followed by snow, the Brix level in my sap jumped from 2.5 to 3.0. I was expecting it to drop as the season wore on.
    The general trend over a season is downward, but it can pop up after each freeze temporarily.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  9. #239
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    North Gower, Ontario Canada
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    Well I'm happy to announce that my slightly ropey syrup made maple sugar just fine.

    I'm also announcing that I have been binge watching way too much Gold Rush/Aussie gold hunters/Bering Sea Gold. I had my daughters read out the scale as I poured the fine sugar into a container (12oz) and separated the big nuggets from the small nuggets into separate containers (7.5oz total).. In today's gold prices that would be about ~USD$38k! We all cheered and high-fived ourselves! I have no idea how much $ that is in today's maple sugar market..

    Happy Easter everyone!
    ______________________________
    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

  10. #240
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    North Gower, Ontario Canada
    Posts
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    So looking at my maples I noticed my silvers are in full bud/almost bloom, but the few sugars I have are just now showing some swelling buds.. Seeing as we've had some cold weather these past few days (it was -3/4 in Ottawa the other night) is anyone still getting good sap from their sugar maples?
    ______________________________
    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

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