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musicals4life OP t1_je7fcm0 wrote

Reply to comment by Hereforthemadness1 in 6 pints and counting by musicals4life

127 what? It should be finished between 217-219F

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Hereforthemadness1 t1_je7fope wrote

Mistyped, meant to put 217. But regardless I boil it much longer in the pan, deep brown color. But again, like I said, to each their own

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musicals4life OP t1_je7fwxa wrote

This is my 1st year using a hydrometer and my syrup is significantly lighter than it has been in years past when I was just measuring temperature.

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Hereforthemadness1 t1_je7jwdy wrote

Yeah, I don’t and never have used anything fancy like that. I boil by sight and how fast it’s bubbles, then pull it off to finish on the stove. Got about 12 gallons this year, hung about 50 buckets.

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musicals4life OP t1_je7frv2 wrote

Your syrup is probably way overcooked then. I take it off when the hydrometer says it's done

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Hereforthemadness1 t1_je7jr5c wrote

I’ve been boiling syrup for about 25 years, and learned from my father who boiled for his whole life… I can assure you, my syrup is not “overboiled”. Buy some “real” syrup and look at its color, that’s normal. I think it’s safer to say yours is significantly under boiled

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musicals4life OP t1_je7mfxr wrote

If you've been doing this for 25 years you should be well aware that there is a color spectrum for syrup and this color is perfectly normal

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Hereforthemadness1 t1_je7xjvx wrote

No…the richness of syrup is based on the sugar content which determines the color, hence why dark syrup runs slower, as it’s thicker because it has more sugar. I expect yours is fairly fluid when poured, not quite liquid but not slow like molasses. I think you took this a little too personally… I wasn’t trying to insult or anything, I was pretty clear about that, to each their own preference. I’m sorry if I offended you, I was simply trying to share my own syrup insight, not in contrast to yours but as an adjacent difference.

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musicals4life OP t1_je7yado wrote

I'm not taking it personally. I'm telling you facts you don't want to hear. Google "maple syrup color chart"

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Expensive_Staff2905 t1_je83gxq wrote

I would agree with you. All maple syrup should be a sugar content of 68%. A higher percentage and you make rock candy, any lower and you risk fermentation in the bottles. The color comes from the time of year and the quality of sap. Where we tap trees, our syrup tends toward the darker spectrum.

When I first started out with just a few trees. We often made light syrup.

I sometimes wonder if extreme heat from a bigger evaporator helps caramelize the sugar to a darker color. When I made syrup over a stovetop it was often lighter. Maybe I'll test this theory next year

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homebrewology t1_je887it wrote

Extreme heat may actually help with keeping it light. Check out https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2022/03/making-grade-color-flavor-maple-syrup for some info on the factors impacting color both in and out of the boilers control.

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Expensive_Staff2905 t1_je8adkm wrote

Thanks! Good info in that article.

Planning on getting a hobby RO unit for next season. That should shorten boil time and maybe give us that light amber 🤞

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homebrewology t1_je9h9n9 wrote

RO is definitely worth the investment, especially on the smaller scale. I'm still using propane and made 8 gallons this year in 4 days of boiling. You remove 2/3 to 3/4 of the water before you get started with heat. Save a ton of fuel and time.

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akrasne t1_je9olqn wrote

We have a decent sized setup in Stewartstown with a few hundred trees filling a 200gal holding tank. Tap nice and early, and some of the first runs in the past ended up being almost clear. Very light color and taste great We also are much more strict about cleanliness than most producers, which I believe plays a role. Clean evaporator entirely after every run for instance. Cheers

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Expensive_Staff2905 t1_je9r67u wrote

We run a small wood fired 1.5x6 hobby evaporator with about 100taps out. What would you say is a standard rate for cleaning? We are usually clean 2 to 3 times a season depending on sap quality and the weather.

This is just an extensive hobby for us that has built over the years. We try and boil off everything we collect in a 24hr period. It's difficult on those days that run hard though! Most of the 30 gallons we ended up bottling this year was medium to dark

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akrasne t1_je9thyd wrote

You’re doing just fine! Lots of the big operations don’t clean all year and they leave the pans sweet all season long. Ends up degrading color a lot by the end of the year. Lots of mineral deposits and cleaning at the end. No real need to boil right away either as long as you keep the sap well refrigerated. We keep our holding tank buried in snow. We sugar at our camp and can only get up once or twice a week. Most of the product being medium to dark is normal, it’s what makes the light runs so exciting. They are rare and usually get one or two shots at it per year and is a good incentive to get out and tap early!

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akrasne t1_je9ngec wrote

He’s wrong your are right. Hydrometer says when it’s done. Color comes from impurities which are more present later in the year both in the tree and in the lines. Plenty of studies on this. There are grades of syrup based on it.

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Hereforthemadness1 t1_je8a67x wrote

Facts…I don’t want to hear? I commented saying I boil mine darker… and you’re coming at me telling me I’m wrong, yet you say you aren’t upset? Maple syrup is brown. Go to any syrup shed in the north east and all of Canada and they’ll say your sap Is light colored. Not wrong, just light colored, which is all I said, I’ve just clearly struck a nerve.

Jesus this is why I should stay off Reddit, everyone’s so sensitive, I even tried to support you and you got offended.

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musicals4life OP t1_je9kwwn wrote

No. You specifically said that my syrup was under boiled because of the color. And you also said that color is dictated by sugar content. Both of those statements are incorrect. I have said that and you didn't want to hear it.

Per UNH "Despite the wide range in color and flavor, all four grades are produced the same way—by boiling the sap until enough water has evaporated to reach maple syrup’s correct density of 66.9oBrix at room temperature. When the boiling sap reaches this density, it’s considered syrup." And "The pH of the boiling sap, sugar concentration, types of sugars in the sap, length of boiling time to produce syrup, the temperature outside, and even microbial activity all play a role in syrup color."

I have repeatedly stated that my syrup is the correct density and color. I used actual instruments to measure it. You took one look at it and said it wasn't finished because you eyeballed it for 25 years. That's what you didn't want to hear. Again this isn't me taking it personally. This is me telling you unequivocally that syrup this color is normal and fine and desirable. Syrup that "runs thicker" bc it has more sugar is overcooked. Full stop. Syrup of any grade should have the exact same sugar content. Any syrup shed in Canada will tell you the same things I have said. Any syrup shed in Canada is using a hydrometer to measure their product bc we have advanced beyond our eyeballs.

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Hereforthemadness1 t1_je9x8ud wrote

Oh my lord I upset you. It’s syrup, chill. Really it’s not worth arguing about

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Royal_Gur_2651 t1_je7vn9o wrote

We make syrup. It’s thick. And when done long enough you know all the signs of it being done.

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Hereforthemadness1 t1_je7xq8x wrote

Exactly, thick, and I’m guessing a deep brown color? The sugar content being higher then the water makes it thicker and darker. I know some people like their syrup more liquid, I prefer it dark and rich and ooozing haha

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