That's all I've been tapping. Syrup taste great. While finishing last year I quickly pulled the syrup when it hit 219, the result was a little light in color and a carmel flavor. One of the members (chucknduck) here who I believe uses a hydrometer suggested I take the temp higher as his experience indicated 219 was not yet syrup. This year I took it to 220 and held it there for several minutes, periodically cranking up the burner allowing the bubbles to rise in the pot. This years syrup still amber but slightly darker, slightly thicker, full of maple flavor and sweet enough to rot your teeth out while sipping it from a teaspoon. Lol Good stuff!

 

Its definitley syrup, any longer cooking and it will be candy, lol.

Just none of that maple flavor to go along with it. Maybe I will keep trying.

 

Do you filter before finishing? The reason I ask is, I asked an experienced syrup maker about filtering when I'm boiled down around 50%. His reply to me was, you will lose some flavor.

 

I have a mixture of Silvers and Sugars in my woods, but mostly Silvers. My family and I love the finished product but my yields per gallon are lower than my friend that has all Sugars in his area. He tells me he is getting 1 gallon of syrup per 28 gallons of sap and my yields are about 1 gallon of finished per 45-50 gallons of sap from the Silvers. Takes a little more time to boil that much off, but when it is all you got, what's a guy to do? I usually do between 3 and 4 gallons per year just for my family. Been doing it for a few years now, and definitely believe in my hydrometer. Since that became part of my equipment, no more moldy batches and no rock candy formations. I also filter the niter at least three times. First right off the barrel stove when it is down to last 1.5 in the pan, once more when I reduce it to almost done, let it settle overnight, and the last filtering when I check it for density and bottle it up in pints. Yummy stuff!:corkysm55

 

Do you filter before finishing? The reason I ask is, I asked an experienced syrup maker about filtering when I'm boiled down around 50%. His reply to me was, you will lose some flavor.

I filtered after taking off the barrel stove (before final finishing inside)

Nothing crazy, filtered through a coffee filter

 

I have a mixture of Silvers and Sugars in my woods, but mostly Silvers. My family and I love the finished product but my yields per gallon are lower than my friend that has all Sugars in his area. He tells me he is getting 1 gallon of syrup per 28 gallons of sap and my yields are about 1 gallon of finished per 45-50 gallons of sap from the Silvers. Takes a little more time to boil that much off, but when it is all you got, what's a guy to do? I usually do between 3 and 4 gallons per year just for my family. Been doing it for a few years now, and definitely believe in my hydrometer. Since that became part of my equipment, no more moldy batches and no rock candy formations. I also filter the niter at least three times. First right off the barrel stove when it is down to last 1.5 in the pan, once more when I reduce it to almost done, let it settle overnight, and the last filtering when I check it for density and bottle it up in pints. Yummy stuff!:corkysm55

What are you looking for with your hydrometer? I have never used one. Viscosity?

 

I looked into tapping, this is the information about the trees you can tap for good syrup.

There are several varieties of maple trees that produce sap that is suitable for syrup—sugar, red, silver, black, and box elder. Sugar maple sap contains the highest concentration of sugar followed by the red maple. Besides the maple family, other tree species that produce sap suitable for syrup include sweet birch, sycamore, walnut, and hickory.

 

Iliveintrees,

I believe the hydrometer measures density of the liquid at the near boiling point (211 degrees). There are two scales on my hydrometer, one for the Brix scale and the other for Baume I think. I use the later, and when it hit 32 one the scale, I start the last filtering into my warmed jars. Its like a glass bobber in a stainless steel test tube. When the red line floats level with the top of the tube, you are at 32 degrees of Baume. Going past tends to make rock candy. Going less can make for a batch that is watery, and could mold down the road. Best investment I made years ago. The meter sells for about $18, but the SS tube is about $20. You need both.

Sap ran hard today. I harvested about 16 gallons from my 15 spiles. I have 43 gallons collected since Sunday, and have to start boiling probably tomorrow evening, then again Friday night and Saturday. Gotta make it while I can because I am seeing Maples budding further inland than me, and that will be the end of the season. (no sign of budding on the West Coast yet)

Happy Sappin' Guys