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Why are my tapholes leaking and what can I do about it? (Part 1) There are often several issues involved in leaking tapholes, and sometimes the applied remedy itself turns out to be the actual problem.
Institution: UVM Proctor Maple Research Center
Showing 81 – 90 of 164 resources
Assessment of the Flavor of Syrup Produced with High-Brix RO Systems
Concentrating sap with reverse osmosis (RO) substantially increases the efficiency and profitability of processing maple sap into syrup by reducing the amount of fuel and time required to complete concentration to syrup density in the evaporator, with gains proportional to the level of sap pre-concentration. Because most flavor development in maple syrup occurs through nonenzymatic browning reactions as sap is processed with heat in the evaporator, it has often been speculated that reduced evaporator processing time resulting from the use of RO might also result in perceptible impacts on syrup flavor. However, a series of controlled experiments conducted at the University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center using the same sap processed to different levels with RO determined that concentrating sap up to 21.5% prior to boiling in standard maple evaporators had no substantive effects on syrup composition or flavor.
Understanding the relationship between tree size and yield
There are several important factors that affect the yield of sap from trees during the production season. One relationship that it sometimes overlooked is the one between tree size and yield.
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Should I use 3/16″ or 5/16″ tubing? One of the first questions maple producers face when deciding to tube (or retube) a sugarbush is whether to use 3/16″ or 5/16″ tubing. This article explains some of the general rules that can be helpful in narrowing down the pros and cons of each approach.
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How long can I store sap? Sap is a highly perishable product. This article explains what happens as it is stored, and how to avoid problems.
Product Demo: Boiling on a Lapierre Hyperbrix rig with 35 percent concentrate
Today we are at the UVM Proctor Maple Research Center in Underhill Center, Vt. with center director Dr. Timothy Perkins, Jean Francois Goulet of Lapierre Equipment and Proctor’s Abby Van Den Berg, boiling on a Lapierre HyperBrix system with 35 percent concentrate. The new technology takes out 2/3rds of the water from the sap before it hits the evaporator. Lapierre donated the equipment to the Proctor center to support research. Van Den Berg’s findingsÑfollowing a blind taste test last fall with a group of volunteersÑ found there is no noticeable taste difference between syrup produced in a high brix process vs. conventional syrup.
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Filtering syrup in small batches is a huge pain. Any advice on how to make it easier?
Is Tapping Below the Lateral Line A Good Idea?
This research was conducted to determine whether tapping below the lateral line in vacuum tubing operations results in the same quantity of sap from a taphole as normal (above the lateral line) tapping, and thus whether tapping below the lateral is a reasonable management alternative which might be employed to increase the size of the tapping band in maple sap production. It will also inform us as to any tradeoffs (reductions) in yield that might result from this approach.
Long-term average a better predictor of air temperature
Short and long-range weather forecasts can both be useful to determine the proper time to tap. But both also have limitations.
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What causes syrup to be light or dark at different parts of the season?