3/16″ Tubing Research Results from The Uihlein Forest
There has been a lot of interest in 3/16″ tubing over the past several years. This article describes research results and possible future directions.
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Acid Rain and Sugar Maple Decline
Through the increased combustion of fossil fuels, humans have dramatically increased pollutant additions of sulfur and nitrogen into the atmosphere wher eit combines with water to form sulfuric and nitric acids, creating acid rain. This article investigates the impact of this issue on sugarbush health.
Analysis of plastic residues in maple sap and syrup collected from tubing systems sanitized with isopropyl alcohol
A plastic tubing system operated under vacuum is usually used to collect sap from maple trees during spring time to produce maple syrup. This system is commonly sanitized with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to remove microbial contamination colonizing the system during the sugar season. Questions have been raised whether IPA would contribute to the leaching of plastic residues in maple sap and syrup coming from sanitized systems.
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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.
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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.
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.
Beginning Sugarmaking: Trees, Taps, Tubing & Tanks
Slides from a presentation on sugarmaking for beginners.
Bigleaf Maple Syrup: Nontimber Forest Products For Small Woodland Owners
The sugar maple tree (Acer saccharum) is most commonly used in maple sugaring, but all maples produce sap that can be converted to maple syrup. Though not as high in sugar content as the sugar maple, the sap of bigleaf maple trees (Acer macrophyllum) grown in the Pacific Northwest produces excellent syrup.
Bigleaf Maple Syrup: Nontimber Forest Products For Small Woodland Owners
The sugar maple tree (Acer saccharum) is most commonly used in maple sugaring, but all maples produce sap that can be converted to maple syrup. Though not as high in sugar content as the sugar maple, the sap of bigleaf maple trees (Acer macrophyllum) grown in the Pacific Northwest produces excellent syrup.