Unfortunately my previous barrel of syrup ended up too dark to be labeled dark. I then packed it into 2 recently emptied bourbon barrels. I opened another barrel today, and tested it for density. It’s close but not what I want. I need to make it 0.4% higher sugar % by boiling it a little more. This is way closer than the previous barrel. Somehow it got packed @ 2.1% low on sugar %. In NYS it must be at least 66.5%, that barrel was only 64.8% and I prefer 66.9% which is required in the state of Vermont. Thus I go to 66.9% on every batch as I pack it into retail containers. The issue on the previous barrel was that as the syrup is reheated it gets darker. It started at 39% LT (light transmission), to be labeled as dark the range is 49%LT to 25% LT, that batch once I got it down to 66.9% sugar ended up at 24% LT, too dark. I do sell some very dark but not much, dark is my fastest selling grade followed by Amber. Amber is 74% LT down to 50% LT. The % of LT is determined by a specific test instrument and the sample being tested must be in a specific glass cuvette. Then the test instrument is used to get the % of LT.
This new barrel I’ll start packing in the morning is Amber right now, and most likely will still test as amber once at 66.9% sugar since I don’t need to alter the density much but I’ll let you know tomorrow. Normally I thicken it in my 2′ x 6′ propane finisher and the 40 gal in there would only take 20 minutes or so to be ready, but I ran out of propane today. When I called in for a refill in my tank the propane company was not able to tell me how soon they would be able to fill the tank. Normally it’s refilled the next day, but not this time. As such I’ll heat it in my bottler, which is an electric water jacketed 240V unit. it will likely take an hour or maybe 1.25 hrs to get to the 66.9% LT. The bottler holds about 15 gal to the top but I usually only pump about 14 gal in. That 14 gal will be packed tomorrow, labeled, priced and taken to my only local retail outlet, The Eclectic Chic in Glenwood Plaza in Oneida. Then I’ll hold the rest of the syrup until the propane is refilled before I pack the balance of the 40 gal.
The Propane was finally refilled on the 7th day. I have packed 1 batch in my bottler (about 14 gal) and I’ll be packing the rest this week. Fortunately the temperatures will be more favorable for working over a bottler heated to 186+/- 1 degree F. Much better. So far I’ve only gotten that first 14 gal batch to proper density, it ended up being in the middle of the Dark grade parameters. Heating the rest in the finisher will likely put it a little lighter color, but still in the dark range. As syrup is heated it gradually gets darker, the longer it takes to heat, the darker it gets. Since that first batch was heated using the electric heating element in the water jacketed bottler it took a lot longer, thus it got some darker than it will in the propane fired finisher. While the bottler took multiple heatings over 6 days to get to the right density, in the finisher it will only take maybe 30-45, possibly 60 minutes. Again, faster is better if trying not to get too dark. Today It’s raining lightly so I’ll cut more firewood until the rain gets too hard. I still have about 1.5 more logs to buck up. The longer one is about `6-18′ long and 14-17″ diameter, the half log is only about 7′ long and 14″ diameter.
While I used to buck all logs using gas powered chainsaws, last year I started using a 60V cordless battery powered saw. It’s slightly slower but a whole lot quieter. The half log was left yesterday when my second battery needed recharging. When I get there to use that one I’ll put my other 60V battery on to charge. If the one doesn’t last thru the task, the other one will be ready by then. As long as I don’t get raind out, all should be bucked today.
Then as far as firewood goes, I still have several standing dead ash trees to take down before they’re no longer good for firewood. Once the die from the Emerald ash borer it doesn’t take very many years to render them useless. One cut, split and stacked they last several years, or if the bark falls off while still standing the last too but too often they fall and once on the ground they deteriorate quickly.