What would you make with a few gallons of maple syrup?

[ChuckD]

We tapped the maple trees at my dads place yesterday. He typically makes 8 to 12 gallons of syrup a year. When he gets to the bottom of the batch there is always some quarts with a lot of sugar sand that settles out. Then there is the darker syrup (grade B?) that ends up collecting dust in the cellar. Right now I could probably scrounge together at least three gallons of this stuff.

I did a search for maple syrup and read a few threads on maple wine and cider (I still don’t know the difference) but I would like to know what you would make, or how you would use three gallons of maple syrup if-n you had that much?

 

[winemaker81]

Pancakes.

I grew up in the foothills of the Adirondack mountains, and we had 7 sugar maples in our yard. I never knew what imitation syrup was untiI I went to college.

 

[Jim Welch]

+1001 to pancakes! Grade B is fantastic for pancakes!!!

 

[Jim Welch]

Or waffles, French toast

 

[Rice_Guy]

A friend in the club has done maple syrup wine. His is woodsy/ smoky. One needs to treat it like a mead.

 

[Jim Welch]

You could make Acerglyn which is mead made 50/50 with honey too.

 

[ChuckD]

I’ve been looking at mead recipes. Has anyone used it for back sweetening wine?

I have used a lot of it for brining fish for the smoker.

 

[ChuckD]

Pancakes.

I grew up in the foothills of the Adirondack mountains, and we had 7 sugar maples in our yard. I never knew what imitation syrup was untiI I went to college.

I can’t stand anything but pure maple. It’s all I’ve ever known.

 

[ChuckD]

+1001 to pancakes! Grade B is fantastic for pancakes!!!

I knew someone was going there. Just a question of who.

 

[jfuel]

I have made several small batches. Treat it like a mead. They have finished with a woodsy cognac flavor which most enjoy.
A little goes a long ways. Remember most real maple syrups Finish at a brix of 66. Usually I cut about 1 gal of real syrup to 2 gal of H2O. Or about an s.g. Of 1.085 or so. It’s gonna need to be stepfeed nutrients. I usually add about 1/2 tsp of tannin. Most recipes will call for Acid blend. I add that when finishing. D see one recipes will call for oranges. Tried it didn’t like it. I backsweeten with real maple syrup after stabilization with sorbate.
I have found this one takes 9 months to a year to mellow into something nice.

 

[ChuckD]

I have made several small batches. Treat it like a mead. They have finished with a woodsy cognac flavor which most enjoy.
A little goes a long ways. Remember most real maple syrups Finish at a brix of 66. Usually I cut about 1 gal of real syrup to 2 gal of H2O. Or about an s.g. Of 1.085 or so. It’s gonna need to be stepfeed nutrients. I usually add about 1/2 tsp of tannin. Most recipes will call for Acid blend. I add that when finishing. D see one recipes will call for oranges. Tried it didn’t like it. I backsweeten with real maple syrup after stabilization with sorbate.
I have found this one takes 9 months to a year to mellow into something nice.

Thanks. So only one gallon for a three gallon batch and you are using all syrup and no honey? This will go a long way! Do you have a link or a recipe? I’ve never made mead.

Why do you step feed the nutrients?

 

[Rice_Guy]

Why do you step feed the nutrients?

Syrup is a high osmotic pressure nutrient desert
Honey is a high osmotic pressure nutrient desert,

On contest wines in the vinters club honey hasn’t been used, but it is one of the choices

 

[jfuel]

Step feeding nutrients keeps your yeast happy longer. The meads and syrups need the boost as they ferment slower. 1/3 of your nutrients up front. 1/3 about s.g 1.007 and last third at about s.g. 1.004.

My recipe is raw. This is the basics I folllow for all meads or my maple syrups.
Roughly one gal of syrup and 2 gal of water.
1/2 tsp tannin
Nutrient per directions
Yeast- I like 71b. You use what you like in a taste profile.
acid blend when you finish. I don’t like adding acid blindly as I don’t test much. I use my tongue. Best tester around.

 

[jfuel]

I don’t use any honey in the maple syrup wines. I see your in Wisconsin. If you get around Madison look me up. I can hook you up with a bottle or two.

 

[winemaker81]

Back on topic, I'd treat the syrup like honey. Should be interesting.

 

[ChuckD]

Thanks everyone. I’ll definitely make a three gallon batch this spring!

Keeping is another thing I’d like to do but that @!&$@ day job keeps getting in the way. Maybe when I retire.

 

[hawkwing]

Maybe use it for back sweetening. I wonder if it would make a nice ice style wine.

 

[bstnh1]

Grade B no longer exists here in NH. It's now Grade A, Dark Amber. Same stuff; fancier sounding name. It's cheaper than light amber and tastes a lot better!

 

[papabearRN]

We tapped the maple trees at my dads place yesterday. He typically makes 8 to 12 gallons of syrup a year. When he gets to the bottom of the batch there is always some quarts with a lot of sugar sand that settles out. Then there is the darker syrup (grade B?) that ends up collecting dust in the cellar. Right now I could probably scrounge together at least three gallons of this stuff.

I did a search for maple syrup and read a few threads on maple wine and cider (I still don’t know the difference) but I would like to know what you would make, or how you would use three gallons of maple syrup if-n you had that much?

A 'B' or 'C' grade syrup would make great Maple wine or Acerglyn, a maple mead.

 

[ChuckD]

Maybe use it for back sweetening. I wonder if it would make a nice ice style wine.

I’ve been thinking about that but with the volumes used for back sweetening I think the maple flavor would get lost unless you had a very lightly flavored wine.