Using Brew Kettle for Maple Syrup

[baulz]

I helped my bro-in-law last year making maple syrup, he borrowed a gross looking big old pot that we had to keep topping up all day. I guess it was good to have something to slow down our drinking a bit...

I wondered about offering my brew kettle, it's a 15gal aluminum pot with a weldless 3pc valve and dip tube made from SS elbows. We would obviously have to use propane for heat instead of wood. Any potential downsides to this other than a good cleaning after? Should I take out the valve and just plug the hole for the day? I think we would end up using the old pot as well to double the production.

 

[beavers]

I actually tried my hand at making maple syrup for the first time this year. I contemplated using the keg, but decided the volume-to-surface area ratio wasn't high enough, and ended up using a large tinfoil-type turkey pan. It did end up with alot of (mineral/sugar?) buildup on the sides. I haven't tried to clean it, but I'm imagining it could be pretty difficult to remove. Not sure I'd want that on my brew kettle.

Hopefully some more experience sugarers will chime in, as I'm curious about the cleaning, too. But I'm guessing you'll want something with a much larger surface area to maximize the rate of evaporation.

 

[baulz]

I would guess my pot is wider and shorter than a keg so surface area would be less of an issue. However I never have compared it side by side so this is really just BS from me.

 

[63belair]

Sub'd because I'm interested in making syrup and was wondering this as well.

 

[grathan]

I get offered the sugary sludge stuck to the sides of the evaporator to make beer with. Might try something with that this year.

 

[Cider123]

You certainly could use your kettle. If you do then I would definitely use propane and not wood.
I don't use mine because I prefer some old, beaten up school cafeteria food trays. You get A LOT more surface area to evaporate off steam. Plus, if they burn or generally get messed up a bit I don't mind.

BTW, good for you if you got some sap to boil. I've got 20 buckets out with very little sap. It's been so darn cold we haven't had a long enough stretch of warm days to get it flowing around here. Tomorrow is maple sugar sunday in Maine and most of us have paultry amounts this year when it's usually going good by now.

 

[Trialsguy]

I have been reading for days on the forums learning as much as possible before I brew my own. I have brewed with my cousin a couple times now who has been making his own beer for a few years. I actually made a little more then a quart of walnut sap syrup here in missouri just a couple weekends ago. Kinda funny that I brewed syrup in my planned beer brewing kettle before beer.. My wife and nephews were at the local missouri conservation center and they had a small class on making it, so since I have 25 mature walnut tree in the yard I figured what the heck! I tapped 2 trees with 2 taps each and in 3 days I aquired 15 gallons of walnut sap. Started boiling at 8am and by 3pm I had surprisinly delicious syrup!! I have been building a electric brew kettle. I boiled in one that has a bottom drain. and slowly let it into a 7.5 gallon brew kettle for the finish boil off..I just filled it back up with water and brought both kettles back to a boil and drained them out, I hope this will be good enough to keep them cleaned.

 

[Trialsguy]

let me see if I can post a couple pictures

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[Trialsguy]

And another


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[Trialsguy]

And one more


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[Trialsguy]

Guys does the first of the 3 pictures I posted show up for you? It shows up on my phone app but not the PC
Thanks


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[Trialsguy]

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