Maple Sap, HomeBrew or not? Can I use it?

[Mainebrew]

I would like to try a maple beer and have a plentiful supply of sap this year. I am looking for a couple of good recipes or ideas. I was thinking of boiling off some of the water till it hits a specific gravity, or boiling some water off and using it as a addition?

Thanks for any help

 

[the_bird]

I've never had a beer made with sap, but I've heard of it being done. I think you're on the right path with reducing the sap down before beginning the brew; you need to add a fair amount of maple syrup to get a noticable character, and sap is so dilute by itself that I doubt you'd get much character at all just using it straight from the tree.

I've thought about a nice, smooth porter; something with a little roast (not too much) and some residual sweetness, nice and full-bodied. Something with a real strong malt presense and not a lot of bitterness. No late additions; no hop flavor. Just malt and maple and a balanced sheetness, just a little chocolate malt to keep everything in balance.

Mmmmm... can you hook me up?

 

[Revvy]

There's a couple threads below here in the "similar threads" box below, and I swear there was a long one around this time last year with some great info...BUT EVEN BETTER!!!!!

Basic Brewing did a podcast on it a few weeks back!!!!

February 19, 2009 - Maple Sap Brewday
Andy and James join home brewers Kasey Loman and Jen Royer as they brew a batch of beer using maple sap as most of the brew water. We also learn how sap is harvested.

Clicky to listen MP-3

Have fun....

 

[Tenchiro]

I just saw a new article from Maine where someone was teaching a class about making Birch & Maple Beer that was coming up.

Making woodlot wine and beer workshop slated | www.theirregular.com | The Irregular Looks like it was this last weekend

 

[CBBaron]

If you are making an extract beer, then boiling down the sap before starting the beer would be a pretty good idea. In order to get much contribution from the sap you will need to reduce it atleast 2/1 or up to 4/1 and use it for the brew water. If you are doing a partial boil then reduce it even further.

Maple sap is reduced about 40/1 to make syrup. So 5gal of sap only makes a pint of syrup.

Craig

 

[BigEd]

Rather than boil it down use the sap instead of water to brew a porter.

 

[Revvy]

Rather than boil it down use the sap instead of water to brew a porter.

+1 To this.

That's what the people in the podcast did, replaced the water with the sap, I don't see how/why it would be any different in an extract batch...

 

[barely]

MEBrew,

I am relating this info second-hand, but from someone more knowledgeable than myself:
The later sap runs offer a much more robust flavor than the early runs. Early syrup has a more delicate flavor that is wonderful on pancakes, biscuits and ice cream. Late syrup has more assertiveness that comes through more complex recipes.

My own thoughts as to recipes: To get an idea as to what maple syrup can add to your beer, take a whiff of fenugreek before and after taking a gulp of beer. If the fenugreek smells bad in comparison, then don't add maple syrup to the brew.

 

[JFry]

I brew a Maple Marzen every year at this time. Partial grain. Substitute the sap for the water. Do not boil down to concentrate. As the beer ages the sweetness becomes more pronounced.

Recipe:
3.3 lb. Briess Golden light L.M.E.
1.75 lb. Briess Amber D.M.E.
1.0 lbs. Dark Munich Malt
1.0 lbs. Carapils malt
1 oz. Chocolate Malt
1.0 Oz. Perle Hops (Bittering)
1.0 oz. Tettnang Hops (w/ 15 min left in boil)
0.5 oz. Hallertau (aroma)
2 oz. malto dextrin w/ 10 min left.
Wyeast Danish Lager Yeast

Steep grains at 120 for 20 min; raise temperature to 155 for 30 min.
Add extracts, raise to boil, add hops per schedule.

O.G. usually about 1.050. F.G. 1.012