Brewing with maple sap

[Yoop]

Does anyone have experience/recommendations/warnings brewing with maple sap?

 

[hou_me]

I started a batch of JAOM yesterday and had this same thought.

 

[Denny]

Does anyone have experience/recommendations/warnings brewing with maple sap?

I have no personal experience but I have heard from people who've tried it that it gains you nothing.

 

[Marktic]

I am planning to do a brew soon using sap from birch trees. I tried tapping one yesterday but there is no sap flow quite yet. I agree that it might not add much to the brew though...besides the awesome factor!

It takes about 100 gallons of birch sap to make 1 gallon of syrup, opposed to 40-50 gallons of maple to make the same gallon. I roughly calculated it out that 9 gallons of birch sap would boil down and equal about 1 pound of syrup at 1.030. In my IPA that I am doing, that changes the OG from 1.066 to 1.072. I am using the sap for my mash and sparge water. Also adding a bunch of Chinook and Columbus to create that piney tree flavour.

I am more excited about this beer than any other thus far, so I will definitely encourage you to go ahead with it. If you used the same amount, 9 gallons of sap, but maple rather, that would add about 2 lbs of syrup at 1.030. I think.

Mark's Birch Tree IPA

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.89 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.24 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.072 SG
Estimated Color: 8.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 85.9 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 82.4 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Amt Name Type # %/IBU
10 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 69.0 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 10.3 %
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5.2 %
8.0 oz Carafoam (2.0 SRM) Grain 3.4 %
8.0 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 3.4 %
4.0 oz Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 1.7 %
1 lbs Birch Syrup from 9 Gallons Sap(3.0 SRM) Sugar 6.9 %

Amt Name Type # %/IBU
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [15.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 22.7 IBUs
0.50 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 11.9 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [6.90 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 5.2 IBUs
0.50 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 9.8 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [6.90 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 3.8 IBUs
0.50 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7.1 IBUs
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [15.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8.2 IBUs
1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [15.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 9.1 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade [6.90 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 4.2 IBUs
0.50 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 3.9 IBUs
2.00 oz Cascade [6.90 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 0.0 IBUs
2.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [15.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 0.0 IBUs

 

[KLAAYHAUS]

I did one a few years ago, below is a link to the thread. There's a video on the second page as well. My advice would be to add syrup during secondary fermentation and plan for that addition so you don't overshoot your abv%. I added 6lbs of syrup just before pitching and most of the maple flavor was lost in primary. I ended up with a pretty tasty beer in the high 9% abv range! I also used sap water in place of all brew water and condensed it a little first but I brewed extract at that time. Basic Brewing did a show on using sap water for all grain brewing if you are familiar with them you can find that podcast.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/maple-porter-sap-when-how-much-use-229366/