40to1
03-24-2011, 11:27 PM
Pulled taps earlier this week. I wish I could have kept them in longer (sigh)...
But what a great year!
Had 38 taps (but only 29 productive taps - 9 were duds), all on buckets. On paper I was expecting to make almost 8 gallons of syrup. Ended up with 16 gallons! The early stuff is as light tea, the later stuff is as dark as molasses.
Not included in that final yield is the batch with such a horrible off taste, I had to pour it all down the drain, and later - all the syrup (and gradient) I lost when I scorched the pan.
What worked:
The WFMason 2x3 worked great
The oversupply of firewood gave me peace of mind.
Figured out a good filtering system.
What I need to solve for next year:
more sap storage
a better way to collect sap (unfortunately tubing is not an option)
a sugarhouse (being at the mercy of the weather stinks)
I have less than 11 months to prep for next season.
We're going to have pancakes every day this year!
But what a great year!
Had 38 taps (but only 29 productive taps - 9 were duds), all on buckets. On paper I was expecting to make almost 8 gallons of syrup. Ended up with 16 gallons! The early stuff is as light tea, the later stuff is as dark as molasses.
Not included in that final yield is the batch with such a horrible off taste, I had to pour it all down the drain, and later - all the syrup (and gradient) I lost when I scorched the pan.
What worked:
The WFMason 2x3 worked great
The oversupply of firewood gave me peace of mind.
Figured out a good filtering system.
What I need to solve for next year:
more sap storage
a better way to collect sap (unfortunately tubing is not an option)
a sugarhouse (being at the mercy of the weather stinks)
I have less than 11 months to prep for next season.
We're going to have pancakes every day this year!