frozen buckets

[Stevieray]

I have about 40 buckets 1/2 full of frozen sap . No warm weather in sight.. will it keep until the weather breaks ? It'll probably be a week looking at the forecast ?

[Kev]

the only problem I have had with buckets frozen solid for an extended period of time is if they are clear full. then the expansion is trapped between the spile and the bottom of the bucket. it split out the seams on about 20 + of my buckets one year.

[BryanEx]

Clear frozen sap is your best shot at storing. I would suggest leaving it until you get a half-thaw day and try to process what you can at that point.

[KenWP]

I hope it keeps as I have some really big ice cubes sitting around waiting on a thaw soon.Forecast says maybe Tuesday or maybe wens for sure and then should get enough to make a bit of syrup.

[CBOYER]

You are in Canada, probably aluminium bucket, so dont worry for broken seams that happen on galv. buckets. as soon fresh sap come in, ice block easily separe from buckets...wait for better temps:rolleyes:

[Stevieray]

Thanks for the replies ...feeling better about it now ! :D

[HandsomRiver]

get the ice, snow, and "water" into the evaperator and cook it down !

[3rdgen.maple]

Take the ice out of the buckets and put them in your holding tank. It will help keep the next run of sap nice and cold and as it melts you will get your sap back.

[SugarShay]

Mine is all frozen too and I am THANKFUL!!! Frozen jugs on my trees, frozen sap in my storage buckets(even the 20 gallon mini barrels are frozen solid) and my 5 gallon pail of sweet I drained from my pan on Thursday is frozen solid!

I injured my right shoulder and this gives me a few days to rest it. :D

[mike z]

Same deal here in North West WI. - Here's my collection today...

[GramaCindy]

Same deal here in North West WI. - Here's my collection today...

Hey Mike, that looks VERY familiar to me as well. Where in NW WI are you located? I am 20 miles north of Hayward, in Barnes.

[mike z]

I'm just a few mile´s north of Ladysmith. I bet a 100 mi. south of here the saps really flowing. Just been a little too cold here lately.

[RockFarm]

Same thing happening in the Catskills in NY.

[rinert]

collected 6 5gal buckets of ice and someone told me that the sugar will be low and did not pay. checked it just now and ice is at 2 o/o so will go in the tank tonight.

[JohnsSugarShack]

Same thing here every thing is frozen. Had to work this past weekend, kept light bulbs on a few fittings so that they don't freeze solid. Also put a small propane heater in the sugar house yesterday so that things wouldn't freeze up more. Hoping to boil down the 135 gallons I have on Monday. As far as the storage tank outside there's a lot of ice. Suppose to warm up this week.

[Mike in NY]

gathered about 20 gallons sap and dumped about 500# ice today on 100 buckets.,lines started running around 1pm. Sounds like a good week coming up

[Stevieray]

ice is freed up .... :D...sap is running...all is good

[tpatch361]

Hey Mike, that looks VERY familiar to me as well. Where in NW WI are you located? I am 20 miles north of Hayward, in Barnes.

I'm in Cameron I got 25 gallons last night on 45 buckets. Hoping it picks up here this week.

[tpatch361]

Same deal here in North West WI. - Here's my collection today...

So what are you going to do? Will your bulk tank get heated or are do you do something else?