My first 2012 collection/sweetened the pan

[buckeye gold]

I gathered my first run since I tapped Saturday afternoon, this morning. I gathered 29 gallons from 35 taps. I went ahead and boiled it down (I run a half pint) until I had sweetened my pan. I had ten buckets blow down or lose lids so I didn't count them as they were dumped. The sap wasn't the highest sugar content, it ran 1.3%. It's running a little today,so I may get to make a little syrup tomorrow.

[christopherh]

Wow 1.3, were those Reds?

[buckeye gold]

No, I only tap sugar/hard Maples. The way it rained and the wind blew I wonder how much rain water blew into the buckets. When I have plenty of sap I'll dump everything below 1.8%, but with a small run and my first fire I kept it. A couple years ago I had sap like this and rarely saw anything over 2%, mostly 1.5 -1.6%. I hope it isn't like that this year, it waste a lot of wood and time to boil low grade sap. Maybe that's the price of early tapping. Last year my sap ran 1.7 -2.8% and averaged 1.9. when I hear people talk about 3% sap I just sigh and think wouldn't that be nice. I have never had an average close to 3% sap other than a few trees. I've kept pretty good records on this and most of my trees run 1.8 -2.2% in a good year. We can only use what the trees give us. I have some trees marked as culls and don't tap them, their day is coming as firewood.

[GramaCindy]

Sweetened your pans…..? I'm jealous, please keep us updated so that we can all live through your sapping vicariously!

[buckeye gold]

Collected the rest of my run from yesterday and last night this morning and made my first batch of syrup. I made just a little shy of 1/2 gallon. That's not bad for a start with 45 taps off a half pint, but I anxious for the long productive days. Doesn't look like any more sap runs until this weekend. My sap was a little better today and tested 1.5% sugar. Just thought I'd post an update.

[SevenCreeksSap]

I cant take it anymore. I'm following you this weekend and setting some taps. Its only a couple of weeks earlier than we have before and I don't know any better so i"ll keep records and let it be a learning experience. I've got about 500 ft of 5/16 out and can at least test my dump barrell/sap transfer to the holding tank system while I string new mainline and figure out how to do that. This is the weather forecast for 10 days. Anyone can type in their city and get theirs. good weather site. I see the temps at night arent very low but we have a microclimate in a valley thats always 5 degrees colder. I'm with you Buckeye gold, gotta sweeten the pans.

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Weather.aspx?location=USOH0911

[adk1]

good luck guys, keep us updated please!

[buckeye gold]

Sap was running this morning, but it's 58 stinking degrees right now and the sap has stopped. I gathered 25 gallons and boiled that with some I had left over. My sap was a little better today with 1.6 % sugar. I hope they run tonight, but later this week the forecast is great with lows in the 20s at night and 40s in day. I should be busy.

[buckeye gold]

Good run last night, I collected 70 gallons+ off 45 taps this morning and got it all but 10-12 gallon boiled down, so i flooded the pan (a half pint 2x3) with that and turned off the blower. Will keep an eye on it for a while, but hope most of it will steam away this evening. Today's run doesn' t look as good, but at least I'm making syrup. sap continues to only be 1.6%.

[christopherh]

Thats great!how many hours did it take to boil that? Did it run today?

[buckeye gold]

It took me a little over 10 hours to boil it down. The run was less last night, I only gathered about 25 gallons. It was running some today though. My place is a mud run, I actually got the tractor stuck today. Tomorrow is more rain so I'll be packing to the tractor or tank...arrrgg. y sap stil is very low in sugar 1.2 -1.5.