Very low sugar content

[thorquabbin]

I volunteer at a local Audubon sanctuary where I run the sugarhouse during group tours. Yesterday they collected a good amount of sap and when they tested it, the batch was only showing 1.2%. Apparently the amount of sap flowing has been outstanding this year, but the sugar content has been low right along.
Has anyone else been getting these kinds of numbers?

[mathprofdk]

I got about 2.4% on my silver maple, and the neighbor across the street (literally) got 1%. Needless to say, it took quite a bit of sap to make my 1/2 gallon of syrup this last weekend!

~DK

[sams64]

I was probably close to 1.8 to 2 up here in Rowley.

Sam

[Tithis]

I just finished checking the sugar content of my most recent collection of sap. I tested about 2.1% @ 33f. Thats from 9 sugar maple taps and 1 norway maple tap (still need to collect from the reds).

Granted all of my trees are large crowned yard trees so if I'm only getting 2% I can't imagine the trees in the woods are giving any better :/

For me its the amount of sap that's been a disappointment.

[Starting Small]

I am on the MA border in Ct and both my sugar content and the amount of sap has been low. I am between 1-1.5% and ridiculously low sap amount. It is a struggle to get 30 gallons each week to get the evaporator going.

[SeanD]

Same boat here. Hydrometer is reading 2% in a barrel that has ice floating in it, so it's probably closer to 1.5% or even 1.25%. Volume is way, way down, too but the big difference between this year and '09 is that I'm in week 5 and things are still going. This current hard freeze cycle seems to have gotten things going again.

Sean

[wcproctor]

Im in the same boat as Sean with volume but all my sap has been 2% or more. That is what has saved me. I have one tree that puts out 3% but very little sap.


Same boat here. Hydrometer is reading 2% in a barrel that has ice floating in it, so it's probably closer to 1.5% or even 1.25%. Volume is way, way down, too but the big difference between this year and '09 is that I'm in week 5 and things are still going. This current hard freeze cycle seems to have gotten things going again.

Sean

[SeanD]

I compared this year to '09. I meant 2010. That was my crazy low volume year with one frost in March.

Sean

[NedL]

Same here. low volume and low sugar. Good thing last year was great. I still have some left over!

[Richard Gress]

Seacoast NH. I'm running about 2%. Low flow. I've been tapped in since the first week of Feb with 50 taps and have about 3 gallons finished. Looking at the forecast, I have a feeling these next 10 days are going to "make or break" the season.

[NH/Pete]

I'm tapped in Ipswich Ma and Newton NH. Low volume at both locations although Ipswich is picking up a bit.

[ejmaple]

i've had avarage flow and avarage to low sugar %. the forecast has me worried, not many lows below freezing. we're at 1250 feet elevation and are usally alot cooler than forecasted 3-5 degrees, but still doesn't look great. today though, there should be some serious sap, should run into the night slowing by tomarrow with no freeze

[eustis22]

I'm tapped in Ipswich Ma and Newton NH. Low volume at both locations although Ipswich is picking up a bit.

What are the two days of 60 degrees gonna do? What should I do to keep my sap unspoiled before I can boil?

[NH/Pete]

What are the two days of 60 degrees gonna do? What should I do to keep my sap unspoiled before I can boil?

Not sure how much sap you have. I'll be packing snow up around my drums.
Also I will freeze up sap to use as extra large ice cubes in the drums.

Best thing you can do is boil asap.

[eustis22]

Not sure how much sap you have. I'll be packing snow up around my drums.
Also I will freeze up sap to use as extra large ice cubes in the drums.

Best thing you can do is boil asap.

Sadly, I have a trip to make so boiling is problemmatical..I'll get some snow around these asap

[sams64]

I went arounf and collected ice chunks this am and will go get what I have left for ice this evening to put in my barrells. i can nto boil until Saturday so I'm going to have to keep ot cold as best I can. I may freese some 2 gallon buckets of sap to toss back in the tanks if I start to lose the ice I have.

I'm also going to wrap some reflective material around my tanks to try and minimize heating up in the sun.

Sam

[madmantr]

I've averaged about 50 gals to 1 gal syrup. Last night i got 1 gal per tap from 7pm to 6 am . Going to lose some trees to budding today I'm pretty sure. boiling tomorrow or sat .hopefully it will cool off enough to get one more boil on tuesday.