Anyone else doing the maple experiment tonight?

[Dill]

I'm going to flip on the pumps and I think I have Josh convinced as well. We haven't had a run since last sun/mon and 5 straight days above 80 degrees. The trees have budded and or flowered so whatever comes will be buddy. But will it come? That's the question.

[red maples]

I don't know we'll see do I really want to thats the question....you know ....when its over it over kinda mentality!!! everythings about 75% cleaned up!!! vinegar soaking in the pans. I am decompressing after the weekend!!!

I just don't know!!! it will most likey be merch but we'll see its been a strange year you never know!!! I am not even gonna be around tomorrow anyway off to boston for doc apts for my daughter!!

[highlandcattle]

Yes, we're still hooked up. Cold, windy, nasty out there. We're gonna give it one last try. HORRIBLE YEAR. Nothing, literally to show for it. Got to hope next year is better.

[Brandy Brook Maple Farm]

We are conducting our own unofficial research here at Brandy Brook Maple Farm for a few reasons. One of them is to satisfy our own curiosity of what might, can, and does happen in a situation such as many of us have recently experienced in maple production. Another reason is because we just aren't ready to give in and clean up yet. We have six sugarbushes in different locations (and of their own microclimates) of which each has its own unique maple stand composition (size of bush, maple species, size of individual trees, elevation, among other unique characteristics). I will be posting updates on our visitor message board for anyone who may be interested in learning what occurs in our sugar woods after this recent freeze up after almost a week of unseasonably high temperatures, some premature (for our area) budding and commercial grade syrup. We are also going to be tapping about 20 hard maples (no vacuum, just buckets) for the first time this year to see what they do compared with the ones we had on buckets from earlier this season. Please feel free to visit our message board!

[PerryW]

I'm going to flip on the pumps and I think I have Josh convinced as well. We haven't had a run since last sun/mon and 5 straight days above 80 degrees. The trees have budded and or flowered so whatever comes will be buddy. But will it come? That's the question.

I got interrupted during cleanup so I'm still 65% plugged in, remaining tanks are clean, pans are still sweet and ready to go. The 35% I unplugged are the warmest trees. I will dump the first part of the run and see if the rest still looks like sap. I'm at 42 gallons and looking to beat Russell's worst year of 45 gallons.:lol:

[DS Maple]

Yeah, we're gonna give it a whirl and see what happens. I've got people asking for burned and/or buddy syrup and so far haven't made any so perhaps this week those demands will be met. If anyone is still plugged in but doesn't want to dirty their evaporator/sugarhouse again after cleaning let me know. I'm interested in purchasing any sap that's worth trucking and boiling (so probably over 1.5%).

Scott
Coll's Farm LLC
Dublin School Inc.

[DrTimPerkins]

... pans are still sweet and ready to go.

Just make sure the sweet in your pans hasn't turned ropey before you try boiling. If it is...dump it before starting again.

[Greenwich Maple Man]

Just make sure the sweet in your pans hasn't turned ropey before you try boiling. If it is...dump it before starting again.

I drained my flue pan and syrup pan. The flue pan looked like slime scum garbage. Both pans are filled with water from the R.O and soaking. I did another hotwater wash through the R.O and a rinse after that. The last sap through was junk so wanted to be extra clean. The syrup pan was fine but did that after my last boil. All the tanks have been washed along with releasers. Hopeing it really lets loose over the next few days. Who knows a few more barrels would be more than welcome and I don't care what the grade is. Dark would be awsome since I din't make much dark thus far. Then again I don't care as long as it is syrup. I'm hoping and praying this weather does the trick and that the tapholes are still good. Best to all in the next week

[PerryW]

Just make sure the sweet in your pans hasn't turned ropey before you try boiling. If it is...dump it before starting again.

Boiled only 3 days ago for the last time and I brought all the raw sap to a boil before shutting down.

[Russell Lampron]

I got interrupted during cleanup so I'm still 65% plugged in, remaining tanks are clean, pans are still sweet and ready to go. The 35% I unplugged are the warmest trees. I will dump the first part of the run and see if the rest still looks like sap. I'm at 42 gallons and looking to beat Russell's worst year of 45 gallons.:lol:

You won't have any problem beating my 45 gallons when you finish what you have in your pans.

[driske]

We got down to 27F last night. Tried the vacuum for 4 hours today. The little bit that came looked like a cross between whey and moth puree. The only trees I could detect still putting any sap in the lines were the creek side trees, and a few offsite, low ground, hard maple protected by hemlock.
None of the higher open trees were doing anything. I was tempted drill a few new holes, but I didn't. The trees I checked included my sample trees where 3 different types of adapter were used. CV, clear 5/16's, and black 5/32nd's. All compass points were tapped and none was active in the least, regardless of adapter style. We are officially done. 1# syrup/ tap. Worst year ever,and that goes back to 1981.

[farmall h]

Gonna give it a shot tomorrow afternoon. What the heck...only soft maple is showing budding. Maybe it will run enough to top off a drum. Supposed to be 17 deg. by morning and in the 40's daytime. Just gotta flip on the vac pump and see what happens. Couple hours run time will tell...maybe we will get maple yogurt! :lol:

[PerryW]

You won't have any problem beating my 45 gallons when you finish what you have in your pans.

Probably not unless I bother w/ the back pan. I'm guessing I have a gallon or two in the front pan and was most likely gonna dump the back pan unless I get some decent looking sap to push it thru. Just isn't worth it to me to spend half the day to get another gallon of crap syrup.

I will dump the first part of the run and see if I get enough decent looking sap to bother with. Good luck.

[Dill]

Nothing yet, but oddly I think its cause its too cold.
Looked at my evap last night and it now has white mold spots. Yummy! I was going for mersh, so will that matter?

[red maples]

I didn't turn on the vac but I still have taps in since maple weekend was last week. Reds are dropping buds already...still can't get over how early it is!!! but anyway I pulled a few stubbies off with the check valve still in and there are some dripping although very lightly....the sap tastes like well very woody with a nasty something thats hard to describe almost tastes like new plastic smells, if that makes anysense. So I am not going to bother. I really don't feel like making merch anyway. I did a quick scrub and emptied out the vinegar solution last night so it wouldn't freeze and the pans are nice and shiny do I reall wanna dirty them again???!!!???

[GeneralStark]

I'm doing the experiment. Turned the pump back on today and the sap has been running lightly. We'll see what happens over the next 24 hours.

[Amber Gold]

Pump's been on since yesterday and things didn't thaw out until sometime in the afternoon. About 30 gal of sap in the tank, which I dumped. Sap was coming into the releaser better than I was expecting. I boiled off my pan last night, but it was pretty ropey and wouldn't go through the press. I'm going to reheat it to boiling tonight to bring it to density and see if I can push it through. Whatever I get from this experiment will be on the ground.

[Brandy Brook Maple Farm]

Ours didn't thaw till late afternoon, either. Sap is flowing at one of our sites today, though, about ready to go check another! You can be sure we'll be cleaning out our lines for a good while before we can determine what is coming out of the trees!

[Russell Lampron]

I didn't turn on the vacuum but did check a few of my buckets yesterday and today. The trees were running but there wasn't very much in the buckets after 2 days.

[PerryW]

My main bush is just trickling at 5 PM, but a cold string of 25 taps is running good. Stuck a spout back in one of the trees where I had pulled a bucket a week ago and it was running 2 drips per second.