Anyone else done?

[Allan Limoges]

Looks like the end of the season in Watford. Last batch was very dark. Made about 30 liters of syrup from 72 taps. Worst year ever.

[randomseeker]

Wow Allan, are you sure? Just checking the weather it looks like you have some tremendous sap running coming in a couple of days. Not sure why the batch was dark. I am sure hoping for a big lift later this week our area. I am thinking I am not even half done. We'll see.

[Run Forest Run!]

Gee Allan, I hope not. It would be hard to imagine that your trees are drying up already. We'll cross our fingers for you.

[ennismaple]

We're only just started in Eastern Ontario Allan. We barely made medium on our last boil Tuesday (hadn't frozen in 2 nights) and I expect the colour will be back to light or better when the sap starts running again after this cold snap. I recall 6 or 7 years ago we were making a amber when we got a cold snap in late March. When the sap started running after that 3 day freezup it went from amber to light in the couple of hours it took to push the new sap through to the front of the evaporator.

[BrutemanAl]

Just back from the forest and I am happy to say my tree's are peeing in my buckets again (sap is running again ) , here north of Brighton it stopped running monday and started back up again today

[Run Forest Run!]

I just checked too. Things appear to have started dripping again within the past two hours. Hopefully I'll be boiling again on the weekend.

[MustardSeedMum]

Dripping some in Erin as well. But not enough to start a boil this weekend before the cold sets in again.

[Maplesapper]

Calling for very cold temps in Parry Sound for the next ten days.
-15 forecasted for Sunday....Snowed today.
We have only had two boils this year.
Going to be scary if we dont get good sap temps until the end of the month....

[Allan Limoges]

The forecast does not look good for at least a week. I did get clear sap yesterday but not enough to collect.

[Ahnohta2]

Anyone Done Yet???

We hate hearing those words. We normally don not START tapping until 3/20. [We are in far northern Wisconsin] Looking at forecast for next week w/ no expected temps above 30` on any day means we are RIGHT on track to START tapping next weekend.

Too bad we could not get gov. subsidy's to run a pipeline across country and ship sap and extend some of the boiling seasons.

[RyanB]

wow, Erin and Caledon it was running? here between Fergus and Arthur everything is still froze solid! Im not complaining though as I am tied up in the wood shop untill at least untill Tuesday afternoon. I have boiled down just over 5 gallons so far of syrup from my 85 pails I have out.

Ryan

[Run Forest Run!]

Ryan, it ran for me for just under two hours yesterday afternoon but froze up solid again last night with barely a single drop today. I got a total of 8L from 7 of my taps yesterday. However, one thing I won't complain about was that the average sugar count in that 7L was just under 3%. Still waiting to get enough to warrant boiling, although I might fire up the propane burners mostly because I'm getting bored and the few litres of sap in my storage pail are calling to me. The sap blend in there is at 2.8%.

[Kyle Baker]

Ennismaple, I always like to hear what you have to say since I don't live too far from Lanark.
I've boiled all the sap I've collected to date and am sitting on 5 litres of finished syrup. Looking forward to making more when the weather starts it back up again. It's been cold the last few days!

[Russell Lampron]

Looks like the end of the season in Watford. Last batch was very dark. Made about 30 liters of syrup from 72 taps. Worst year ever.

Are you calling it a season because you made some dark syrup? If it is you are just starting to make the best tasting syrup of the season.

Carry on!

[maple flats]

Way TOOOOO early to call it quits. Even if you made some dark syrup, you should not quit. The buds surely haven't opened with the temperatures we have had.
Very often, a batch of dark is followed by lighter after a good freeze. Looking at the extended forecast, it looks to me like the season is just about to begin. Here I've only had 3 good days (and several fair to poor) but in the break when no sap was flowing I went and bought more new barrels. The forecast tells me I might even need more before the end.
Clean the pans and get ready for a fantastic season, starting in just 2-3 days.

[heus]

Are you calling it a season because you made some dark syrup? If it is you are just starting to make the best tasting syrup of the season.

Carry on!
I absolutely second Russ' comment! You are only done if you want to be.

[Allan Limoges]

Was not only the dark syrup but milky sap in some of my pails. Every year is the same with my syrup, start with dark then very light and darkens with every batch until I get dark again. Then the saps gets milky. I was just wondering if this was the case with others in my area.

I will boil until I cannot boil anymore. This will be my first year with a profit, and would like to make the best of it.

Thanks for your replies.

[Yellzee]

PROFIT????? Clearly you need to buy some more gear!!;)

[Allan Limoges]

Now that you mention it a pre-heater of some sort would be nice.

[Greenwich Maple Man]

Way TOOOOO early to call it quits. Even if you made some dark syrup, you should not quit. The buds surely haven't opened with the temperatures we have had.
Very often, a batch of dark is followed by lighter after a good freeze. Looking at the extended forecast, it looks to me like the season is just about to begin. Here I've only had 3 good days (and several fair to poor) but in the break when no sap was flowing I went and bought more new barrels. The forecast tells me I might even need more before the end.
Clean the pans and get ready for a fantastic season, starting in just 2-3 days.

I think maple flats is on track here. It seems like it has been longer because we have been messing around with these little dinky runs. Had a couple real good ones. But I to think we are going to go long and late this year. Just my guess though.

[Yellzee]

Yep. Pre-heater for sure. Maybe a temperature compensating refractometer, or a filter press, maybe a new grading kit, instead of pails a vacuum pump, lines and a nice stainless tank..... Oh yeah!

[smalltyme haliburton]

I haven't started in Haliburton, the end of next week looks good

[naturenitwit]

Just got back from Minden Ontario. Was there last week for March Break. Really good run last Friday Saturday and Sunday. Boiled Sat night and Monday. It stayed warm Monday and Tuesday and then everything stopped. We needed a freeze and got it, but it stayed the rest of the week. Managed to get another boil yesterday. Made 10.5 l of syrup in total. I did seem a little dark this year, but hopping to catch a great run later this week and next. I am hoping the Easter bunny will be hiding sap in my 44 buckets.

[Allan Limoges]

My four year old and I checked our pails today, might have 50 gal of sap. Supposed to warm up next week. If the weather man can get his story straight.

Have a digital temperature compensating refractometer. Does not read well at or near boiling temperatures but after the syrup cools under 30C seems to read consistent.