Is This Normal?

[newmod]

I tapped 18 trees yesterday, and in the 24 hours of being tapped, we have about 50 gallons of sap. IS THIS NORMAL??? We had to go get some extra food grade barrels for storage. Hopefully the sap will be ok , because I cant boil for about 4 days. It's supposed to snow tomorrow which should help it keep with being cold. This is my first tap and didn't expect to get this much sap. I have big plans for next year. I think I am an ADDICT.......

[SPILEDRIVER]

how many taps did you put in? how big are the trees/crowns?? where are they located?? roadside or woods trees?? many variables contribute to sap flow....but that is a good rate. ive had many like that but its usually rite after there first tapped.normally your best rates happen early and slowly drop off as the season progresses.....but the only real thing for sure is everything is subject to change............lol

[Run Forest Run!]

Hey newmod. Sounds like you are in the middle of a great sap run. If you've got tons of sap, minimal time and maxed out storage you might want to consider removing the ice from the sap in your storage pails every morning to increase the sugar content in the sap. You'll gain extra storage space and shorten your boil time.

Have a great season! And yes, you are definitely hooked.

[5050racing]

But leave the ice if your trying to keep it from spoiling though

[newmod]

how many taps did you put in? how big are the trees/crowns?? where are they located?? roadside or woods trees?? many variables contribute to sap flow....but that is a good rate. ive had many like that but its usually rite after there first tapped.normally your best rates happen early and slowly drop off as the season progresses.....but the only real thing for sure is everything is subject to change............lol
when we tapped 18 trees we only used 18 taps. All these trees are in the woods somewhat on a hillside. I would be boiling now if this thing called WORK didn't get in my way of having fun.

[happy thoughts]

Wow, what a start to your season! :). But in answer to your question, no, not normal but not unexpectable either. Like Karen said, sounds like you hit a good run. Conditions were just right for your trees. You may see flows like that again but don't count on that happening everyday. Some days nothing runs and many days you'll only get a few quarts/tap, if that.

Now have some fun boiling!

[Galena]

Wow oh wow, you are amazingly lucky to have such an amazing run first time and first day in!! Store the sap and from the sounds of it get a whole lot more food-grade barrels lined up, think you'll need em! Good luck and have fun :-)

[MapleLady]

Wow! Sounds like you hit a good run! Congrats! You'll be making syrup soon!:)

[bushmoose]

Hey newmod. Sounds like you are in the middle of a great sap run. If you've got tons of sap, minimal time and maxed out storage you might want to consider removing the ice from the sap in your storage pails every morning to increase the sugar content in the sap. You'll gain extra storage space and shorten your boil time.

Have a great season! And yes, you are definitely hooked.

I'm curious about this "removing the ice" idea? Is it suggested that the ice will be strictly water and no sap? If so, then a full pail of sap, frozen, will be all water and not sap? Doesn't make sense?

[Michael Greer]

You're right Bushmoose. The removing ice idea is unreliable. If it gets too cold the whole thing will freeze. It's OK to throw out that sheet of ice from the top, but if the whole thing freezes, you've lost your measure.

[newmod]

Just got another 30 gallons off those 18 taps tonight.. this seems crazy, ugh I am gonna be way busy. Trying to finish my house, and signingpsigning paper to sell it in 2 weeks, and working 2 jobs. Ugh

[BFMF]

Years ago, when we used all buckets, I did a lot of expierimenting with ice in buckets. Ifound that the first time you remove the ice and melt it therewas no sugar content in it. If you then froze that sap again and the next day and removed the ice and, melted that, it would have some sugar content. I continued this till our next run of sap. After the first ice removal, the sugar content kept increasing in the ice as well as the remaining sap.

[Run Forest Run!]

BFMF, I agree. The first ice I dumped had a sugar content of .1%. After three subsequent freezings in the same pail of sap, yesterday's ice measured 1.2%. I kept it. I think I will always try to keep my ice in a separate pail after I remove it from my sap storage bucket and measure it first before I decide to throw it away. I'm just a backyarder, and can afford the time to do this extra step. Others may not have that luxury, or have lots of trees with lots more sap than I do.

[802maple]

This is absolutely normal, when you wait for sugaring season to get here to tap and have the freshest holes possible. You will get sap runs like this instead of the wimpy runs and most likely make more syrup.

[PerryW]

not normal, but it's every sugarmaker's dream to have trees like that.

[Homestead Maple]

it's not normal but the old rule for sap storage is 2 gallons of storage for every tap. i remember a late season snow storm one year of about 4 inches of wet snow when I had 140 taps at the time and the way the sap ran during that snow storm, 3 gallons of storage per tap would have been right. it doesn't happen often but when the barometric pressure is right and the trees are willing, who knows.