What has your sap surgar content been

[Gissert]

I am seeing a fair amount of reports that the sugar content of the sap is on the high side this year. What are you guys seeing ou there?

My first run this year was 3.4 percent.

[dufftj]

Hard maples 1.8-2%...............Reds 2.5%...............Silvers 3-4.5%.............After yesterdays run I stopped testing Individual collections of sap and started just testing full barrels(44 gallon kind) two full barrels averaged out at 3%............

Tim

[RileySugarbush]

Good sugar content this year. 3.2 to 3.4% on all sugar maples.

[tonka]

I was wondering the same thing Gissert. I think the reason for the sugar content being high is so far when I have collected sap, each buck had ice inside, I think I averaged maybe half gallon - a gallon of ice in each bucket, that adds up quick no matter the number of buckets your running. I hope to get some sort of instrument for next season to test sugar content.

[Cindee]

3.5 % here in Northern WI

[Mudcat_21]

We are running 3 1/2% to 4% so far here in Central MN

[Gissert]

It will be interesting to see what this 90 gallon batch yields. Lots of ice in the pails. Gotta love nature's RO!

[lastwoodsman]

2.5 and three in east central MN

[karl evans]

Wow, i have to ask. You do use the same scale as us, don't you? In my parts( northeast ohio) good sugar is usually 2% to maybe 2.4% or so. Thats always buckets on open yard trees. The 4 or 5 tubing operations around our area( 5 mile radius) run around 1.7 % early to around 1% at the end of the year. We know TSI helps, but never heard of 3% unless its been through the RO. Good for you. Count your blessings.

[Bigben]

It will be interesting to see what this 90 gallon batch yields. Lots of ice in the pails. Gotta love nature's RO!

This may me a rookie question, but...can you assume that the ice is 100% water and you can just toss it?

[MapleSue]

Mine has been testing at 4 - 4.1 all week.

[RileySugarbush]

This may me a rookie question, but...can you assume that the ice is 100% water and you can just toss it?

Not 100% water, but if there is a small percentage of ice in a bag/pail/tank it is almost all water. As it freezes more completely, more sugar is included. If there is a thin layer of ice toss it unless you need it to keep your sap cool.

[cbhansen]

This may me a rookie question, but...can you assume that the ice is 100% water and you can just toss it?

I was collecting 2 to 2.2 this season in northern Ontario. We got a couple of days of freezing temps so most of the buckets were partially ice. I separated the strained ice from the sap, let it melt and then tested the sugar content. Results - sap without ice = 3 and iced sap (after melting) = 0.4

[Mudcat_21]

I luv when nature helps us out and freezes the water in the buckets! I have no problem throwing those ice chunks out. Our sap has dropped to around 3 1/2% now, but we are getting dumped on with sap and our trees have been tapped for over 6 weeks! Having a hard time keeping up with the cooker....might have put a few too many taps out.:rolleyes:

[SilverLeaf]

My avg most years on my particular mix of Silvers is around 2%. This year I haven't had the stellar numbers that some are getting but I've still been above my usual average for the batch: 2.25 or so until just a couple days ago when it dropped to 2 or slightly below.

On some individual trees (my "big guns"), however, I did record some collections in the 3.75-4% range.

[SilverLeaf]

might have put a few too many taps out.:rolleyes:
Naw..... that just means it's time to upgrade the arch, right? :)

I'm in the same boat - if I didn't have my dad helping out I wouldn't have much of anything boiled... I'm spending all my time running around keeping up with the sap!

[Bigben]

This may me a rookie question, but...can you assume that the ice is 100% water and you can just toss it?

Thanks for all the input. Sounds like a good plan to just toss and save the boiling time. Thanks again all.