Sugar Content

[doocat]

Can anyone explain (maybe Dr. PERKINS) why it seems that Wisconsin producers are consistantly talking about 3-4% sugar and here in the northeast (Pennsylvania specifically) sugar usually is in the 1.5 to 2% range? Is there science to it or juct lucky?

Craig

[happy thoughts]

I can't explain it but what type of maples are you tapping, and what are those reporting in WI tapping? Red maples seem more common here in NEPA than sugars with sugars known to tend toward higher sugar content. I don't test my sap but my sap to syrup ratio is much better now that I tap just sugars (35-38:1) instead of the reds (45-48+:1) that I used to tap.

[spud]

About 97% of my trees are sugar maples. I run my vacuum at 27-28 all season long. My average sugar last year was 1.7% and this year it is looking about the same. My sap might go down to 1.6% for this season though. If I had 2% sap for an average then I would be at .6 GPT for the season so far. All I can do is extract the sap and take what sugar I can get.

Spud

[maplwrks]

Could just be talk.....

[lastwoodsman]

The sap in my area of east central Minnesota has been running this year 2.5 to 3%. Mine last week was pretty steady 3%. I cked every load I brought in. It didn't matter if it was Red maples or sugars and I run about half and half.

I have a freind here in the twin cities who taps nothing but silvers (700) of em. His sap this year ran form 3 to 5 %

Woodsman

[doocat]

I am just looking for opinions, theory, science about this. We have 3000 taps, run vacuum at 27 all season, and started at 2 to 2.1 sugar. The last day we had vacuum on 4/8/13 sugar was at about .8%. I am not complaining because we made .41 gals per tap and I know we have some lats that are too long and did not use check valves, just curious. We have probably about 250 reds +/- the rest are sugars.