19.2 percent sap

[Rossell's Sugar Camp]

I was splitting wood the other day, my dad walked over and looked at a maple that had been running down the side of the tree. He tasted the sap and told me go get the refractometer because it was extremely sweet. The 0-10 brix refractometer showed all white so i got out the digital one and after calibrating it it showed 19.2 brix. And it was really sweet too. Not even from a sweet tree or anything. Just a normal sugar maple. Any ideas why? I was mind blown.

[gmcooper]

I'm going to say the sap has been leaking several days and slowly has been evaporating thus leaving a high sugar content.

[maple flats]

I second that. To get an accurate reading you must drill a hole or cut off a small limb tip, and collect the sample as it flows out.

[GeneralStark]

I third that. This is why squirrels tap trees on the sunny side.