Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

[randolphvt]

Still nothing running in Randolph VT. All buckets empty.

[DrTimPerkins]

Still nothing running in Randolph VT. All buckets empty.

It can take quite a while (days) for trees to thaw out after the deep freeze we had. Rain will help, but oftentimes the first run isn't great simply because the trees haven't recharged by taking up soil moisture yet. They can't give up sap they don't have it (yet).

[hogisland42]

Its 6 o'clock and it still hasn't warmed up here on the Canadian border:cry:

[tcross]

It can take quite a while (days) for trees to thaw out after the deep freeze we had. Rain will help, but oftentimes the first run isn't great simply because the trees haven't recharged by taking up soil moisture yet. They can't give up sap they don't have it (yet).
i have to remind myself of this with the first run or two of the season every year!

[ronewold]

Funny, I had a decent run the last two days. Very rough estimate 1 GPT which tested at 1.8 percent. That's up at 1700 feet elevation in Brookfield. I don't think things froze last night, and it is still super warm this morning, so the sap may still be running.
I wasn't quite ready, but it certainly got me moving. I only had maybe 200 trees tapped, and I hadn't gotten last year's sludge cleaned out of the big woods tank (the sludge was still frozen solid!). So this sap is actually being used to rinse the tank, and to find leaks in my 3/16 gravity tubing. It's hard to check for leaks in natural vacuum tubing without some liquid running through the lines.
I also have issues (as always) with my smokestack. A month or more ago, the wind moved it off the base on the evaporator, just an inch or so, but I have been having a heck of a time getting it back into place. The stack is by far the biggest problem I have faced as a new sugarmaker. 21 feet of 14 inch pipe on top of the 6 foot base out in the open air above the low-roofed woodshed and supported by a radio tower's worth of guy wires. It has been tough to keep it where I want it up on top of Bear Hill in the wind. It would be a lot easier if I had a proper sugarhouse roof to support it halfway up, but I haven't quite gotten there yet.
That's the long way of saying I have some work to do this week before I can boil (but after the wind settles down). I'm happy that the weather is going to stay cold for a week or so now.

[randolphvt]

Today is a disaster. buckets falling off everywhere-lines broken-taps coming out. ARRGGGGG Darn wind!!!!!

[randolphvt]

I suspect in a week or 2 will be really good runs. My trees have started to run but the sap is really dark in some buckets...

[randolphvt]

first test of my 15 gal after calibration is 3.2brix. Sugar maples only.

[VT_K9]

We tapped our original area in the woods which feeds one released yesterday and this morning. Then we chased leaks (including a slightly open end of line ball valve) for a few hours. Last year we replaced over 500’ line due to mostly squirrel chews. This year we replaced many drops for the same reason after the vacuum was turned on. We started at 16” of va and finished just over 27”. Tomorrow we’ll tap the newer section and then chase leaks. We replaced about 1000’ of 1” mainline. We added 1400’ but will likely hook up a sap pulled since the heated lifter hut from CDL hasn’t arrived yet.

Mike

[DrTimPerkins]

Ran fairly well Tuesday evening and Wed forenoon. 11,774 gal off 6,150 taps (averaging about 1.8 Brix right now), but you could tell it wasn't running hard...trees are just starting to thaw out -- the cores are still frozen solid. Vacuum at 21-27" Hg depending on the woods, so still more work to do there. The crew has been busy finalizing all the pumping stations, along with tapping. Power was just installed to the site about a month ago (don't ask). We used to truck sap from the lower site, but now it collects in one shed, is pumped across the road, then pumped from there (along with sap from another 1,000 taps) right up to the sugarhouse into our new 10,000 gal CDL sap silo. No more trucking (hopefully), except for some research sap (which we have to keep separated into sugar maple sap and red maple sap for Dr. Abby's research). Lots of changes, but everything was working well yesterday....except for the RO, which blew the fuse on the transformer when they fired it up. Power company came and replaced it quickly, and a new 100amp leg is being installed on Friday, so that should help. Will run the RO without the HyperBrix pump on until then, so can only concentrate to about 20 Brix for now (instead of our normal 35 Brix). In any case, not a bad start so far.

[ronewold]

I would say my Mon-Wed total came to roughly 2 GPT on my current 200ish taps. I didn't get to test sugar content again after my 1.8 on Tuesday night, but it doesn't matter because all the sap got used for the tank rinse. Now the tank is looking good and we have a reprieve for a week or more for me to fight with the smokestack, clean the pans, and do more line repairs. More tapping after that.

[VTfarmboy]

pulled almost 1gpt testing 2% exactly from last weeks mid-week run, over 30% crop so far feeling good closing out feb

[randolphvt]

So far still zip nada nothing empty buckets. Might get a little something next week but it's gonna rain with the warm temps. blech. growing seriously frustrated and impatient. *growl*

[VT_K9]

randolphvt, I believe the old saying went tap after town meeting. Tuesday was town meeting day. Should be all tapped in and getting the sugarhouse ready for the real runs to start this weekend. We're on vacuum and I feel like we missed a couple short runs which would have allowed us to color the pans and then we'd still be pacing like you. I'm taking advantage to add taps here and there as trees have grown. Also we have a new mainline to finish installing for when the CDL heated lifter shack arrives.

Mike

[Ultimatetreehugger]

I too have been taking advantage of the weather. Adding a sap ladder over the road to connect a small section of taps to my existing pump house. We've been trying to get to this for years!

[chep]

Here on the Bradford/west newbury line i will finish hanging my buckets up today. Got over half up yesterday. Total around 230 pails! Wooohoo! Bring on the sap! The trees were dribbling as we tapped yesterday. So seems the system is primed ready to flow. Good luck to all big and small!

[MJPJ Sugars]

Georgia, VT -- hung 34 buckets yesterday. The SE facing slope was "drippy" as we tapped. Felt VERY good touching the trees yesterday... good things to come this year. Hope you all have a fantastic season!

[blissville maples]

Well after a week long vacation the sap finally started running again! Took long enough things really locked up. This week looks prime. Hate to see the snow go but the frost needs to break before heavy runs start. Probably have almost a gpt from yesterday thru this am. Sugar went down a little seems to be around 1.7

[tcross]

took forever for the sap to start yesterday. probably got 1/2 gpt from yesterday a.m till now. probably would have gotten a good bit more, but the wind knocked down some trees and we were without power from 4:30 till 8 last night. glad i wasn't boiling!

[randolphvt]

finally... This is the first day the sap is somewhat running in Randolph.

[blissville maples]

Nice surprise yesterday, sun popped out after a short freeze and the sap ran pretty hard for about 6hrs. A little over half gallon p/t. System got well primed over the weekend. Sugar came up a bit testing 1.9. my non vacuum yard run the sugar is 2.6 and I know some water was in there, wish my vac. Trees gave 2.6!

[randolphvt]

Lost 3 of my 15 buckets in the wind... no where to be found. Wind is not fun.

[blissville maples]

Yea I don't particularly care for the wind! Just like a porcopine - nothing good about it!
Unbelievable run yesterday from noon until 7. Pretty sure couple spots were 1 gal sap per tap+. The sugar content is right up there also I've seen 2.1/2.2 that's the highest I can recall on vaccum.i think the trees wanted to seed out last spring but that last cold snap froze them and made them drop!!
We will process anywhere from 10-13k gallons today as I stockpiled for 2 days, Should be a 6 barrel day

[DrTimPerkins]

i think the trees wanted to seed out last spring but that last cold snap froze them and made them drop!!

Hey Bliss...wondering what you mean by this? Trees "wanting" to seed in the spring of 2021 wouldn't have an influence on the sugar content in the spring of 2021? The tree's energy isn't used in "wanting" to do something...just in the actual doing of it.

The research that was done a few years back relating lower sap sugar content to high seed production is largely BS for a bunch of reasons, the main one being that the researcher used syrup production to estimate sap sugar content across the region. Both Mike Farrell and I had met with him beforehand and told him that was a bad idea. The one big driver of the results was 2012, which had a low sap sugar content (ESTIMATED from syrup production) which followed a seed year in 2011. Of course, any maple producer who made syrup in 2012 knows what caused the low production that year...it was the 3-4 days of 70-80 deg F temperatures in mid-March...NOT low sap sugar.

Not saying there isn't any relationship between seed and sap sugar, but just that particular study wasn't worth the paper it was printed on.

[Ultimatetreehugger]

"Not saying there isn't any relationship between seed and sap sugar, but just that particular study wasn't worth the paper it was printed on." True farmer terminology right here. Blunt and effective.
Dr. Tim, what seems to be the biggest influence in low sugar content? Water, drought, sun, tree anatomy, tree health, soil nutrients, something I've missed?

[MJPJ Sugars]

Nice run here in Georgia, VT over the last 24 hours... over 1 gpt on my simple spiles and buckets :)

My records show I was only over 1 gpt once all of last season.

[blissville maples]

Hey Bliss...wondering what you mean by this? Trees "wanting" to seed in the spring of 2021 wouldn't have an influence on the sugar content in the spring of 2021? The tree's energy isn't used in "wanting" to do something...just in the actual doing of it.

The research that was done a few years back relating lower sap sugar content to high seed production is largely BS for a bunch of reasons, the main one being that the researcher used syrup production to estimate sap sugar content across the region. Both Mike Farrell and I had met with him beforehand and told him that was a bad idea. The one big driver of the results was 2012, which had a low sap sugar content (ESTIMATED from syrup production) which followed a seed year in 2011. Of course, any maple producer who made syrup in 2012 knows what caused the low production that year...it was the 3-4 days of 70-80 deg F temperatures in mid-March...NOT low sap sugar.

Not saying there isn't any relationship between seed and sap sugar, but just that particular study wasn't worth the paper it was printed on.


So the spring of 2021, last spring, the trees were showing seeds starting to form as well as the first few buds were starting to open slightly, only a small percentage were unfolding you could see the leaf tips emerging. Then we had that final cold snap and it singed everything at that point which was very few slightly unfolded leaves, they had a very singed look as they tried to open further and didn't develop right, almost looked like they were chewed on. My hypothesis is that the trees were getting ready for seeds so they had a converted alot of carbs to sugar to do so and then never needed it for the seeds since they got froze a bit. Could this make the next year have high sugar since the trees were anticipating something that never happened, kind of like a bank account that never had that payment come out, now the account is stronger/bigger reserve

I have alot of red maples and a mix of small and large trees so if my sugar is at 1.8 I'm celebrating!? So 2.1/2.2 is a blessing!! I feel my smaller trees (alot are 8-10", and is why I use alot of 1/4" taps) is reason why I'm usually around .45 gpt I don't think I'll ever be over .5. although chainsaw been running alot last couple years!! And it does show in spots I've completed. In one releaser I have 3 lines coming in, one has 1200, one 1100 and the other 500. The 500 are all old growth 20" -30" trees and we're thinned by logger 8 years ago so they have responded well to this.. These 500 almost put out a gush the same as 1100! It has really highlighted some important facts about trees like yield and size correlation!!

I've a question, often wondered about. So as soon as leaves pop trees are making carbs? And as soon as they turn color in fall they are done being solar panels??

Another question. So when it's 20° at night trees have internal vaccum.does this change to pressure as soon as hits 32°? Or is there a couple hr delay? And on the flip side in the evening when it's gone from 40 to say 33 are trees 'pushing' or 'pulling' sap to the hole at that point when it's 33-34°? Hopefully all this makes sense

[blissville maples]

Managed to process about 14000 gals sap Friday and Saturday, made 285 gallons of some very light amber! Gave up a remote sugar Bush for more local taps. What a blessing not having to spend 2-3 hr a day driving. More time to be in woods, and finding ways to improve!

[billyinvt]

Looks like a nice two day run starting this afternoon. However, the forecast shows no freeze for the next several days. I'm having flashbacks from last season's earlier than normal buddy sap and abrupt end to sugaring.

[DrTimPerkins]

So the spring of 2021, last spring, the trees were showing seeds starting to form as well as the first few buds were starting to open slightly, only a small percentage were unfolding you could see the leaf tips emerging. Then we had that final cold snap and it singed everything at that point which was very few slightly unfolded leaves, they had a very singed look as they tried to open further and didn't develop right, almost looked like they were chewed on. My hypothesis is that the trees were getting ready for seeds so they had a converted alot of carbs to sugar to do so and then never needed it for the seeds since they got froze a bit.

Sounds like it was not seeds that got damaged, but flowers. These don't typically require a lot of energy to form, and if killed at the early stages the loss would be minimal in terms of affecting the overall carbohydrate status of affected trees. Most of the energy going into forming seeds happens during the actual growing season when there is (assuming good growing conditions) adequate carb supply available. If there isn't for some reason (drought being a big one), then the seeds can abort to cut the losses to the tree.


Could this make the next year have high sugar since the trees were anticipating something that never happened, kind of like a bank account that never had that payment come out, now the account is stronger/bigger reserve

Not really...the carb balance in the tree is accumulated, used, and dispersed over many years. The average sap sugar coming from a tree comes out to about 3 yrs old, but spans anyone from just a few months old to several decades old (but the average is 3 yrs). The sugar that makes up the sap we collect and syrup we make is derived from several years of growth and tree rings. Sugar tends to go down as we go deeper into the trunk (into older tree rings), partly because some of the sugar in older rings gets used up. There is also the issue of reduced hydraulic conductivity...vessels become less functional as we get deeper. So overall, more sugar and more sap from the outer rings to the inner rings.

Trees don't "anticipate" things the way people do. If the conditions are right, they'll respond. However, one of the conditions for something like producing seeds is to have adequate carbohydrate reserves to accomplish that. Trees that have decent sun exposure tend to have reasonable reserves. Some amount of that is lost when sapwood turns to heartwood in the tree. Any carbs left in those rings is cut off from the trees vascular system and thus no longer available.


I've a question, often wondered about. So as soon as leaves pop trees are making carbs? And as soon as they turn color in fall they are done being solar panels??

They are making some carbs early on, but it takes a little while (a few weeks depending on the weather) for photosynthetic function to ramp up to maximum productivity. Similarly, when they turn color in the fall there is some continued export of carbs for a while.


Another question. So when it's 20° at night trees have internal vaccum.does this change to pressure as soon as hits 32°? Or is there a couple hr delay? And on the flip side in the evening when it's gone from 40 to say 33 are trees 'pushing' or 'pulling' sap to the hole at that point when it's 33-34°? Hopefully all this makes sense

Great question. The first thing to keep in mind is that air temperature isn't the critical thing...it is sap temperature in the branches and stem, and wood doesn't change temperature nearly as quickly during freezing and thawing as air does and not all the wood is at the same temperature. The branches freeze first, and start to generate a vacuum immediately upon freezing. The transition from liquid to solid (liquid to ice) is critical. It causes a huge vapor pressure deficit (humidity is very low over ice compared to humidity when liquid is present), which helps to generate the negative pressure (vacuum) to result in water uptake. This vacuum is propagated through the rest of the tree as the tree branches/wood freezes, and eventually is transmitted down into the roots where water is drawn in. That is why a nice slow freeze is good for water uptake. What is kind of weird is that this occurs in different parts of the tree at different times since them temperature is not the same throughout. So for example, the core (or north side) of the tree may still be frozen, so not participate in flow or uptake at all. The branches might be freezing up, generating a suction, but the stem might still have some stem pressure in it for a time. Over time though there is this wave of suction that builds up and moves through the stem to cause uptake.

On the flip side, when the tree thaws, there is essentially no pressure at all, then all of a sudden the pressure spikes upward to a peak value, then stem pressure decays downward over the next few days as sap flows out.

[DrTimPerkins]

...what seems to be the biggest influence in low sugar content? Water, drought, sun, tree anatomy, tree health, soil nutrients, something I've missed?

All of the above and more. Not much really seems to affect sap flow to any great extent EXCEPT the conditions during the season.

Sap sugar content (SSC) has a huge number of variables that affect it, but none of them to an overriding degree. I did some conference presentations on this a few years back. We have a huge data set of SSC and environmental (temps, rain, etc.) and biological values here at PMRC. I've done some preliminary analysis of these data and found several interesting linear relationships (correlations), but I intend to spend part of my final year at work doing much more in-depth analysis of these data. Stay tuned.

[ecp]

All of the above and more. Not much really seems to affect sap flow to any great extent EXCEPT the conditions during the season.

I intend to spend part of my final year at work doing much more in-depth analysis of these data. Stay tuned.

Are you hinting at something here?

[DrTimPerkins]

Are you hinting at something here?

Not hinting at all. I am retiring June 30, 2023 (15+ months from now).

[VTfarmboy]

last 3 hauls were .75gpt testing 2%, 1gpt testing 2.5% and .75gpt testing 2.4% making very beautiful dark amber(very red color)

[ToadHill]

Not hinting at all. I am retiring June 30, 2023 (15+ months from now).

Congratulations Dr. Perkins on your impending retirement. I know it's a year away, but I just want to say thank you for your service to the maple industry. I know that we've all benefited greatly from your efforts. Your retirement is well earned.

Randy

[randolphvt]

Nooooo... Tim should be a consultant. We will definitely miss your constant great feedback here at this site. Helping some backyarders face to face would be cool. Do some videos how best to do super small operations through medium operations.

[randolphvt]

I'm also trying to finish up my first boil of the season. I'm about 20 percent right now. Had to boil and melt frozen buckets over the evap pan. So frustrating. I'll let you know how mine turns out when it's done.

[blissville maples]

Sounds like it was not seeds that got damaged, but flowers. These don't typically require a lot of energy to form, and if killed at the early stages the loss would be minimal in terms of affecting the overall carbohydrate status of affected trees. Most of the energy going into forming seeds happens during the actual growing season when there is (assuming good growing conditions) adequate carb supply available. If there isn't for some reason (drought being a big one), then the seeds can abort to cut the losses to the tree.



Not really...the carb balance in the tree is accumulated, used, and dispersed over many years. The average sap sugar coming from a tree comes out to about 3 yrs old, but spans anyone from just a few months old to several decades old (but the average is 3 yrs). The sugar that makes up the sap we collect and syrup we make is derived from several years of growth and tree rings. Sugar tends to go down as we go deeper into the trunk (into older tree rings), partly because some of the sugar in older rings gets used up. There is also the issue of reduced hydraulic conductivity...vessels become less functional as we get deeper. So overall, more sugar and more sap from the outer rings to the inner rings.

Trees don't "anticipate" things the way people do. If the conditions are right, they'll respond. However, one of the conditions for something like producing seeds is to have adequate carbohydrate reserves to accomplish that. Trees that have decent sun exposure tend to have reasonable reserves. Some amount of that is lost when sapwood turns to heartwood in the tree. Any carbs left in those rings is cut off from the trees vascular system and thus no longer available.



They are making some carbs early on, but it takes a little while (a few weeks depending on the weather) for photosynthetic function to ramp up to maximum productivity. Similarly, when they turn color in the fall there is some continued export of carbs for a while.



Great question. The first thing to keep in mind is that air temperature isn't the critical thing...it is sap temperature in the branches and stem, and wood doesn't change temperature nearly as quickly during freezing and thawing as air does and not all the wood is at the same temperature. The branches freeze first, and start to generate a vacuum immediately upon freezing. The transition from liquid to solid (liquid to ice) is critical. It causes a huge vapor pressure deficit (humidity is very low over ice compared to humidity when liquid is present), which helps to generate the negative pressure (vacuum) to result in water uptake. This vacuum is propagated through the rest of the tree as the tree branches/wood freezes, and eventually is transmitted down into the roots where water is drawn in. That is why a nice slow freeze is good for water uptake. What is kind of weird is that this occurs in different parts of the tree at different times since them temperature is not the same throughout. So for example, the core (or north side) of the tree may still be frozen, so not participate in flow or uptake at all. The branches might be freezing up, generating a suction, but the stem might still have some stem pressure in it for a time. Over time though there is this wave of suction that builds up and moves through the stem to cause uptake.

On the flip side, when the tree thaws, there is essentially no pressure at all, then all of a sudden the pressure spikes upward to a peak value, then stem pressure decays downward over the next few days as sap flows out.


Very very interesting information, I'll have to read again when more time. I guess in thinking anything that got damaged had probably put minimal effort into developing yet, vs if they had been more developed then frost hit.

It's pretty amazing how these trees work. And I guess without years of studies that noone else would have time, money, and desire to do it's hard to imagine stem pressure, trunk pressure and when the two are in different states!! Makes me wonder the types of setups it takes to harness this information!

Well hopefully there is enough frozen trunk and stem in trees to get us thru Thursday and Friday! See a slight cool down but not much for freeze night.

Ran good starting midday yesterday. Warmer bushes are approaching 1.5gpt in just 20 hrs. Sugar holding but that will change by end of week. Biggest bonus is the lack of niter in pans, 500 gals made and no pan cleaning!! That's awesome

[blissville maples]

Nooooo... Tim should be a consultant. We will definitely miss your constant great feedback here at this site. Helping some backyarders face to face would be cool. Do some videos how best to do super small operations through medium operations.

I will say the information dr tim has acquired in maple is impressive, I've many facts stored in my brain from reading, going out and verifying, and adjusting. I love knowledge it's an amazing thing. I will say it's nice to have someone to verify thoughts and hypothesis with that you know is up to smuff on their information!

Great job Dr Tim in devoting oneself to mastering the art and craft of maple.

[DrTimPerkins]

Well hopefully there is enough frozen trunk and stem in trees to get us thru Thursday and Friday! See a slight cool down but not much for freeze night.

Still early enough that it shouldn't bother...as long as temps don't get up into the high 60s for several days.

Actually, for those people like you who are on high vacuum, you'll continue to get some sap and sugar for a long time after a freeze. Eventually after the entire stem has thawed and you've pulled all the moisture out from above and around the taphole, you'll start to pull water right out of the ground and up through the stem and out the taphole. Sap sugar will start to drop off at that point, but you'll still get some. At that point the tree is essentially a sugar-filled straw stuck in the ground.

Note...the above does NOT work on gravity. Sap flow will eventually stop after a few days, with perhaps a bit of weeping flows if the temps continue to rise.

[randolphvt]

OMG... tree sand is insane for me. I just went out to start my boil again and my entire pan is covered with it. Filter filter filter. What size is this stuff anyways. I'm running it through 5 micron filter.

[DrTimPerkins]

OMG... tree sand is insane for me. I just went out to start my boil again and my entire pan is covered with it. Filter filter filter. What size is this stuff anyways. I'm running it through 5 micron filter.

Varies...everything from a large platy-like material to a fine/coarse sand, to an oily-like composition.

[johnpjackson]

Still early enough that it shouldn't bother...as long as temps don't get up into the high 60s for several days.

Actually, for those people like you who are on high vacuum, you'll continue to get some sap and sugar for a long time after a freeze. Eventually after the entire stem has thawed and you've pulled all the moisture out from above and around the taphole, you'll start to pull water right out of the ground and up through the stem and out the taphole. Sap sugar will start to drop off at that point, but you'll still get some. At that point the tree is essentially a sugar-filled straw stuck in the ground.

Note...the above does NOT work on gravity. Sap flow will eventually stop after a few days, with perhaps a bit of weeping flows if the temps continue to rise.

So, with regular old gravity taps, the sap that drips out is coming from above the tap, up in the tree, running down and out of the tap? It's not sap that's coming up the trunk of the tree, from the roots, on its way up to the tree above?

[DrTimPerkins]

So, with regular old gravity taps, the sap that drips out is coming from above the tap, up in the tree, running down and out of the tap? It's not sap that's coming up the trunk of the tree, from the roots, on its way up to the tree above?

In maple trees under gravity conditions, when sap is flowing, it is coming DOWN from above the taphole (not directly above in a perfectly straight line, but generally above). Two forces are involved: gravity and stem pressure (due to gas bubble expansion). The liquid and pressure slowly seeps out the taphole until the pressure inside is equal to the pressure outside (in the air). The roots are NOT pumping the sap out. If that were the case, sap would keep flowing indefinitely when the tree thawed out. Under gravity it doesn't do that...it'll run until the moisture in the wood above the taphole is exhausted (the pressure of the sap inside equals the pressure outside). Note that there is still water in the tree...but it is held there due to resistance of the wood tissues to the flow of liquid. Same kind of thing if you put a big wad of paper towel over a glass and turn it upside down...it'll flow for a while, but then stop...and the paper towels will still be wet.

When the tree is recharging as it freezes, water is pulled UP from the soil into the roots into the stem and branches. It is being sucked up as a result of gas expansion and rapid vapor pressure changes. A nice slow freeze is good because it allows all the wood tissues to fill with moisture. A quick freeze will cause ice to form in the wood vessels which blocks the further entrance of water into the tree...resulting in lesser flow the next time the tree thaws.

This can be somewhat different under vacuum sap collection conditions depending upon the timing of the exudation (flow) period and the vacuum level.

Most physical things move in response to gradients: sap flows from high pressure to low pressure (much like water runs downhill unless you use energy to pump it uphill), electricity does the same (flows from high energy to ground), wind does the same (high pressure to low pressure areas).

[MRFNY]

Dr. Tim - I am a rookie at this "hobby," only in my 5th year. I believe I was taught well, but reading your posts has given me a ton of knowledge and I can't thank you enough. Congrats on your future retirement and I hope you enjoy every minute of it!

[VTfarmboy]

yesterdays haul was .75gpt in 24hr testing 2.25, getting close to 60% crop

[randolphvt]

yesterdays haul was .75gpt in 24hr testing 2.25, getting close to 60% crop

darn you're a lucky man. I've only got 2 quarts and a pint so far with 12 trees, but the taste... OMG irreplaceable.

[randolphvt]

As for me ... I hope the sap runs all night and all day tomorrow. I need sap badly. I normally make about 5 gal but I'm way short so far -this time of year I'm normally done.

[ronewold]

I just finally got my pans sweet tonight. First Boil was Monday night, I had about 600 gallons of 2.2 percent sap. Today I boiled about 400 gallons of sap that I didn't have time to test. But I got my first draws, so the sugar content must have been comparable. I seem to remember last year it took me more than 1000 gallons to sweeten the pans, but last year the sugar content was low. Sap was running this afternoon when I was in the woods, so I'll have more to boil tomorrow. Looks like a frost tonight is maybe going to happen, and then probably above freezing until Sunday night.

[VTfarmboy]

not sure what to think, fridays boil we went from dark to very dark, light freeze up last night but not much for sap, next few nights look good but not sure i will hold out until next weeks low 20s, frog in the road last night crocus blooming in front of the farm house, frost nearly out of fields and they are drying up fast looking forward to spreading manure next week. At about 75% crop (full crop for me is .25gpt all 3/16 gravity) have plenty of wood yet would like to make an other jag or two I guess we'll see what happens. Very little sand and niter this year. Most of the sap this year was 2.25 plus

[chep]

Boy awful quiet in here! Well after 5 nights with no freeze. The sugar gods smiled. Gpt @ 2% sap. 229 buckets. Saw the hardest run of the season so far. Ran into the dark. Hard freeze last night hope for another good run. And the 10 day forecast looks pretty awesome! Love me a good Roller coaster ride! Sugar on!

[MJPJ Sugars]

Nice run over the last 24 hours here in Georgia, VT -- just over 1 gpt in the buckets, sugar holding nicely at 2%. :)

[Ultimatetreehugger]

Wicked run here today. Flowing at 720 gallons per hour at 730pm.

[tcross]

had one heck of a run overnight last night. my 400 taps filled my first 350 gal tank from 4p.m till 530 this a.m.. it's now 33-34 degrees at my house and it's coming in as strong as it was last night when it was 40. something about the abrupt change in the weather must have something to do with it??

[HowsItRunning]

Last week it took temps around 60 to get anything out of the trees, but that warm up got rid of most of the snow and started thawing the ground. After that, we are getting good runs in the 30's and 40's and the best run yet yesterday through the night...

This graph is for one tap, for the last week, in NEK VT.

https://howsitrunning.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/plot_1t.jpg

[M&M Maple Grove]

Hey folks, just curious if people have been keeping tabs on SapJack, formally known as The Maple Guild up an island pond. I was wondering how long it would take to break that promise of not flooding the market with regular syrup and sticking to infusions/blends. I didn’t think of it being as simple as changing the name.

[blissville maples]

Pretty amazing couple of days. Runs approaching 2gpt on wensday, my 2700 tap bush was running about 650-700 gph assuming my CDL 4000 tap belly releaser is approx 8 gallons per dump and I think it may be closer to 9-10 gal. Sugar content went down as expected. Hoping for another 2 weeks! After today we should be around .32 gpt

[blissville maples]

Hey folks, just curious if people have been keeping tabs on SapJack, formally known as The Maple Guild up an island pond. I was wondering how long it would take to break that promise of not flooding the market with regular syrup and sticking to infusions/blends. I didn’t think of it being as simple as changing the name.

Haha noone makes 300,000 gallons of syrup without flooding 'a' market. May not in my driveway but it takes a chunk. Haha you must watch the video when 'stuck in vt' went up and showed their operation.

Pretty easy to see that these guys are nothing more than corporate liars! A bunch of implants from other states if you didn't catch that mass. Accent. Not my first rodeo dealing with, understanding, and interpreting others facades!!

I'm sure they are great people but definitely like to keep the water murky, Shaw's and all other grocery stores selling their syrup on shelf so...... everyone has a funny way of justifying their actions.

[DrTimPerkins]

Haha noone makes 300,000 gallons of syrup without flooding 'a' market.

Highly doubtful they make 300k gallons. They have 1/2 million taps. I'd guess (without any real information) that they probably make 200k at most, and probably less. Still a lot of syrup, however the way the maple market has been going these past 10 yrs it was absorbed pretty well without depressing prices. The bulk price is basically dictated by Quebec and the currency exchange rate.

The bigger issue this year is that we need a good crop in the U.S. and especially in Canada. The Federation strategic reserve is down 50%, and the syrup that remains is probably not the highest quality there is. Another low crop would mean a lot of that stuff entering the market, prices going up too high for the market to absorb, followed by dropping demand...which would lead to lower prices. We've seen it all before....don't need to see it again.

[ecp]

Haha noone makes 300,000 gallons of syrup without flooding 'a' market.

maybe/ maybe not. The federation releases Taps in the millions, but because of higher consumption rates that does not seems to be flooding the market. I would tend to agree that the water is kept murky, but then again almost every sugar maker I talk with embellishes on facts.

[M&M Maple Grove]

Haha noone makes 300,000 gallons of syrup without flooding 'a' market. May not in my driveway but it takes a chunk. Haha you must watch the video when 'stuck in vt' went up and showed their operation.

Shaw's and all other grocery stores selling their syrup on shelf so...... everyone has a funny way of justifying their actions.


I have property, friends and family up in the Jay area so plenty of birds to keep me posted, just not in the maple Industry. From what I was told, the guild was formed over a few beers between a few businessmen in New Jersey that never tapped a tree. I grew up in Long Island, New York so take it for me, nothing good comes out of Jersey… And please, don’t tell me the Sopranos. Forgetaboutit.

Seeing their product on grocery store shelves is expected and acceptable. Seeing their syrup on the shelf of a small town market is not. Hasn’t happened yet for me(yet) but I would have no qualms of pointing it out to the owner that he’s taking up shelf space for a smaller, more local producer.

[VTfarmboy]

ok pulled the plug here we reached our .25gpt goal and are ready to start greenhouse and spring field work, long season we got in for the first run in early feb, sugar dropped below 2% thurs(boiling raw sap here) and the flue pan was starting to smell a bit fishy. Pushed it out and it all filtered and tasted good with just a very slight bitter taste. Sand was getting wicked. Frost completely out here. Soaked pans last night and got all cleaned up today, feels good to be done. Good luck to all those still going weather looks promising!

[blissville maples]

I have property, friends and family up in the Jay area so plenty of birds to keep me posted, just not in the maple Industry. From what I was told, the guild was formed over a few beers between a few businessmen in New Jersey that never tapped a tree. I grew up in Long Island, New York so take it for me, nothing good comes out of Jersey… And please, don’t tell me the Sopranos. Forgetaboutit.

Seeing their product on grocery store shelves is expected and acceptable. Seeing their syrup on the shelf of a small town market is not. Hasn’t happened yet for me(yet) but I would have no qualms of pointing it out to the owner that he’s taking up shelf space for a smaller, more local producer.


And a few million dollars from an insurance hedge fund in Massachusetts is what I've heard- sad how a write off can affect many others too much profit this year ahh let's get into maple..oh I know, anywhere you have an overbirth of people corruption and greed prevail. That's why little ole Vermont and places alike are genuine with good ole boys that would cut your wood for you before their own when in need. But as others infiltrate little ole Vermont isn't little ole Vermont. Hmm mm look at chittenden county- definitely nothing like VT up that way anymore feels like a whole different area than I've ever known vt to be like

[blissville maples]

maybe/ maybe not. The federation releases Taps in the millions, but because of higher consumption rates that does not seems to be flooding the market. I would tend to agree that the water is kept murky, but then again almost every sugar maker I talk with embellishes on facts.
Spoke with Bruce Bascom couple weeks back. The additional 7 million quota isn't all new taps. As he said many have a quote currently but over tap their quota and now just adding the 'illegal' tape to a legal quota. So many of those 7 million taps are already in the system

[blissville maples]

Highly doubtful they make 300k gallons. They have 1/2 million taps. I'd guess (without any real information) that they probably make 200k at most, and probably less. Still a lot of syrup, however the way the maple market has been going these past 10 yrs it was absorbed pretty well without depressing prices. The bulk price is basically dictated by Quebec and the currency exchange rate.

The bigger issue this year is that we need a good crop in the U.S. and especially in Canada. The Federation strategic reserve is down 50%, and the syrup that remains is probably not the highest quality there is. Another low crop would mean a lot of that stuff entering the market, prices going up too high for the market to absorb, followed by dropping demand...which would lead to lower prices. We've seen it all before....don't need to see it again.

I don't know exactly what they have for taps but can tell you I'm sure they make a .4 per tap so......the volume is there

I do agree the market is strong and with a couple less than Avery years we've had it's been absorbed fine but the logistics of how they were created is nonsense and we don't need that in agriculture or it will be like the dairy industry where a 200-1000 cow farm Can't make ends meet which would never happen without greedand an excess of money compared to what 90% of normal people have in wealth. These million dollar companies have access to lots of capital which the little guy doesn't and is part of the reason why the dairy industry has crashed.

Do we want 5000 producers making all the syrup or just 3? Kinda how I look at it. We don't need anymore monopolies in this country that's a fact!!

[blissville maples]

Sitting at a .35 per tap. Hoping for another week after this freeze up. Flavor still holding good, still pancake grade syrup! Haha sugar down but runs are strong still 1gpt per day

[tcross]

i'm around 1/2 a crop. my sugar has been over 2% all year which is very good for me. still plenty of snow and frost in the woods. hoping for another solid week this week, and hopefully the next! i'm having a horrible time managing nitre. i've been having to rotate my pans out every 3 hours max. yesterday was 2 hours... sure puts a damper on production, but a necessary evil i suppose. gonna clean out all pans and tanks in good shape tonight and tomorrow while we have a good freeze up! end of this week is looking good! good luck on the tail end of the season everyone!

[M&M Maple Grove]

I do agree the market is strong and with a couple less than Avery years we've had it's been absorbed fine but the logistics of how they were created is nonsense and we don't need that in agriculture or it will be like the dairy industry where a 200-1000 cow farm Can't make ends meet which would never happen without greedand an excess of money compared to what 90% of normal people have in wealth. These million dollar companies have access to lots of capital which the little guy doesn't and is part of the reason why the dairy industry has crashed.

Do we want 5000 producers making all the syrup or just 3? Kinda how I look at it. We don't need anymore monopolies in this country that's a fact!!

Dairy, maple, next is your cannabis operations. Big Cana from Canada is already moved into Maine pretty hard and slashing prices.

Funny how we don’t allow monopolies in this country but Quadplies are just fine? Banks, oil companies, I can go on and on…

[collinsmapleman2012]

M&M,
i find your location to be hilarious.

[M&M Maple Grove]

Classic New England directions. “Make a left at Parker Farm and then turn right after the big rock. Do not slow down for the pack of dogs that come charging at your car, you’re only encouraging them”.

[DrTimPerkins]

UVM Maple Extension Specialist Mark Isselhardt asked me to remind folks to check https://vermontmaplebulletin.wordpress.com/ If any Vermont or nearby producers would like to contribute information (which he would greatly appreciate), send him an email Mark.Isselhardt@uvm.edu

[tcross]

sap ran pretty hard up this way overnight list night and still going strong. had empty tanks after boiling last night at 9:45 and now we have about 500 gallons. off my 400 trees. sugar content was at 2.5% last night... haven't checked it today. Pretty happy with that! looking like some great sugaring weather the next 6-8 days. not really any sign of bud swelling yet. my pond is still frozen solid all the way around. hopefully another 2 weeks of this!

[blissville maples]

Unbelievable runs we've had last couple days. My big bush gave up 9000 gallons of sap in 36 hrs-,2700 taps. I knew it would run hard Thursday night so I collected until 1015 pm. At 730 next morning tank was foot from top-3150 gal tank.....just topped 2040 gallons about .41gpt hoping for another 300 gallons. Flavor still holding good, nothing off flavor yet. Sugar down to 1.3/4

[randolphvt]

calling it quits after only 1 gal of syrup. Absolutely horrific in Randolph VT.
15 taps-usually get 3-4 gallons.

[randolphvt]

I just checked all my pulled taps and they are dry. This is one depressing year for me. I hope other small boilers get more than I did.
I did only tap 1/3 of my trees this year, but 15 taps should have yielded 3-4 gallons (my normal run). With 75 taps I get about 13-17 gal.

[MJPJ Sugars]

Good year in the yard :)

Final Tally was .29 gpt syrup on 12.94 gpt sap from our buckets.

Great flavor and color, although didn't see the dark-dark stuff this year.

Good luck all!!

[tcross]

looking like the end is in sight up this way. sugar content is still up around 2%, sap is nice and clear and has been running hard these past week, but there isn't a freeze, or close to one in the 10 day. that can change but my pond is clear of ice and its only a matter of time before the frogs start popping out. been a decent season. hoping we can make it though the weekend without issue.

[DrTimPerkins]

Heard peepers (actually wood frogs, but everyone calls them peepers) when we came out of the research building (Maple Processing Research Facility) yesterday afternoon. The end is no doubt near, but the sap is still running hard and no off-flavor. Just a tiny hint of sweat sock odor in the steam boiling this morning, so we'll keep going for a while. Hoping to make it til the end of the week, but no chance of a good freeze until Sunday or Monday. Red maple sugar down to about 1.4 Brix. Sugars doing better. Should make our 0.5 gal/tap minimum by the end of the day since we have 1,100 gal of 32 Brix concentrate and 15,000 gal of sap going through the RO now.

[elienman]

Good year for us. At .46 gpt after today. Looks like we may boil one more time tomorrow and call it quits. Ran out of firewood a few days ago and have been poaching my house pile, but that's a good problem. No major snafus besides our rotory vane vacuum pump malfunctioning for 1-2 hours a few weeks ago, and the fuse blowing on our water jacketed canner (at least I think that's the problem). Good luck to everyone.

[tcross]

had a pleasant surprise this morning with 28 degrees on the thermometer. looks like today should be another good day. buds are popping out in town so a couple more days max. probably pull the plug this weekend. we're at .42 gpt. after last night. a decent year for us! nitre build up is awfully frustrating.

[blissville maples]

I think we'll likely do our last boil today. Sap from one bush was slightly thickish. What a weird season as far as sap quality and flavors. Never would have imagined we'd see clear sap in April!! Really proves to me it's the temps not the trees that cause the end season flavor changes, I guess I thought it was more from the trees but seems otherwise. Sap was toffee tasting back in March when that warm spell hit, then came back to a little more buttery and crisp after that 3 day cold spell last week of March.

Having our best year for numbers, alot (400 out of 5100) of smaller maples 5-8" that should be cut but are tapped, so that I feel will usually keep us under .45 but this year we're up to a.48 and one more boil so will be just under .5.
Sap is still running unbelievably good, taphole still open hate to stop when it's like this!

I will say I didn't get a dry line in and I think that weighed in on yield a bit, slush was horrible this year. Many improvement to begin soon!

[DrTimPerkins]

Really proves to me it's the temps not the trees that cause the end season flavor changes, I guess I thought it was more from the trees but seems otherwise.

It's a combination of both things and how they interact. Temperature affects both the trees with the sugar and amino acids they generate throughout the season, and temperature affects the microbes that live in the sap, which create different compounds that affect flavor. Both have a role in how the syrup tastes.


Having our best year for numbers, alot (400 out of 5100) of smaller maples 5-8" that should be cut but are tapped,

Tree size has a huge effect. You get about 2 gal more sap for each 1" in diameter. So going from 5" dbh to 9" dbh means 8 gal more sap. Better to do a little thinning. https://mapleresearch.org/pub/m0218treesize/

[tcross]

we had our last boil last night. sap is still running decent, clear and still testing 1.75%. i certainly could keep going through the weekend but other projects need tending to. we ended up with .43 gpt... that's pretty good for us! nitre is horrible. each 2 gallons i filter gives me a 3lb glob of nitre in the filter. having to switch pans every hour and a half makes boiling a challenging! overall, a good season production wise with no real issues.

[DrTimPerkins]

Flow really slowed down (but didn't stop) yesterday with the high temps and wind. With the cooler weather and rain the flow picked up a little. The crew is going to boil out the pans with what came in overnight but we'll leave the vacuum pumps on over the weekend to see what happens. Looks like a freeze Sunday night, so that might get things going again if we're lucky (fingers crossed). Definitely ahead of last year in syrup total, sap sugar, and syrup quality. Either way, we're getting close to the end, but aren't quite willing to pull the plug quite yet. No sign of buddy in the sap that did come in, but it is a bit yeasty.

[TapTapTap]

It pretty much did stop for us yesterday (we're anywhere from about EL. 880 to 1100 ft and somewhat NW facing). We boiled what we had yesterday and both the sap and the syrup were fine. I kept the vacuum pump on and then this morning it looked a little more promising. Hopefully, we can get a boil on Sunday. A Sunday night freeze could extend us for even another. We'll see.
Ken

[DrTimPerkins]

Things picked up again here this morning a bit. Some lines are still really slow, some are better, and some are doing pretty good. The cool rain has helped a lot.

Sap is a bit cloudy and low in sugar, but the syrup tastes good (a bit darker than we typically make). Red maple flower buds have swollen a good bit, but havent' popped yet. Sugar maple buds are still tight. Hoping a good freeze Sunday night will bump out another decent flow. Either way, we've made a full crop, so no complaints.

[sugartree310]

We are all done our last boil was Wednesday, I heard the peepers in the pond behind the house when I walked out of the sugarhouse Monday night. we were making Dark Robust with a great flavor. But the sap has slowed to just about nothing, so I shut the pump off. I had held out hope the rain and cooler temps would kick it in but no such luck here, we had our best season ever. .30 of a gallon on 4000 taps which is the best we have ever done. now to build on that. now to pull taps and rebuild that fire wood pile before I have to go to my other job moving dirt. Good luck to those still running.

[Ultimatetreehugger]

Sap started coming well again this afternoon with great color and taste. Boiled well with minimal issues. Maybe we will get through the weekend after all! Sap testing at 1.1. Still higher than last year!

[TapTapTap]

We are all done our last boil was Wednesday, I heard the peepers in the pond behind the house when I walked out of the sugarhouse Monday night. we were making Dark Robust with a great flavor. But the sap has slowed to just about nothing, so I shut the pump off. I had held out hope the rain and cooler temps would kick it in but no such luck here, we had our best season ever. .30 of a gallon on 4000 taps which is the best we have ever done. now to build on that. now to pull taps and rebuild that fire wood pile before I have to go to my other job moving dirt. Good luck to those still running.

Mark,
I'm surprised you're not yielding a little higher gal/tap. Do you have a high red count? I'm currently just breaking 0.40. You're on hi-vac, right?
Ken

[sugartree310]

I am on hi-vac 27" and I work hard from the beginning to keep the system tight, we are 60% sugar maples, 40% soft maple, we are north face for the majority our sugarbush and have always averaged around .25 per tap. I sure would love to average .40 just not sure if that is possible here.

thanks
Mark

[Geroldn]

We had a sugar house party on Friday and called it a season. Trees slowed way down, the sap is cloudy and smells fermented, and under 1%. The syrup is very dark, but still tasty, it’s time to quit before I make something I don’t like. I made 86+ gallons on 260 taps using 3/16 lines. 0.32 gpt. My best season yet and I retired from my day job end of February :)

Gerold
Northfield, VT

[DrTimPerkins]

Sap trickled in slowly over the weekend -- maybe 2-2.5 barrels worth. Looks like we had a moderate freeze last night in Underhill. Sap flow just starting to pick up a good bit this morning and sugar popped up a tad, so hoping we'll get another decent run out of it. We're at a full crop now but will take more if the trees and weather give it. Seems like the peepers really jumped the gun this year. Doubtful we'll last much longer though with temps in the 60s on Wednesday and Thursday.

[DrTimPerkins]

Got a decent freeze Sunday night and flow started up again before noon yesterday (Monday). Another 1 gpt of sap from noon yesterday to this morning, adding another 3 barrels to the total (once boiled). Sap sugar at 1.7 Brix.

[PCFarms]

Dr. Tim, I follow this thread closely, although we are 700 km from you, our season always ends within a day or so of yours (checking back on your comments/records from a few years back now).
We are calling it this afternoon, some of our forests went buddy yesterday, the colder ones will will let flow today and then call it off.

Starting last Wednesday our flows trailed off quite significantly, I am surprised by your 1GPT collected in the last day or so. I suspect that the taphole sanitation is the culprit (we do not use CV spouts and our drops are 3 years old). Just curious, if you could take a guess (or tell me exactly), what % of your crop have you made since last Wednesday, so that I can compare to our numbers to further test this theory?

[Ultimatetreehugger]

Another 2600 gallons of 1-1.1% this morning. Not sure if the sap will run into tomorrow or not. The quality of syrup is still table grade and sap quality is still looking acceptable.

[HowsItRunning]

As another reference point, 0.8 gpt from yesterdays run in West Charleston. Ended the season today, except for birch...

[Ultimatetreehugger]

Buyers called it a season today. 70,000 gallons of sap with an average sugar content of 1.59% for a grand total of 1290 gallons of syrup. All in all a good season. Happy de-tapping!

[DrTimPerkins]

I suspect that the taphole sanitation is the culprit (we do not use CV spouts and our drops are 3 years old). Just curious, if you could take a guess (or tell me exactly), what % of your crop have you made since last Wednesday, so that I can compare to our numbers to further test this theory?

Very likely. We use CV spouts in most of our production bush unless there is some reason not to (research related). I won't have final numbers for several days and am actually away on vacation (left this afternoon) for a little over a week.

[Ultimatetreehugger]

I won't have final numbers for several days and am actually away on vacation (left this afternoon) for a little over a week.
This statement spoken like a true sugar maker. On vacation and still posting on mapletrader!
Thank you for sharing Dr. Tim.

[DrTimPerkins]

We are done. Final numbers in about a week when I get back.

I am happy to say I haven’t lost my Play-dough skills according to my 20 mo old grandson. :D

[wiam]

Finished today. 534 gallons from 995 taps.

[DrTimPerkins]

Finished today. 534 gallons from 995 taps.

Nice...congrats.

[wiam]

Nice...congrats.

I usually get about .5. Last year was .4

[Ultimatetreehugger]

Wiam, I live in Wheelock and would enjoy coming to see your woods setup and talk practices with you.

[wiam]

Wiam, I live in Wheelock and would enjoy coming to see your woods setup and talk practices with you.

Nothing fancy here. 1500’ vac line to woods is too small. Except for small (50 tap) new line I added this year newest drops are about 7 years old. Most of my 30p laterals are close to 20 years old.

[M&M Maple Grove]

Weelock… Sheffield Heights? Most dreaded section of 91 even during nice weather.

[Ultimatetreehugger]

Weelock… Sheffield Heights? Most dreaded section of 91 even during nice weather.

No words were ever said more true.

[sjdoyon]

Last day boiling, still running on upper section but want to avoid buddy sap. Of course today its snowing on the mountain.

[blissville maples]

Last day boiling, still running on upper section but want to avoid buddy sap. Of course today its snowing on the mountain.


I see you have a 3*10 inferno? Max flue oans? How does that handle 15k taps? What's your concentrate level? Best we can get is about 35-45 gph syrup production. Just curious about your setup

[Swingpure]

This came up on my You Tube feed by The Maple News this morning. Tapping starting in November and processing sap all winter into spring.

The key being are that the lines are on vacuum the whole time, preventing them from closing up from the bacteria.

https://youtu.be/TZZkf0Mky8Q

The setup in the video is slightly larger than my cinderblock evaporator.

[DrTimPerkins]

The key thing is that it is COLD, so the microbes don't grow very fast. Regardless, there will be some yield loss in the mid-late part of the spring season if you tap tap in December...no matter how good your sanitation or vacuum level is.

https://mapleresearch.org/pub/vt20earlytap/

[WestfordSugarworks]

Hey VT Sugarmakers,

We're looking to buy raw sap or concentrate this season and beyond. We have a sugarhouse in Westford where we could receive sap/concentrate and a remote sugarbush in Jericho where we can receive sap/concentrate. Our Jericho bush is only 10 minutes off of I 89. We pay competitively, much better than the 50/50 split that I understand to be norm outside of Northwest and North Central Vermont.

Call or Text me!
802 324 7112

-Will Dunkley

[TapTapTap]

We're looking to buy raw sap or concentrate this season and beyond.,.,.......

Based on your website, the sap, or concentrate would need to be both organic and Audubon certified, right?.

[WestfordSugarworks]

Yes. I need to do more research on bird friendly, but definitely we need sellers to be organic. How are peoples woods looking after the storm?

[TapTapTap]

The rules and enforcement are not as robust as for NOFA. However, it comes down to your integrity. If you label your product as Audubon bird-friendly, then it should be accurate. Therefore, you take the label off or buy from certified sap producers.

Ken

[Goatogether]

Hey to all you Vermont tappers. We are here in NEK and wondering what’s going on in everyone’s woods? We usually tap at the end of the month for anticipated February runs. For some reason I am not finding anyone’s updates for this 2023 season upon us. Have any opinions on the weather and what’s coming and when you are tapping. We are curious to see what the season will hold…

[DrTimPerkins]

No plans to change anything. The crew will start tapping in a few more weeks (~6,500 taps, 2 tappers). Spouts were deployed (put on drops) earlier. We didn't have any extensive tree damage from the storms...so just the usual woods cleanup anticipated.

[Goatogether]

Thanks Tim. We decided to get out there today and start tapping. We only have 150 taps on vacuum, 8 gravity and half dozen drops to buckets, so we will be done tomorrow. I figured with this good 2 week continuous freeze they are predicting, we can get our taps in and start banging out the kinks and before it gets flowing. Found myself in the sugar house today reassembling the Waterloo Lapierre Small propane evaporator and needing to chase down some gaskets. I also need to brush up on putting the rear pan float together as I think I’m either missing a part or am going insane. Need to talk with my friend Google and get a schematic for the layout. We definitely wish you all the Best Season Ever 2023!!

[Pdiamond]

Dr. Perkins, How long before you retire? Are you going to work through this sugar season?

[DrTimPerkins]

Dr. Perkins, How long before you retire? Are you going to work through this sugar season?

Officially retiring June 30, 2023. However I have 3.5 months of vacation to use before then. Basically the only time I WILL be at pmrc is during sugaring season from Mar 1 - Apr 15.

[Pdiamond]

Well Congratulations sir, and welcome to the world of retirement and more work than you ever thought you had before. Any big plans?

[DrTimPerkins]

Well Congratulations sir, and welcome to the world of retirement and more work than you ever thought you had before. Any big plans?

Thank you. Two grandchildren (6 monts and 2.5 yrs) will be keeping me busy I suspect. Daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren are moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan, in July. Son-in-law just accepted a Pediatric Gastroenterologist Physician position at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital at U. Mich, so we might just follow them (move there) in a year or two after they get settled in. We're actually vacationing/visiting them in Cincinnati from Jan-Feb before sugaring season kicks in. Hope to do more travel in places other than just the northeast and north central states in December-January :o More pleasure reading...maybe some fishing.

[Pdiamond]

Make sure when you come to Michigan you spend the money on a charter, and either fish for walleye on the St. Clair river/Lake Erie or go fishing for salmon on Lake Michigan. If you have several friends to go and split the cost it really isn't that expensive.

[tapdrinker]

Officially retiring June 30, 2023. However I have 3.5 months of vacation to use before then. Basically the only time I WILL be at pmrc is during sugaring season from Mar 1 - Apr 15.

Please stay on the board and check in during sugar seasons. Your knowledge is very much appreciated.

[tapdrinker]

I plan on tapping next warm spell after middle of Feb.

[blissville maples]

Dr tim, I've been looking for the study results of boiling sugar maple vs red maple sap and can't seem to find it. Interested what the results showed


On another note, we're tapping this weekend, hoping to be half tapped by mid week for the warm up, probably won't be anything major but a good chance to tighten everything up!! Good luck!!

[DrTimPerkins]

Dr tim, I've been looking for the study results of boiling sugar maple vs red maple sap and can't seem to find it. Interested what the results showed

This is available so far. I don't think the flavor testing results have been published yet, although they've been presented at some conferences. It takes some time to analyze the results, organize things, write them up, then wait for them to come out.

https://mapleresearch.org/pub/vdbyields/


On another note, we're tapping this weekend, hoping to be half tapped by mid week for the warm up, probably won't be anything major but a good chance to tighten everything up!! Good luck!!

It'll take a good bit of warm weather to warm things up after the freeze we just had.

Good luck to all for a great 2023 season.

[TapTapTap]

Tapped, vacuum on, and now checking for leaks.

[Andy VT]

Tapped, vacuum on, and now checking for leaks.
Cool! Let us know when you're flowing! Trying to decide when to tap for buckets over in Essex Junction. I figure if someone from Williston says sap is flowing, it is definitely time!
My plan was to aim for Feb 20 and then go plus or minus a week or two according to weather. Right now I'm thinking it will be minus.

[tapdrinker]

Just did 50 taps and all are flowing in Randolph Vt.

[TapTapTap]

Cool! Let us know when you're flowing! Trying to decide when to tap for buckets over in Essex Junction. I figure if someone from Williston says sap is flowing, it is definitely time!
My plan was to aim for Feb 20 and then go plus or minus a week or two according to weather. Right now I'm thinking it will be minus.

It wasn't flowing when I walked the woods earlier. But the sap was built up at the tap like it was ready. My woods ranges from about El 830 to 1100 and we're on a westerly slope.

Ken

[levic900rr]

Cool! Let us know when you're flowing! Trying to decide when to tap for buckets over in Essex Junction. I figure if someone from Williston says sap is flowing, it is definitely time!
My plan was to aim for Feb 20 and then go plus or minus a week or two according to weather. Right now I'm thinking it will be minus.

Im in the same boat here in Colchester, I'm considering hanging buckets this weekend (2/11) which would be pretty early for me but I don't want to miss that pretty light stuff :)

[TapTapTap]

Thursday night update:

Vacuum is very strong through our our sugarbush
All systems seem to performing well. Very little sap coming in, probably the trees are still pretty frozen. But we're very excited that our system is very dialed in and ready.

For my bucket friends, I think you should be patient and give it another considation later in February. You need to be running when the sap is flowing hard, and at it's sweetest.

Ken

[tapdrinker]

I knew it was running because the birds had done the testing for me. The tree was soaked from multiple bird taps.

[levic900rr]

Im going to wait a few more weeks before hanging buckets, but I'm worried that this season is going to be weird. The temp fluctuations are crazy.

[blissville maples]

Started tapping Monday, 4700 taps set, first collection Friday of 4500 gals. Not complaining but where did all the squirrels go this year? 4700 taps probably six squirrel chews, made getting the vacuum up to 27 1/2 in pretty easy this year!

We're set up for a really good season with this spring preview we're having as long as the first and second week of March isnt froze up it should be a good crop year

[blissville maples]

It's normal, we all know what march beings, anyone on gravity should wait until March otherwise you'll be disappointed.

[VTfarmboy]

Yesterdays haul was .50gpt testing 2.25%...sweetened the pans and pulled some real nice fancy...forecast looking good!

[Andy VT]

2022 I tapped for buckets on Feb 20 (or maybe 21st), and I think it was the bulls-eye.
2022 was quite a year in maple history of course.
But anyway, I had big runs the week of Feb 20, a big run in the first few days of April, and big runs in between.
I had a total of 9 taps. I actually did two taps as a test on Feb 7, 2022, and although I only got a trickle, those taps didn't fare any worse over the course of the season than the Feb 20 taps.
Things I should mention: I do 5/16" drops into plastic pails with lids, so a pretty closed system versus traditional open spiles. I know its supposed to be gravity-is-gravity but I'm not 100% convinced yet that there's no difference. Spouts and tubing were brand new. I'm in Essex Junction, one of the warmest parts of Vermont, and "my" trees are all full-crown, full sun yard trees.

None of this is a refutal or rebuttal... just some info to get out there.

But I am holding for now. Very valuable info and insight from Ken and blissville and everyone else!

[tapdrinker]

tested sap is 6.7% combined with 8 trees. Tapping the rest tomorrow am. 27 gal collected this morning. Sap is running better about 12' up the trees. I have taps at ground level and 12' high.

[TapTapTap]

Not complaining but where did all the squirrels go this year? 4700 taps probably six squirrel chews, made getting the vacuum up to 27 1/2 in pretty easy this year!



We call them DRS (dirty rotten squirrels) because when I use the word squirrel our dog gets all wound up when I say their name. She hates squirrels like any good sugarbush dog.

We had a bad acorn crop since the oaks got decimated by the gypsy moths (for the second year in a row) which resulted in almost no acorns. So I would have thought that gummy drop lines would have been their fall back.

I too was surprised how well the woods held vacuum this week.

Ken

[DrTimPerkins]

tested sap is 6.7% combined with 8 trees. …..Sap is running better about 12' up the trees. I have taps at ground level and 12' high.

Great sugar content. As far as the 12’ and ground level goes, are you on buckets (gravity)?

[VTfarmboy]

Last 2 day time runs yielded .50gpt total still testing 2.25%

[Andy VT]

How's your flow now in Willison Ken?
I hear there's some kind of game on tonight... I should probably turn that on... but still having a twitchy drill-trigger finger!

[smokeyamber]

Just tapped in 40 trees on 3/16 and man all were running hard ! I may jump the gun and tap in buckets this week. I know it's kinda early, but looks like a week of good runs !

[VTfarmboy]

Another good haul today .60gpt still testing 2.25% making very light med amber/rich, nice flavor minimal sand.... losing snow fast....3/16 absolutely smoking today!

[Andy VT]

I have begun my thirty taps near 5 corners Essex Junction, in between feeding kids and getting them to bed etc.
5/16" drops to plastic pails on the ground. Using up my new from last year plastic spouts and will also use some new stainless steel sap-meister spouts. I am tapping one week earlier than most of last year's taps, but one week later than last year's 2 test-taps, which also made it to the end of the season.
We'll see how it goes!
My target date was 2/20, and the forecast shows nothing but sugaring weather from now till then, so going for it.
3 taps will be buckets hanging on the tree. I will save those for last. Although gravity may be gravity I'm not convinced open spiles will have as long a season as new-material tubing drops. (Anyone got a study on that?).
Good luck out there! I'm putting my headlamp back on and doing a few more. I'm still pretty new at this, and carrying one papoose on my back, so it is slow going, but fun!

[TapTapTap]

I have begun my thirty taps near 5 corners Essex Junction, in between feeding kids and getting them to bed etc.
5/16" drops to plastic pails on the ground. Using up my new from last year plastic spouts and will also use some new stainless steel sap-meister spouts. I am tapping one week earlier than most of last year's taps, but one week later than last year's 2 test-taps, which also made it to the end of the season.
We'll see how it goes!
My target date was 2/20, and the forecast shows nothing but sugaring weather from now till then, so going for it.
3 taps will be buckets hanging on the tree. I will save those for last. Although gravity may be gravity I'm not convinced open spiles will have as long a season as new-material tubing drops. (Anyone got a study on that?).
Good luck out there! I'm putting my headlamp back on and doing a few more. I'm still pretty new at this, and carrying one papoose on my back, so it is slow going, but fun!

Hi Andy
Good luck. We're doing our first boil of the season tomorrow. You're welcome to stop by anytime, as are any of our sugaring friends.

Ken

[Andy VT]

Hi Andy
Good luck. We're doing our first boil of the season tomorrow. You're welcome to stop by anytime, as are any of our sugaring friends.

Ken
I'll definitely stop by sometime! Thanks!
Last night I tapped 10 of the 30 taps I have planned. Only 2 were sugar maple; rest were norways. Got almost 3 gallons sap by this afternoon; most of it from the sugar maple. The norways do produce way less sap.

[VT_K9]

This is definitely the year to be ready in early February. For the past three years we have tapped in by February 25th give or take a couple days. This year has been full of hurdles. Starting last year I had a role change (promotion) at my job which put me on days. I had been working 1p-1a prior to that and it gave me every day to be in the woods with my Dad. That time hasn't been there this year let alone not many days off. My brother in-law pass unexpectedly in early December and I have been working at his place to make it livable to rent out. I stopped that a week ago to focus on the sugaring on my time off.

We have about 1/3 of our taps in. We replaced about 100' of 1" mainline today due to unexpected damage. It was planned to be done in the last year, but see above. It will definitely help maintain high vacuum. We should have the other taps in by the end of the week. Then we can focus on the new CDL hut sap lifter installation. Lines are run, just need to hook to the vacuum supply and woods.

[billyinvt]

Earliest start we've ever had here. The forecast just couldn't be ignored. I did 90 taps on Sunday and 83 Monday. Had about 290 gallons in the tanks yesterday afternoon. Sap tested right at 2%. Even trees in North and East facing woods were running strong. Solid freeze last night and two more days of warm temperatures should keep us busy until everything freezes up on Friday.

[VTfarmboy]

didnt freeze monday night here... sap ran good all night hauled .65gpt yesterday testing 2% exactly...

[VTfarmboy]

28 wed night...picked .65gpt last night testing 2%exactly still pulling nice med... no more frost in my produce fields :o

[smokeyamber]

Sap is running hard, 3/16 lines are pouring out. Tapped in majority of the buckets last night in the dark and they were all dripping FAST. Kinda wish I had done it a day or two ago. Running the RO on the stuff from the tubing and hope to boil this weekend. Trying to avoid barrel sapsicles this year ! Definitely one of my earliest starts, but as everyone is saying the weather is too good to pass up !

[Andy VT]

I'll definitely stop by sometime! Thanks!
Last night I tapped 10 of the 30 taps I have planned. Only 2 were sugar maple; rest were norways. Got almost 3 gallons sap by this afternoon; most of it from the sugar maple. The norways do produce way less sap.

I still have only the 10 taps out here in Essex Junction. Sap yield hasn't been that much, so will tap more after this current freeze. Guess the ground still was pretty cold despite the mild winter.

[dvnwvt]

I have 85 taps (20 buckets, 65 on 3/16 natural vac). I rolled the dice and tapped everything on Feb 10 here in Fairfax (earliest ever for me). Last week’s run produced 4 gal. … about 1/4 of my average total for the past few seasons. It was surprisingly dark for first run and with more sand and snot than usual.

Question for the group: as I understand it, taps ‘drying up’ are due to bacteria? Does cold weather delay or mitigate this effect at all?

Definitely a strange year, good luck everyone!

[DrTimPerkins]

Question for the group: as I understand it, taps ‘drying up’ are due to bacteria? Does cold weather delay or mitigate this effect at all?

Taphole "drying" is mostly due to the response of the tree to microbes. Microbes get into the taphole and elicit wound healing, which is itself mostly a process of the tree "walling off" the wound internally. This limits the spread of the infection to keep microbes/disease from getting deeper into tissues and spreading further. But by keeping microbes out, it also means that sap can't get out.

The rate of taphole drying is related to how many and the types of microbes get into the taphole and the temperature. Colder temperatures will slow, but not entirely stop the process. Tapholes have a limited productive lifespan that varies. Good sanitation, keeping vacuum always moving sap away from the taphole, and cooler temperatures prolong the productive season. Taphole drying happens more quickly and affects yield more that producers think...and we can begin to see effects by as early as mid-season in many cases.

To mitigate this problem, maple producers should use the best sanitation practices available, and if using vacuum, make sure there are few or no backflow events which occur.

[dvnwvt]

Thanks Dr. Tim. I had seen that you ‘retired’ but was hoping for one of your thorough answers 🙂. BTW, I started in sugaring after taking your night class at MMU HS some years ago. I refer back those notes many times! Shortly afterwards I told a local excavator and long time sugar maker I wanted him to prep a site for a sugarhouse. He took his hat off, placed it over his heart, and said “Another one bites the dust.” I think about those two things often on those ‘challenging’ days.🤣

[DrTimPerkins]

Thanks Dr. Tim. I had seen that you ‘retired’ but was hoping for one of your thorough answers 🙂.

Not quite officially retired yet. Just using up a lot of vacation time before I do retire 6/30/2023. Sitting in Ft Myers, FL this week in 85 deg F weather each day. Hurricane Ian devastation in Sept 2022 is amazing. Headed home and back to work in a couple of weeks for the remainder of the sugaring season. Then back on vacation from about mid-April til the end of June.


BTW, I started in sugaring after taking your night class at MMU HS some years ago. 🤣

My apologies. :rolleyes:

[VTfarmboy]

picked .30gpt testing 2.2% should be at almost half crop before coming cold snap which seems crazy for feb(ave feb is 1/3 crop)

[Andy VT]

Well, my Essex Junction, VT maple adventure continues with my 5/16 drops to buckets.
Feb 13 I tapped 10 taps... 2 sugar, 8 norway.
Feb 19 I tapped 4 more... 1 sugar, 1 norway, 2 silver (this is a huge tree that could easily do 6, but I'm keeping all trees to 1 or 2 at this time)
So far my total sap yield season-to-date is 12 gallons, 4 of which were from the last 24 hours, which I've been reducing down to quantities that can be kept in the fridge.
My record keeping now includes morning, mid-day, and evening temps.
I think these yields are trying to tell me the floodgates are not yet open, though the norways are a factor on the low yields... they are contributing very little.
The last day above freezing for a bit is tomorrow, so sometime this week I'll make a little syrup in the kitchen from what I have collected so far.
I'll bring it up to 30 taps in late February or maybe even the beginning of March.
Depends on whether we get another day that might run in February... if so, I'll finish the taps then.
The majority of the remaining taps are sugar maple.

[Andy VT]

Welp, the wait-until-March-if-you're-on-buckets people turned out to be right!
Fortunately my biggest and best sugar maples are not yet tapped and will stay that way through this freezing spell.

[VTfarmboy]

At just under 2/3 crop before freeze up... which we have never done in 20 years (usually do 1/3 crop in feb)... runs have been very strong for us...3/16 still impressing me every year... nothing has tested under 2%...we'll see what march brings!

[ecp]

VTfarmboy. Send some of that warmer weather north would you. HAHA

[VTfarmboy]

opened up some yesterday picked .30gpt testing 2.25%...been one week since last boil...big snow coming?

[Andy VT]

Well, the sap valve opened up yesterday, unfortunately while I was out of town. Wednesday afternoon would have been the perfect time to tap the remaining taps, but I'll have to do it tomorrow instead. Neighbors rescued the sap before much overflowed, and it is now evaporating down.
My little "operation" got some press the other day, that's a fun thing, check it out:
https://www.essexreporter.com/news/essex-junction-family-produces-maple-syrup-from-trees-throughout-their-neighborhood/article_d6d4614c-b86d-11ed-b5de-e3bcc7baa96d.html


Well, my Essex Junction, VT maple adventure continues with my 5/16 drops to buckets.
Feb 13 I tapped 10 taps... 2 sugar, 8 norway.
Feb 19 I tapped 4 more... 1 sugar, 1 norway, 2 silver (this is a huge tree that could easily do 6, but I'm keeping all trees to 1 or 2 at this time)
So far my total sap yield season-to-date is 12 gallons, 4 of which were from the last 24 hours, which I've been reducing down to quantities that can be kept in the fridge.
My record keeping now includes morning, mid-day, and evening temps.
I think these yields are trying to tell me the floodgates are not yet open, though the norways are a factor on the low yields... they are contributing very little.
The last day above freezing for a bit is tomorrow, so sometime this week I'll make a little syrup in the kitchen from what I have collected so far.
I'll bring it up to 30 taps in late February or maybe even the beginning of March.
Depends on whether we get another day that might run in February... if so, I'll finish the taps then.
The majority of the remaining taps are sugar maple.

[VTfarmboy]

yesterday picked .40gpt testing 2.35% today picked .30gpt testing 2.2%...making very flavorful dark amber/robust

[TapTapTap]

My guys did a full brick replacement in the arch this week. Also replaced lots of ceramic blanket.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Kc3wHT4LHy3bvuCy5

Ken

[blissville maples]

yesterday picked .40gpt testing 2.35% today picked .30gpt testing 2.2%...making very flavorful dark amber/robust


High sugar for pre season on vac what you feed them trees! I'd of thought that would make some nice golden or atleast amber with the cool temps/no sun.

Opened up good yesterday our sugar around 1.7 but will climb once the trees sense spring. Usually after that first major week of runs in March.

[blissville maples]

Welp, the wait-until-March-if-you're-on-buckets people turned out to be right!
Fortunately my biggest and best sugar maples are not yet tapped and will stay that way through this freezing spell.


Haha I see it all the time, gravity folks see the vaccum guys get going and just can't resist! It's a hard concept to absorb but if there's no mud there's no sap for gravity! You need a good 20° temp swing for trees to generate enough pressure for gravity, that's what our vac pumps do as long as it's over 32°.

[VTfarmboy]

picked .25gpt testing 2.25% today at 65%crop now... full crop here is (.25gpt of syrup) no RO...all 3/16 gravity bush

[Andy VT]

Well, I tapped taps 15 through 27 yesterday, and the last 3 today, so I'm now up to the planned 30 taps and oh Lordy!
Is anyone thinking 2023 will beat 2022 for overall production? I am thinking so. Some warmer states had rough seasons but I think Vermont, Canada, New York, New Hampshire are going to be big.


Well, my Essex Junction, VT maple adventure continues with my 5/16 drops to buckets.
Feb 13 I tapped 10 taps... 2 sugar, 8 norway.
Feb 19 I tapped 4 more... 1 sugar, 1 norway, 2 silver (this is a huge tree that could easily do 6, but I'm keeping all trees to 1 or 2 at this time)
So far my total sap yield season-to-date is 12 gallons, 4 of which were from the last 24 hours, which I've been reducing down to quantities that can be kept in the fridge.
My record keeping now includes morning, mid-day, and evening temps.
I think these yields are trying to tell me the floodgates are not yet open, though the norways are a factor on the low yields... they are contributing very little.
The last day above freezing for a bit is tomorrow, so sometime this week I'll make a little syrup in the kitchen from what I have collected so far.
I'll bring it up to 30 taps in late February or maybe even the beginning of March.
Depends on whether we get another day that might run in February... if so, I'll finish the taps then.
The majority of the remaining taps are sugar maple.

[blissville maples]

Is it possible we're going to have a normal march? First time in years the second week of March hasn't spiraled into the seventies! I think it's going to be a really good year for production.

Making some really nice light syrup with these cool temperatures mediocre sap runs and no sun. Turned out 160 gals yesterday of Amber with the last 2 barrels on the line of golden, the last barrel may have made the light transmission minimum.

Puts us at 1020 for the year on 5400 taps. I know we're only at about 35-40% of the way into the season based on snowpack and 10 day forecast. Big runs still to come yee ha!!

Life just got easier, retired the trailer with 800 gal haul capacity to an international 4700 with 2-1500s on it, makes hauling a breeze no more 8 loads a day!!

[MRFNY]

Well, I tapped taps 15 through 27 yesterday, and the last 3 today, so I'm now up to the planned 30 taps and oh Lordy!
Is anyone thinking 2023 will beat 2022 for overall production? I am thinking so. Some warmer states had rough seasons but I think Vermont, Canada, New York, New Hampshire are going to be big.

I'm already at my 2022 total production!! (Charlton, NY). I've only been doing syrup for 5 years but this year has been absolutely crazy!

[VTfarmboy]

picked .25gpt testing 2.2% yesterday

[blissville maples]

Sunshine! Sap ran great yesterday for about 4 hrs with the sun, just over half gal per tap. Looks like today may be even better! God I love this weather....no 50s and freezing nights to boot. Who would have ever thought!

[billyinvt]

Is it possible we're going to have a normal march? First time in years the second week of March hasn't spiraled into the seventies! I think it's going to be a really good year for production.



Life just got easier, retired the trailer with 800 gal haul capacity to an international 4700 with 2-1500s on it, makes hauling a breeze no more 8 loads a day!!

Congrats to that! Solving the hauling problem was key for our small operation too. We're able to save a lot of time when we only have to go out once!

[GrowlingMaple]

Quick question for Dr. Perkins or anyone else who might want to weigh in. Is it possible that sugar maples with lower sugar content produce tastier syrup, that is, if you are boiling 55 gallons to one instead of 35, maybe that means that the other components that add to the maple flavor are more concentrated in the finished product. It's also possible that everything is watered down in such trees, not just the sugar. Just something that's been on my mind... especially two years ago when we were pulling 1% out of the woods!

[Mooneybc]

Looking for a bit of guidance on some issues I’ve been trying to trouble shoot. I have 850 taps on high vacuum. I use stubbys with 1/4 inch reducer adapters. This is the first year where I’ve had this problem. It seems like at least 30% of my tap holes are faulty. I’ve used the same drill and style drill bit (bits are new each year) that I’ve used for several years without a problem. I’ve walked my woods several times and it seems like every 3-5 taps has a micro leak (can see air bubbles coming out of the tree into the tap rapidly and the saddle loops at the beginning of the later line indicate a leak as well. Also walking my woods today there were many taps that had a large freezing of sap under them as if the tap hole was bleeding, but these trees have been tapped for about a month now. I’ve tried tapping the taps in a bit further and even drilled new holes in a few trees but nothing seems to be helping. The odd thing is that I am still keeping great vacuum at the pump at least. What are your thoughts?2303323034230342303423034

[blissville maples]

Looking for a bit of guidance on some issues I’ve been trying to trouble shoot. I have 850 taps on high vacuum. I use stubbys with 1/4 inch reducer adapters. This is the first year where I’ve had this problem. It seems like at least 30% of my tap holes are faulty. I’ve used the same drill and style drill bit (bits are new each year) that I’ve used for several years without a problem. I’ve walked my woods several times and it seems like every 3-5 taps has a micro leak (can see air bubbles coming out of the tree into the tap rapidly and the saddle loops at the beginning of the later line indicate a leak as well. Also walking my woods today there were many taps that had a large freezing of sap under them as if the tap hole was bleeding, but these trees have been tapped for about a month now. I’ve tried tapping the taps in a bit further and even drilled new holes in a few trees but nothing seems to be helping. The odd thing is that I am still keeping great vacuum at the pump at least. What are your thoughts?2303323034230342303423034


I find if trees are in "thaw mode" the thawing sap in the tree structure will also release gas bubbles that are frozen. I feel sometimes this happens faster then normal. I've gone back to lines after thawed completely and they slow to normal. But there seems to be a short period where the flow is accelerated and I believe it's due to thawing . I would check them in the afternoon after the trees are completely thawed.

Sometimes they will bleed if pressure develops because trees thaw quickly and the saddle loop is still frozen as is common on a sunny morning, trees will always thaw before lines when they're in the sun, creating pressure in the lines.

I think there can be a fine line between a thawing tree and a micro leak

[blissville maples]

Quick question for Dr. Perkins or anyone else who might want to weigh in. Is it possible that sugar maples with lower sugar content produce tastier syrup, that is, if you are boiling 55 gallons to one instead of 35, maybe that means that the other components that add to the maple flavor are more concentrated in the finished product. It's also possible that everything is watered down in such trees, not just the sugar. Just something that's been on my mind... especially two years ago when we were pulling 1% out of the woods!

I've wondered this at times. I find the low sugar is usually accompanied by many non freezing nights which also pulls sap from different places. So it's hard to say really, but the theory is definitely valid. In general I don't think the mineral load changes alot, it's still the same amount just watered down a bit.

[DrTimPerkins]

Sometimes they will bleed if pressure develops because trees thaw quickly and the saddle loop is still frozen as is common on a sunny morning, trees will always thaw before lines when they're in the sun, creating pressure in the lines.

I think there can be a fine line between a thawing tree and a micro leak

This is most likely the correct answer. Pressure of the liquid in the lines is pushing some sap out around the edges of the spout. The alternative problem is that the spouts pop out of the taphole or the tubing pushes off of the spout (especially on some types of spouts with only a ring or less agressive barbs).

[DrTimPerkins]

Is it possible that sugar maples with lower sugar content produce tastier syrup....

Hard to give a real answer for this given that I don't know what "tastier" syrup means to you (darker and strong, amber and more maple-flavor, real light and more vanilla flavor)?

In any case, there is no real scientific evidence for this. Sap composition does vary from tree-to-tree in some ways, but not so much as to have a huge influence. Things like microbial action in the sap (driving conversion of sucrose to invert sugars) and amount of time in storage (more invert production) and during boiling (furthering caramelization of invert sugars) are much more important.

[tjanson]

Finally tapped Saturday. 3/11, 45 taps total, 30 on 3/16 tubing and 15 on buckets. Had a great run Sunday through Monday but it ran Tuesday and Wednesday as well despite the snow storm. We are at about 150 gallons in the tank. I am guessing we can make it to Saturday morning without overflowing the 225 ga tank but we will see.

[blissville maples]

This is most likely the correct answer. Pressure of the liquid in the lines is pushing some sap out around the edges of the spout. The alternative problem is that the spouts pop out of the taphole or the tubing pushes off of the spout (especially on some types of spouts with only a ring or less agressive barbs).

That's exactly the issue when this happens, spouts may blow off!! Been there done that haha

[blissville maples]

Good flows the last few days, and looks to continue for another 2 weeks. We're sitting about about a .31 gpt. Some of the richest butteriest tasting syrup I can remember. Usually by now we have several unfreezing nights and I think that doesn't do a whole lot for the flavor this year has been a year of its own as far as the temperature department. I think there has been one or two nights in the last 6 weeks that have not froze.

I still think the big runs are yet to come, lots of snow and likely frost still

[DrTimPerkins]

That's exactly the issue when this happens, spouts may blow off!! Been there done that haha

Pretty interesting to watch this on the electronic monitoring systems. Vacuum is good as the temperature starts to come up to what should be a good flow, then suddenly tubing pops off and vacuum drops like a stone since the lateral line is now wide-open to air. Not a tiny leak when it happens.

[DrTimPerkins]

Good flows the last few days, and looks to continue for another 2 weeks.

We're a bit colder than you. Sap didn't run on Thurs much, and didn't really open up well until Friday afternoon. Ran well since then though, so about 1.7 gal of sap per tap overnight. Didn't quite hit 32 deg F at the sugarhouse, but the branches probably froze up in at least some places of the bush and slowed down some. Starting to come in again well now.

We're at about 43% of a 0.5 gal/tap crop for sap totals...but less than that for syrup since we've got about 900 gal of 32 Brix concentrate sitting in the bulk tanks waiting to be boiled.

Looking like a good week for sap coming up. Good luck to all the maple producers out there.

[blissville maples]

We're a bit colder than you. Sap didn't run on Thurs much, and didn't really open up well until Friday afternoon. Ran well since then though, so about 1.7 gal of sap per tap overnight. Didn't quite hit 32 deg F at the sugarhouse, but the branches probably froze up in at least some places of the bush and slowed down some. Starting to come in again well now.

We're at about 43% of a 0.5 gal/tap crop for sap totals...but less than that for syrup since we've got about 900 gal of 32 Brix concentrate sitting in the bulk tanks waiting to be boiled.

Looking like a good week for sap coming up. Good luck to all the maple producers out there.


Goldilocks zone at 550' here!! We hit .34 gpt yesterday 1866 gals on 5400 taps.. Niter is horrible this year, but flavor has been outstanding!! Going to be scrounging up barrels soon!

Dr Tim do you guys have issues on some mornings (seems to be on a heavy run when it freezes fairly quickly) where when it starts to thaw the Frozen slushy sap piles up at a y or even a saddle? I do know the difference between a leak causing this and maybe a main line at 2-3% grade. It drives me nuts when you have a 2-ft slush plug and all the taps behind it are running! Sometimes I go out and massage them out with the torch on the cooler 35 36° days where it will never thaw unless you do.

I feel like my dry line needs to be connected every hundred feet to the wet lines. I have done this on most mornings this year and I think it has a little bit to do with my higher volumes this year

[PCFarms]

Dr Tim, When was your first run this year? There were a lot of warm days through Jan and Feb and I am wondering if you got them

[DrTimPerkins]

Dr Tim do you guys have issues on some mornings (seems to be on a heavy run when it freezes fairly quickly) where when it starts to thaw the Frozen slushy sap piles up at a y or even a saddle? I do know the difference between a leak causing this and maybe a main line at 2-3% grade. It drives me nuts when you have a 2-ft slush plug and all the taps behind it are running! Sometimes I go out and massage them out with the torch on the cooler 35 36° days where it will never thaw unless you do.

Yes, that happens occasionally in some spots. Our larger problem is that about 1/2 our taps in our main bush (so maybe 1,400 taps) run through a small culvert under the road where it's pretty flat. Inevitably there are freeze-ups there. The dry line helps deal with that most of the time, but it's been an issue the entire time I've been around.

[DrTimPerkins]

Dr Tim, When was your first run this year? There were a lot of warm days through Jan and Feb and I am wondering if you got them

Our first sap totals this season were recorded on 2/14, so probably the first sap run was a day or two before that. We dumped about 1,000 gal of crappy sap on 2/13 that had collected prior to that.

We record the sap yield (gal) and sugar contents in the morning from each of our two major sections, although there are additional sap monitoring devices in other areas for different research projects to evaluate different equipment or practices on yield. Those two totals are the amounts ending up at the sugarhouse from either flowing down from the main bush (above the sugarhouse) or the other part of our woods where the sap is pumped up from lower down. This is the first year that all the sap from our entire operation is pumped directly to the sugarhouse and none is being trucked up. That was one of the goals I had before retiring.

[DrTimPerkins]

I feel like my dry line needs to be connected every hundred feet to the wet lines. I have done this on most mornings this year and I think it has a little bit to do with my higher volumes this year

Many people will build their tubing systems to handle average flows because it is simpler and cheaper and it works fine a lot of the time. The unfortunate thing is that these systems don't work so well during the PEAK flows that happen 3-5 times a season. Those are the periods when you make your money. When the sap is running hard, you want it to be able to get out of the tree and through your tubing system to the tank as quickly as possible. If it gets slowed down for some reason, you may not get the chance to get it the next day -- it's gone.

[johnallin]

... We dumped about 1,000 gal of crappy sap on 2/13 that had collected prior to that. ...

I don't feel so bad now... this year I've dumped 3 full 330 gal tanks because it was just plain lousy looking "stuff"...

Are you getting pretty close to retirement date? Whenever it is - enjoy yourself and hope you get lots of boating in..!!
And thanks for your contributions. John

[blissville maples]

Many people will build their tubing systems to handle average flows because it is simpler and cheaper and it works fine a lot of the time. The unfortunate thing is that these systems don't work so well during the PEAK flows that happen 3-5 times a season. Those are the periods when you make your money. When the sap is running hard, you want it to be able to get out of the tree and through your tubing system to the tank as quickly as possible. If it gets slowed down for some reason, you may not get the chance to get it the next day -- it's gone.

So I have 1 1/2 wet line carrying 1300 taps, a 1 1/4 carrying about 1200 and a dry line of 1 1/2. Handling both for this year. Some mornings like yesterday there was no issues, other mornings there is I feel like it has something to do with how much sap freezes in the main line while the trees are still running. I swear it has to do with volume vs how fast it freezes, time will tell I suppose

It opened up yesterday with the sunshine,. Probably a gal of sap per tap, nice run. Looks like a good couple weeks. Hopefully I can find some barrels only have eight left! I am told there will be some available Tuesday if you need any this year you better scrounge them up!

[DrTimPerkins]

I don't feel so bad now... this year I've dumped 3 full 330 gal tanks because it was just plain lousy looking "stuff"...

Some years we dump very little, but most years we'll dump at least a small amount.


Are you getting pretty close to retirement date? Whenever it is - enjoy yourself and hope you get lots of boating in..!!
And thanks for your contributions. John

Technically my last day is June 30, 2023. However, I've got another 8 wks of vacation to use up between now and then, so probably won't be around much after May 1st...other than the Bascom Open House in early-May.

[GrowlingMaple]

I've been sugaring my whole life and have run into something this year I've never seen. Our syrup started fancy, but then within the first 10 days was already nearly grade B dark. Not only did this happen fast, but the sap in the buckets is still crystal clear. No yellowing or fogginess. The taste is very dark with even a slight sourness. I'm hoping it is not something I'm doing and just a unique year. I boil with wood, and so it's possible extra smoke or debris is getting in there, but again, I'm not doing anything different than in the past. Are there reasons that mid season clear sap can be so dark outside of "user error"?

[GrowlingMaple]

The darkness was definitely my fault and not the tree's. More burnt nitre build up than we had all year last year in the bottom of the pan. Flues and syrup pan. Cleaned it out and did a full reset. Still beautiful clear sap. Onward!

[DrTimPerkins]

The darkness was definitely my fault and not the tree's. More burnt nitre build up than we had all year last year in the bottom of the pan. Flues and syrup pan. Cleaned it out and did a full reset. Still beautiful clear sap. Onward!

Yup...that'll do it. The slight off-taste was probably what is called "burnt niter".

[blissville maples]

Yes, that happens occasionally in some spots. Our larger problem is that about 1/2 our taps in our main bush (so maybe 1,400 taps) run through a small culvert under the road where it's pretty flat. Inevitably there are freeze-ups there. The dry line helps deal with that most of the time, but it's been an issue the entire time I've been around.


I find my dry line works on freeze up at night, so in the morning it ices up also. I am thinking about adding a second dry line in which I leave the valves off so they cannot fill on the overnight freeze up and then turn the valves on in the morning for the start of the days run. It's always heavy first thing so that first hr you can miss alot.

[blissville maples]

Pretty quiet on here! Not too many regulars posting updates anymore.

Had a big boil yesterday about 9500 gallons of sap ended up with around 190-200 gals of amber Rich still. We may have touched on dark Amber for a few barrels but nothing dark robust. God I hate this new system there is no way to accurately represent dark Amber without kicking it into the b category which there's nothing robust about Dark amber. It's amber...just slightly darker!!! I guess color is more important than flavor, until the last barrel is made then it's like oh my God that's end of season syrup. Yeah? Well color is there, oh but that didn't matter with my barrel of dark Amber you graded dark robust!!

[DrTimPerkins]

Pretty quiet on here! Not too many regulars posting updates anymore.

Yeah...sorry. I've been a bit remiss in posting updates. Only working part-time these days.

Nice run overnight. About 1.6 gal/tap, running 2.3 and 2.1 Brix in our two different sections (has been a tad above what is normal for us). Sap-wise we're at about 60% of a "minimum" crop for us (20 gal/tap of sap). Syrup-wise we're a bit behind at only about 27% of a "minimum" crop (0.5 gal/tap syrup), but we've got over 1,000 gal of 33 Brix concentrate chilling in the bulk tanks and about 8,000 gal of sap in the storage tanks and silo to process. The Lapierre HyperBrix is running and concentrating to 37.3 Brix right now and the crew is boiling today, so that'll help us catch up a bit. Mostly a nice amber/rich, which is what typically makes up most of our crop. Doesn't take much boiling time to make syrup when you start at 33 Brix.

Our vacuum is a bit lower than we'd like. That real cold snap a week or so ago seems to have loosened up some of the spouts on the larger trees. Hopefully they'll get that squared away soon.

Looks like it'll keep running most of tonite too. Good stretch of sugaring weather forecast over the next 10 days or so.

[Andy VT]

Blissville, I'm a little confused about your grade angst... hasn't it always been by color, and hasn't it always been the same 4 colors? We just have changed some names? This is a genuine question... I'm a long time Vermont syrup consumer, very short time "producer".

[tcross]

my woods hasn't really produced much yet. we've had some real cold weather up here the past 3-4 weeks and the trees don't want to wake up. yesterday was our best run of the season... a little bit less than 1/2 a gallon of sap per tap. good news is the sugar content was 2.5 which is very good for us! typically happy to see it get to 2%. i've done a lot of thinning over the past 5-6 years so perhaps i'm starting to see the benefits of that? last night was our 4 boil and i'm sitting at 1/10th of the crop i'd like to get! So, hopefully the trees open up soon and we can salvage a good season. Baring some real warm weather, we should still have 2-3 weeks of good sugaring season left... i hope.

[Ultimatetreehugger]

Tcross are you around Lyndonville area? My woods is doing the same but I check my raw and the first 3600 gallons came in at 3%! I have CDL techs who can substantiate my story! This woods has never run above 1.9 before. The snow is definitely limiting my runs.

[Mooneybc]

In the last 24 hour run I had 1.7gal/tap of sap but the sugar content was actually lower (1.6%) then what I’m seeing from other folks and what I had last week. Hoping this week continues on with the good runs we’ve had the last two days in NW VT.

[tcross]

ultimatetreehugger... i'm in Derby. We're still sitting on 2-3 feet of snow in the woods. yesterdays rain started melting the snow away from the base of the trees so i'm hoping some good runs are coming. It trickled in all night last night. my 400 trees gave me 170 gallons of sap yesterday. 30 degrees here now... not supposed to get above 34 today.

[drewlamb]

What's the proper amount of airspace to leave in the top of a barrel? Is there a standard? We use rigid 15 gal kegs and regular 40 gal drums. I shoot for around 1/2" of space at the top but am sometimes slightly over or under.

[blissville maples]

Blissville, I'm a little confused about your grade angst... hasn't it always been by color, and hasn't it always been the same 4 colors? We just have changed some names? This is a genuine question... I'm a long time Vermont syrup consumer, very short time "producer".

It has always been by color but not the same colors.

It used to be light, amber, dark Amber, b and commercial (without looking at old sales slips from Bascom)

Now it's golden, amber, very dark and commercial.

The problem is that Amber has a wide array of flavors in colors more so than any other grade. When you take a syrup down to bascom's and it has a rich flavor nothing robust whatsoever and simply because it is one slight shade darker than Amber they grade it as very dark. Very dark syrup has a robust taste a dark Amber does not have a robust taste however a dark Amber does not make the Amber grade. With the old grading system that Amber syrup would have never been put into the dark category.

There's a huge difference between light Amber which is not golden and dark amber which is not dark robust. They're both Amber syrups just on either end of the spectrum and I don't think it's fair to bump them one way or the other

[blissville maples]

What's the proper amount of airspace to leave in the top of a barrel? Is there a standard? We use rigid 15 gal kegs and regular 40 gal drums. I shoot for around 1/2" of space at the top but am sometimes slightly over or under.

Get as much in there as you can because it'll shrink down once it cools I prop my barrels up on a rock so that the bong is the high point they seal much better

[blissville maples]

Slowed way down yesterday afternoon once sun went behind clouds. Need freezing night again! That's the problem down here in the valley we lose our freezing nights quick but they're on their way back. Managed to make about 100 gallons of Amber rich putting us up at 2275. Usually we're into the dark by now but not yet. We still have a fair amount of snow cover which is a bonus I'm thinking we have at least another 10 days down here in the Southern Champlain valley

I'm wondering if it's going to be a good season for the higher elevations?

[ecp]

Only time will tell if colder bushes come out of this season with a decent crop. I am higher in elevation and cold. It's not been a great year, but my neighbor on the other side of the mountain (north facing) is having it worse (only boiled 2 times so far). Funny thing for me is the sap is hardly running but isn't the sweetest sap like everyone else is seeing.

[DrTimPerkins]

What's the proper amount of airspace to leave in the top of a barrel? Is there a standard? We use rigid 15 gal kegs and regular 40 gal drums. I shoot for around 1/2" of space at the top but am sometimes slightly over or under.

As little as possible. You want all the barrel to get heated by the syrup to kill anything in there. Also, any amount of oxygen in the headspace will cause the syrup to darken (from the top down).

[blissville maples]

Only time will tell if colder bushes come out of this season with a decent crop. I am higher in elevation and cold. It's not been a great year, but my neighbor on the other side of the mountain (north facing) is having it worse (only boiled 2 times so far). Funny thing for me is the sap is hardly running but isn't the sweetest sap like everyone else is seeing.




We're down to 1.3 after the 2 warmer days with no freeze and marginal Thursday night. A small freeze last night forecast said 24 but I woke up to 30.

Out sugar hasn't tested over 1.8 all year as far as I know, if was higher wasn't for long!!

[blissville maples]

Only time will tell if colder bushes come out of this season with a decent crop. I am higher in elevation and cold. It's not been a great year, but my neighbor on the other side of the mountain (north facing) is having it worse (only boiled 2 times so far). Funny thing for me is the sap is hardly running but isn't the sweetest sap like everyone else is seeing.




We're down to 1.3 after the 2 warmer days with no freeze and marginal Thursday night. A small freeze last night forecast said 24 but I woke up to 30. Definitely a better year for us in lower elevation

Out sugar hasn't tested over 1.8 all year as far as I know, if was higher wasn't for long!!

[Mooneybc]

Surprise run last night during that gnarly wind storm. 1.7 gal/tap sap at 1.5% for the last 24 hours. Should be a good week for us NW folks.

[tcross]

sap ran well for me yesterday between 10 a.m and sometime last night. was kind of neat watching the sap run while getting a 5-6" snow storm. picked up 3/4 gpt testing 2.25. making some tasty amber syrup. sap should run well today!

[DrTimPerkins]

Decent run over the weekend. Picked up another 13,250 gal, running 2.3 and 1.8 Brix in the two sections of our woods. RO is running now to concentrate the 12k gal of sap from Friday and the weekend. The guys are boiling now (about 825 gal of 35 Brix concentrate they banked up in the bulk tanks last week).

Had a good freeze last night in the mid-high 20s, so the sap should run well today. About 31 deg F now...expected to be 42 deg F, sunny, no wind. Forecast for the next 10 days looks excellent with the exception of 1 day that'll be too cold...which is nice to get to give everyone a little break before it starts up again.

Sapwise we're at about 3/4 of a minimum crop (0.5 gal/tap syrup). Syrup totals always lag behind due to storing concentrate in a bulk tank.

[tjanson]

We had a good week. We collected 185 ga Monday through Saturday morning. Tested 2-2.25%. Boiled all weekend with the sap still running and ended up with an empty tank and 4.5 gallons syrup canned in jars. That puts us at 8.375 ga for the season that already beats our previous record of ~7 gallons on 40 taps. What we thought was a "reach goal" of 10 gallons should be achieved next weekend!

[tcross]

pretty good sap run for us yesterday. picked up about 1 gallon per tap. sap tested 2.5% which was very nice! it ran really hard from 9 a.m to about 4 or so, then slowly petered off. very happy with the sugar content this year! the nitre... not so much. made for some very tasty amber syrup!

[DrTimPerkins]

Decent run yesterday until a little after midnight. Another 1.2 gal/tap, so at about 82% of our minimum target crop in terms of sap. Sugar is starting to drop a bit - normal for this time of season. Down to 2.2 and 1.7 Brix in our two woods sections. Still a decent amount of snow in the woods, and no hot weather predicted for a while (58 deg F high on Saturday, but accompanied by a little rain which should keep the trees from getting real hot, and provide some soil moisture). Other than that good weather forecast for the next 10 days. Crew boiled yesterday and make 520 gal of syrup. Nice to see those barrels getting filled.

[Andy VT]

Dr Tim, when you say minimum crop of .5 gallons per tap... by this you mean a sort of breakeven point?

[Mooneybc]

Any thoughts or studies on tapping practices/sanitation affecting sugar content or do studies only show there is affect on sap yield? My guess is that sugar content is really out of the control of the producer?

[blissville maples]

Any thoughts or studies on tapping practices/sanitation affecting sugar content or do studies only show there is affect on sap yield? My guess is that sugar content is really out of the control of the producer?


Don't overdrive the spouts is your only way to help this, and possibly tapping later in the year

[blissville maples]

Wish we had some sugar in our sap, down to1.0. but making some great tasting almost Amber syrup. Next week will probably do it for us here in the lower elevations. We're currently at a .49 so that's good for our production. Hoping to see a .55

[blissville maples]

Decent run yesterday until a little after midnight. Another 1.2 gal/tap, so at about 82% of our minimum target crop in terms of sap. Sugar is starting to drop a bit - normal for this time of season. Down to 2.2 and 1.7 Brix in our two woods sections. Still a decent amount of snow in the woods, and no hot weather predicted for a while (58 deg F high on Saturday, but accompanied by a little rain which should keep the trees from getting real hot, and provide some soil moisture). Other than that good weather forecast for the next 10 days. Crew boiled yesterday and make 520 gal of syrup. Nice to see those barrels getting filled.

Why does the sugar drop? All the carbs are gone or the tress just don't convert as many carbs to sugar? Weather not cold enough?

[DrTimPerkins]

Why does the sugar drop? All the carbs are gone or the tress just don't convert as many carbs to sugar? Weather not cold enough?

It is a normal pattern. Sap sugar typically starts off fairly high, rises a little, then drops off as the season progresses. It can pop up a little after a good freeze. This is due to the physiology of the tree. https://mapleresearch.org/pub/mn2020sapsugar/

Most of the carbs in the wood rays are converted to and stored as starch, but as the spring gets close, a portion of that is converted to sucrose (more readily useable for tree metabolism) where it is important in providing some energy to fuel the growing tissues (roots, cambium, buds) and, to a slight degree, important in the sap flow process (although wood temperature is by far the larger driving factor in sap flow). Only a small portion of the starch gets converted, there is a lot left after the season is ended. Temperatures falling below freezing tend to push the enzymatic conversion of starch to sugar.

This isn't an abnormal thing in biology. If excess energy is made (or consumed), then a portion of the excess can get stored for later use. In people that's as fat -- in plants it is a starch. It may be converted later and get used, or may just hang around for a long time. The difference is that in trees the starches tend to be laid down within the rays of annual rings, but more can be added and some can be remobilized down the road as needed. Rays are the tissues that 1. are living and 2. cut across annual rings, so the mobility of the sugar is higher than many other compounds in the wood.

The sugar we collect by tapping comes from many annual rings of rays in the wood. In fact, the average age of the sugar molecules in maple syrup tends to be around 3 yrs, but ranges from less than 1 to 20-25 yrs. The hydraulic conductivity (the ability/rate/amount of sap to move through the stem) and carbohydrate levels tend to be highest in the outermost rings, then drop off as we get deeper. That's why drilling a taphole beyond a certain depth doesn't get us a lot more syrup yield. These reasons (higher sugar in the newest rings and higher hydraulic conductivity in newer rings) are why we've designed the barb spout https://mapleresearch.org/pub/innovations-in-maple-sap-collection-systems-spouts/ currently being tested in several places in the U.S. and Canada. The new spout design allows better collection from shallower parts of the taphole and allows better collection during the frequent short thaw periods (when only the outermost portion of the wood thaws out) in which normal spouts do not run or run much.

At a certain point (decades), some amount of carbs are lost due to continued tree growth when the sapwood deep in the tree eventually converts to heartwood and is thus lost to the tree (and to sugarmakers).

Before the season starts, from the fall through the winter, the sap in xylem tends to be quite low in sugar (it's all being converted to starch and stored for future use). That's why when people try fall and early-winter tapping the sap tends to have very low sugar so syrup yields tend to be lower.

[DrTimPerkins]

Another 5,250 gal of sap yesterday. Sugar dropping a bit. Hard freeze overnight. RO is running. 700 gal of 33 Brix concentrate in the bulk tank, so probably boiling sometime within the next few days. Good sap flow weather forecast with a several nice freezes through the end of next week at least. Tally ho!

[DrTimPerkins]

Decent run yesterday afternoon/evening. Started late since the temps had dropped into the upper teens/low 20s overnight and it took some time for the trees to thaw, even with no wind and good sun. Collected about 7,300 gal of sap (about 1.1 gal sap/tap) running at 1.9 and 1.7 Brix in the two sections. Crew is running the new sap through the RO and boiling the 700+ gal of 33 Brix concentrate we had in the bulk tanks through the evaporator today. Still making GD syrup. Should be a total of just over 400 gal of syrup headed into the drums.

Sap surely isn't going to run for a few days (too cold).

[DrTimPerkins]

No sap today -- too cold. Crew made 480 gallons of GD...close to the line of AR. That puts us at 73.6% of our minimum target crop (0.5 gpt of syrup), not counting what we'd get in the boil out of the evaporator. Should run starting tomorrow afternoon thru early-Sunday morning, then freeze solid again most of Sunday until late-morning on Monday. Shaping up to be a couple of real gushers (fingers crossed).

[TapTapTap]

It was raining sap here in Williston. Sap started trickling in about 5 pm. I hadn't noticed that there was a sag in my pump line, apparently frozen solid, as I climbed down into the pump station. Then the pump kicked on! Pow! A fitting blew apart and I took a cold sap shower. Then the mad scramble to thaw (or as us Vermonters say - unthaw) the line and repair the fitting. Never a dull moment in the sugaring business.

Ken

[DrTimPerkins]

Pow! A fitting blew apart and I took a cold sap shower.

Which always lead me to this song...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UIB9Y4OFPs

[blissville maples]

Well I think we're on our last day or two here. Sugar is horrible around .8. hard to stop when sap is crystal clear, syrup tastes phenomenal, sapflows are good and there's snow on northern facing ground but we've made a crop and it's about that time. Thinking last boil Sunday or Monday.

[blissville maples]

No sap today -- too cold. Crew made 480 gallons of GD...close to the line of AR. That puts us at 73.6% of our minimum target crop (0.5 gpt of syrup), not counting what we'd get in the boil out of the evaporator. Should run starting tomorrow afternoon thru early-Sunday morning, then freeze solid again most of Sunday until late-morning on Monday. Shaping up to be a couple of real gushers (fingers crossed).

Funny what a thousand or two feet in elevation can do. One of our hardest runs yesterday at about 37 degrees

[Mooneybc]

Hardest run of the season yesterday through last night 1.9gal/tap sap. Sugar content actually increased to 1.4%. Temperatures this week might put the kabosh on the season.

[TapTapTap]

Hardest run of the season yesterday through last night 1.9gal/tap sap. Sugar content actually increased to 1.4%. Temperatures this week might put the kabosh on the season.

How did you do yesterday (Saturday) with more mild weather? I got only 500 gallons Friday. My sugarbush is W-NW facing and ranges from about El 800 to 1200. We finished off the day with some wet heavy snow.

But yesterday, we added another 3100 gallons or about 2.1 gpt and 2.4 got for the run. Sugar is down to about 1.8. Good thing I'm plumbed to a reserve raw sap tank.

Ken

[Mooneybc]

We got roughly 1.5gal/tap yesterday that was with a 2 hour stoppage due to my releaser bracket system collapsing (this losing all vacuum). We have a N-NE bush at 900-1000 ft in elevation. Expecting our last big run the next 3 days. We’ll see if the weather lets us go farther.

[DrTimPerkins]

Best run of the season so far on Saturday -- total of 13,800 gal or about 2.2 gal sap/tap, which would put us right around 0.5 gal syrup/tap if it were all boiled down. Sugar dropping...1.8 and 1.5 Brix in the two sections. Crew is running the RO today with the concentrate headed to the bulk tank for a boil later this week.

Still a week or two of the season left hopefully, but the leeks are springing up in the woods and the pussy willow flowers have popped down the valley. Based upon the forecast it should start running later this morning and continue for the next several days.

[peteinvermont]

I'm pulling taps this weekend. The sap has still been decent, but we're out of wood, so thats the end. 2023 was a very good season for our little operation.

[tcross]

we've been making a lot of syrup the past few days. we're about at 55% of our average gpt. the forecast for next week makes me feel like the crop this year will be disappointing up here. all next week is in the 60's and 70's with no where near freezing nights. we'll see.

[VTnewguy]

Still hoping for a couple more boils. Elevation really hurt us earlier in the season. Trying to catch up now but the end is near.

[Andy VT]

I decided to make yesterday's rather large sap haul my last for the year over here in Essex Junction, really only because at this point we have to move on to other activities. This coming weekend will have significant flows I think, but we're going to let them spill. I have 5 gallons hot packed in canning jars, but considerably more than 5 gallons-equivalent at various stages of finishing. I'm guessing I'm going to end up with 12 gallons syrup total from my 30 bucket taps even though I'm stopping early. These neighborhood trees with their full crowns and 2-foot diameter really produce! Almost half are norway maples (which I tapped way too early) and didn't produce much, so the sugars must have averaged well over half a gallon per tap to make up for that.

[Mooneybc]

From Monday night to Tuesday night we got 1.5gal/tap sap at approaching 1.0%. It’s slowly trickling in currently. This will be the last week with hopefully a solid end of the season run this Saturday-Monday. After that we have 3 days in a row with temps in the high 70’s. We are looking like roughly .33gal/tap syrup for the end of the season. Envious of you fellas who are at .5 or close to it. The sugar content of my bush is typically much lower to the relative bushes in the area. Must be because I have a lot of soft maples and a crowded bush.

Cheers to finishing the year strong!

[ecp]

Still hoping for a couple more boils. Elevation really hurt us earlier in the season. Trying to catch up now but the end is near.

Elevation has killed us in northern Vermont this year so far. Still have full snow coverage, and the tree bases are not even away from the snow yet. Looks like bad weather in the future so it's going to be a short season, I fear. Best vacuum ever and production is down (way down). Wonder if I should go back to buckets next year. :lol:

[blissville maples]

We finished up boiling out the pans yesterday, two freezing nights coming but it's pretty well over down here. Definitely was a good year for the lower elevations. We finished out with 3090 gallons, .57 or 6.3 lbs per tap. Very pleased with the season other than extremely low sugar, nothing over 1.8 and averaged in the 1.3 vicinity. Some of the best quality sap and syrup I've ever seen. I think we boiled cloudy sap just a couple of times. Time to get onto other things, good luck to those still going.

[ecp]

We finished up boiling out the pans yesterday, two freezing nights coming but it's pretty well over down here. Definitely was a good year for the lower elevations. We finished out with 3090 gallons, .57 or 6.3 lbs per tap. Very pleased with the season other than extremely low sugar, nothing over 1.8 and averaged in the 1.3 vicinity. Some of the best quality sap and syrup I've ever seen. I think we boiled cloudy sap just a couple of times. Time to get onto other things, good luck to those still going. Congrats on the good season in tropical southern Vermont. I have a friend in the Poultney area and every time I get snow I text him. He usually replies with something about planting banana trees next year :lol: I'm still checking for leaks with snow shoes on. Not looking good.

[DrTimPerkins]

Things slowed down a bit, but sap still coming in. SSC dropping slowly. Rain helped some. At about 0.48 gpt syrup now...mostly light syrup with good flavor. Hoping the good freeze on Sat will spur a nice run on Sunday-Wednesday. That'd push us into about the 0.55 gpt range. Won't last too much beyond that based upon the forecast. Overall looking like it will be a fairly average season here production wise, but played out a bit oddly.

[Andy VT]

Well, I'm definitely questioning this prediction at this point. It was a good year in my micro-climate but it sounds like not only was it a bad year for those in warm climes, but also a bad year for those at high elevations even just a few miles from me. It seems like this is the year for micro-climate to change everything. Is that common?
Non-the-less, high elevation folks, it ain't over till they bud! Let's see what happens!


Well, I tapped taps 15 through 27 yesterday, and the last 3 today, so I'm now up to the planned 30 taps and oh Lordy!
Is anyone thinking 2023 will beat 2022 for overall production? I am thinking so. Some warmer states had rough seasons but I think Vermont, Canada, New York, New Hampshire are going to be big.

[tcross]

had about 3/4 gpt run yesterday. hoping for a bit better today. freezing nights through this weekend, then the big warm up Monday on. currently at 60% crop. hopefully we'll get 2-3 good strong runs that get us closer, but i feel we'll fall short of an average season up here. still lots of snow and ice, but a week of 60-70 temps will change that. time will tell.

[DrTimPerkins]

Well, I'm definitely questioning this prediction at this point.

Predictions about maple production out beyond about a week are not worth much.