Low Sugar Content

[Sapling]

Based upon careful measurement of sap and syrup processed so far, I calculate my average sap sugar content to be quite low. About 1.2%. Last year’s numbers indicate about 2.33%. Any thoughts?

We tapped more trees this year in the same bush, so our sap volume is up despite the slow start and poor runs, and we have already produced more syrup than last year, so I’m not too crushed, but boy it would be nice to have had twice as much for the effort!

[lafite]

yesterday I measured with my refractometer and it had it at 2.1% in Cheshire

[DaveB]

I can't speak for the southern part of the state but up here the ground is pretty frozen, deeper than usual. I'm a meteorologist and I keep track of different things daily so I can see the readings. I think the sugar content will increase as things thaw out more. Temps look very good the next few weeks but we'll see how the trees respond after that with warming soil temps. I think it's going to be a great season though!

[girmann]

Just doing a rough measurement here - I got about 2.1% from yesterday's run. Of course, my neighbor who has a sugar bush across town is getting 3.0% on her refractometer. Even had one tree at 3.75%! Grr...

[Wallopt]

Checked yesterday and had readings 2.5% but the sap was running slower than I expected...

[dracmaple]

My first haul a couple weeks ago was 1.8% sugar ran some more yesterday that was 2.0%. I am hoping that some higher content sap will begin to flow but not sure. Any thoughts on if the sugar content will increase then fall again at the end of the season like normal?

[hodorskib]

My first two runs where around 1.5 and today's was slightly better around 1.7% so hopefully things will continue to improve. We tapped out some trees with the kids at school in Farmington and one of the trees has been right at 4% over the past week with the rest just over 3. I wish I could find more trees like that?

[Outdoorsman0490]

I have been getting 2.5% on my sugar maples and about 1.5% on my red/silver maples.

Emptying my sacs into white buckets, you can see the red/silver sap looks clear like water but the sugar maples sap has color

[Sapling]

My trees are mostly reds. I have two (maybe three) sugars but the rest are reds growing in and around a vernal pool/swampy valley. The good news is they are 100' from my house :-)

[Sugarmaker]

My trees are mostly reds. I have two (maybe three) sugars but the rest are reds growing in and around a vernal pool/swampy valley. The good news is they are 100' from my house :-)

If they are close tap them. If you want higher sugar content your going to have to move from these to other trees. I would suggest you buy a hand held visual refractometer about $30. Then you can check each tree if you want with only a drop or two of sap. Other option is a long stem sap hydrometer but you need a lot more sap volume to float that.
We had sap from 4.2% (ice was dumped) to 3.2% this year still early:). This is higher than usual but last year it never dropped below 2%.
Regards,
Chris

[Sapling]

The run from Friday (3/14) and Saturday produced 13.5 gallons of sap from my 20 taps. It boiled down to a beautiful light amber. It calculates out to about 2.5% average sugar for the sap from that run. I'm happy with that. A couple of more similar runs and I will make my season goal. The forecast looks promising!

[dracmaple]

Got about 10 gallons last weekend and the sugar content was 3.0%, running has been very slow for me.

[Romeo]

Wow ! If 3% is low what is you normal Thank you Marty

[Sapling]

Wow ! If 3% is low what is you normal Thank you Marty

Romeo- if you start from the beginning of this thread (Thread = the whole string of related messages starting with the one from 3/12/2014 entitled "Low Sugar Content"), you will see that the issue was about an early season 1.2% average sugar content. Those same trees have produced an average of 2.5% sugar sap in the runs last week.