Low sugar content

[Maplewalnut]

First bottling came off today and probably looking at close to 60:1 ratio. Tapping about 25% reds and 75% sugars so I would expect it a little higher because of the reds but not that high. Anyone else getting similiar results?

[tapper]

It may not be too accurate figuring the ratio on your first boil. I think you may have better results after sweetening your pans. After reading some of the posts on here it seems sugar content is a little low on these first runs. It will get better.

[PA mapler]

Yeah, I had 1.5% sugar a few days ago when I checked with the hydrometer. Mine usually runs around 2-2.5%, all sugars. They're all woods trees, clay soils, crowded crowns. I think the health of trees can make a difference in sugar content, and I know my trees need a serious thinning.

You're really close to mine. I just got my notes out, using the "Rule of 86" your sap is 1.4% if you're boiling 60 gallons off. In contrast, 3% sap would be almost 28 gallons sap/gallon syrup.

[Sugarmaker]

Sugar content on run 1 was 3%, run 2 = 2.6%, and run 3 was 2.5% we gathered 175 gallons on each run from 400 taps ( Not good runs at all), But we finished off 10 gallons of syrup and still have some that was not finished on the evaporator. Syrup graded Fancy then dropped to medium on Friday and Saturday.
The volume of sap from the road side trees on tubing seemed to do about the same as the buckets.
We have 1 soft maple that we tap in the front yard as a indicator tree. It runs good but not sure what the sugar content is for that tree.

Sugarmaker

[andyp]

WE had two runs we collected 90 gal. on the first one and 165 on the second one. We got about 5 gal. of syrup.That is not very good production for 325 taps. Maybe I'll take the chain saw to sugarbush and just set down sharpen it. Might shake them up a bit. ha, ha, Oh well we hope the weather will soon change and the flow will be way up.
Andyp

[Fred Henderson]

Don't push it, it will happen. We are not even tapped here yet. But the 10th of Mar lookout.

[sugarin4fun]

Our first boil (2-24) we had about 62:1 of a medium to dark amber, it was rather discouraging. But the second boil (2-27) about 41:1 of light amber and Sat (3-3) we got about 37:1 of light amber.
Things are looking up if only the weather would let the sap run for more than a couple of days at a time. Looks like we may not be boiling again until next week.
Greg

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

It has been about 1.5 to 1.7 here with one day's gathering of 500 gallons of sap at 2.4 which is extremely high. I would be happy with 1.75 to 1.8 all the time, but looks like the ratio right now is about 54 or 55 to 1.