Is the end near?

[sugarwoodacres]

Could our season be ending in a hurry again like last year? May hit the freezing mark tonight but not again for a week. I feel like we've been short charged last 2 seasons. What are everyone's thoughts ?

[dcast99]

Hopefully not. Looking at the forecast for my place, it should freeze at night starting Saurday night and be good sap weather all next week. Just have to get past Wed thru Friday being too warm.

[John-NJ]

Gee, I hope not.

Syrup from my last two days has been dark, not a good sign. Wish we could get the good strings of 20's at night 40's during the days. Weather has been beautiful, but not for sugaring.

5050, I'll be working on the parts list today.

[5050racing]

23 here this am so still dome to come it was running yesterday but didn't collect had enough to work with.

[sugarwoodacres]

Gee, I hope not.

Syrup from my last two days has been dark, not a good sign. Wish we could get the good strings of 20's at night 40's during the days. Weather has been beautiful, but not for sugaring.

5050, I'll be working on the parts list today.

I boiled 300 gallons on Sunday, it started out medium and by the end was dark and lot of sugar sand .

[sugarwoodacres]

23 here this am so still dome to come it was running yesterday but didn't collect had enough to work with.

I collected last on Saturday 6 pm , not much since . Last nights freeze looks like it for next 4 nights though. I am hopeful but doubtful at same time.

[5050racing]

15569 not looking good but for me I'm ready for a break after this weekend!

[sugarwoodacres]

Collected 65 today. If I can get another 65 tomorrow I'll boil it down cause Thursday will spoil any sap on hand

[5050racing]

I have 175 if you want it free no time to do it let me know?

[dcast99]

Finished boiling the 640 gls from Sunday and anither 60 gls from around the sugar shack yesterday. Made 11 gls of some good Golden syrup. I also got alot of sugar sand. I wonder if it has anything to do with the drought this year? Now I'm off to a spring repair shop. Coming home on Sunday with 550 gls on the trailer, in seems the one side broke all but the main leaf. Then I have to get to my day job and make some money to pay for my addiction.

[VerHageFamily]

I guess I missed out. I have been busy with a kitchen remodel and never tapped by backyard trees. I don't see any good temps in Bergen County for the next 10 days. I'm so ticked.

[sugarwoodacres]

I have 175 if you want it free no time to do it let me know?
Nice offer. I don't have the time to get there to pick up. I should have enough for tonight to boil , my wife said its running now. Thanks again

[dcast99]

It got down to 29 at my place last night. This afternoon the trees were barely dripping. Next good freeze won't happen until Sunday night. Got the trailer fixed and brought 500 gls home. Don't have much snow left packed arounf the tanks

[sugarwoodacres]

It got down to 29 at my place last night. This afternoon the trees were barely dripping. Next good freeze won't happen until Sunday night. Got the trailer fixed and brought 500 gls home. Don't have much snow left packed arounf the tanks
I boiled down 170 gal yesterday. It was only 1.5% sugar and made very dark syrup. All lines are out of tanks til Sunday now , Ill wash them out and start clean for next run . Evaporator cleaning tonight as well

[John-NJ]

What do you use to do that? I always rinse good with clean water, then put some white vinegar in and leave it. Maybe heat it up for a short time and brush good, but it takes a while.

Is there a better alternative? Also, at the end of the season, do you do anything to take the black carbon off the bottom of the pan? does easy-off or anything work on that, or is it just brush/wipe it off as best as possible?

Thanks

[jerzeemaple]

Inside evaporator to get scale off I use HDA 1000 USDA approved phosphoric acid cleaner and brightener from my maple supply guy at Catskill Mountain Maple.diluted per instructions. Toss in some wood into firebox and let it rip to near boil but not boiling walk away and let it sit a day or 2. Scale floats off the pans no scrubbing like magic. Pressure wash flues and bottom of syrup pan. I have also left sap in evaporator to ferment. The bacteria make it acid enough to remove scale, then pressure wash everything. Smells aweful gets jelly like and nasty, but works great. My lines I flush with well water, hooke right to my hose bib spigot.

[John-NJ]

Thanks for the info. With the vacuum, I can easily flush my lines with a very dilute bleach solution just suck it in thru the spiles when I take them out of the trees. All runs downhill thru the releaser and sap tank, so that part is easy!

regards

[sugarwoodacres]

[QUOTE=John-NJ;322789]What do you use to do that? I always rinse good with clean water, then put some white vinegar in and leave it. Maybe heat it up for a short time and brush good, but it takes a while.

Is there a better alternative? Also, at the end of the season, do you do anything to take the black carbon off the bottom of the pan? does easy-off or anything work on that, or is it just brush/wipe it off as best as possible?


I use vinegar then water , I'm hoping to boil more after the next few warm days. I get it boiling and use scotchbrite. 4 gallons vinegar and about 5 gallons water heat up and simmer for about an hour . wash it out good. End of season I power wash under side of pan. Tubing I'm not sure of cause this is first year with long runs.