.5% sugar. Why?

[michiganfarmer2]

I have 1200 check valve taps on vacuum. In 2016 my sugar never got above 1.5. THis week, my sugar was .5. I ran the vacuum all week. WTF?

[themidnightsapper]

No answer, but a similar problem. We have about 45 taps on vacuum pump and about 125 on natural vacuum 3/16" lines (total of 7 lines). Sugar has been low all season. At the beginning of the last run the sugar ranged from a low of 0.6 to a high of 1.2 depending on which line we checked. By the end stage of the run, several of the lines were down to 0.4. Note we have 90%+ reds with only a few sugars.

[psparr]

Sap may run without a freeze on vacuum. It takes the freeze thaw cycle to recharge the sugar in the sap.

[Ivyacres]

Several of us were talking about the differences between our bush sugar content and one thing we found to be consistent in low sugar content for us was the soil our trees were in. It seemed those that were in sand had the lowest sugar content. 1.4-1.8 never over 2.0 and those in heavy soil, mostly clay had 2.3 and higher. Just our anecdotal evidence.

[michiganfarmer2]

I have a full time day job. I had to let the sap sit in the tanks for 5 days. Could bacteria have eaten the sugar? I have consistantly had 2% for the last 10 years from this woods.

[Atgreene]

Early sap typically runs low sugar, if its an early year for you it may be running lean yet. It's been 50+ all week here, and we've held off tapping until more seasonally temps come back. We seldom run below 3%, but being 2-3 weeks early I'm certain we'd run low if we tapped right now.

[maple flats]

My sap usually runs 2.2-2.5 in the early season and then falls as the season gets late to about 1.7 or 1.6. This year my best has been 1.7 and so far my low has been 1.5. It is just a low sugar year from where I sit.

[John c]

Same here. I boiled down darn near 100 gallons of sap and only got 1 gallon of syrup back. I blame myself for not using my refractometor prior to boiling. In years past this bush is usually right around 3%, so I didn't bother to check it first. Now I wish I had.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Early sap typically runs low sugar, if its an early year for you it may be running lean yet. It's been 50+ all week here, and we've held off tapping until more seasonally temps come back. We seldom run below 3%, but being 2-3 weeks early I'm certain we'd run low if we tapped right now.

We did the same, going to tap next weekend and we'll find out at the end of the season if it was a good idea to wait or not. Trees were running this week.

[Michael Greer]

Maybe your vacuum has turned the trees into a soda straw, and you're just sucking groundwater. My bucket bush reads 3.5

[Sunday Rock Maple]

I have a full time day job. I had to let the sap sit in the tanks for 5 days. Could bacteria have eaten the sugar? I have consistantly had 2% for the last 10 years from this woods.

Yes, especially with high temperature. At a Leader RO seminar two years ago they said that raw sap can spoil in 48 hours and concentrate in 6 hours. That being said you should also verify your hydrometer.

[michiganfarmer2]

I apppreciate the replies. THank you everyone

[Clinkis]

Although, Yes micro organism consuming sugar and degrade sap quality, the sap will have spoiled by the time there would be a significant drop in sugar content. If the sap is still good enough to boil then the loss to micro organisms would be fairly small. That said, all experts agree the sooner you boil your sap the better.

[Daveg]

Thankfully someone discovered RO for removing water. My trees are second growth with narrow crowns, few lower branches and other competing hardwoods. Poor sugar producers. RO,RO,RO.

[maple flats]

I think in my case this year's low sugar is directly related to the lack of freeze thaw cycles. While I've had as many or more days of sap flow compared to many years, this year the thaws last a few days and then the freezes last a few, rather than most night freeze and then followed by a warm day. Since mid Jan, when my first woods was tapped I have not had even a single freeze thaw day, they have all been long stretches. I believe the sugar would come up some if I had a few days with a daily freeze thaw in a row.
Have the rest with low sugar had the same patterns?

[berkshires]

Have the rest with low sugar had the same patterns?

Yes, I've been collecting a lot of low-sugar sap for exactly the same reason. This season I've been dumping as much ice as I could, and I'm still only averaging 1.7% for the season so far.