when do you drain your evaporator?

[cjf12]

Curious when you know when not to add new sap that could be be bad such as buddy? Our season has been pathetic and I want to boil as much as possible but don't want to ruin the sweet in the pans. I dont care if I waste a little time in boiling a little sap thats bad. I just dont want to ruin the little bit I got in my pans.
As soon as buds start to swell? Or once opened all the way? Does sap tell you its buddy before you boil.?
Thanks guys. All your collective input is invaulable.

Side note. All years prior we sold our sap and got 1/2. Anywhere from 40 to 50 gallons of syrup we got. Total sap to equal 8p to 100 gal. This year we have barely boiled 30 gallons total. Not over yet. But I tapped the end of Jan and im little nervous we will be done soon.

[motowbrowne]

Curious when you know when not to add new sap that could be be bad such as buddy? Our season has been pathetic and I want to boil as much as possible but don't want to ruin the sweet in the pans. I dont care if I waste a little time in boiling a little sap thats bad. I just dont want to ruin the little bit I got in my pans.
As soon as buds start to swell? Or once opened all the way? Does sap tell you its buddy before you boil.?
Thanks guys. All your collective input is invaulable.

Side note. All years prior we sold our sap and got 1/2. Anywhere from 40 to 50 gallons of syrup we got. Total sap to equal 8p to 100 gal. This year we have barely boiled 30 gallons total. Not over yet. But I tapped the end of Jan and im little nervous we will be done soon.

If you're concerned about buddy or off sap put a couple of cups of the sap on question in a pan on your kitchen stove. Reduce it by half or 3/4 and sample it. You'll know if it's good or bad.

[ennismaple]

When the sap starts to look like 2% milk, is impossible to filter coming in to the tank and the RO machine can't stay on due to low supply pressure it might be close to time to shut down. When you boil buddy sap you know it because the whole sugar camp stinks!

[cjf12]

Thats what i want to avoid. Ruining along with it what sweet i have.

[slammer3364]

sounds like i am in your are (elk county) that is all i have boiled thus far also. I got tired of running a heat lamp on my pan so I drained it and finished it off. Looks like no runs until late next week maybe,then I will dump sap in and start over,by the looks of extended forecast it looks like good run weather til mid April. But it is what it is. Good Luck

[maple flats]

The sap goes buddy when you can see green emerging from the buds. In the spring, the reds and silvers will be first, it's not an issue when the flowers open, but as soon as any green shows it turns buddy. With sugar maples, the pointed tips will open and green will start to show, but that happens a few days , up to sometimes 3 weeks or more after the reds and silvers are done, It all depends on what the weather does.
To test, take 2-3 qts of sap and boil it on the stove or better on an outdoor burner of some type. It will smell like you are boiling week old dirty socks if it is buddy. If you get it down to 1/4 what you started with and it smells ok, you are good to add it to the evaporator and boil.