Jones Rule

[spud]

The old Jones Rule says 86 but others are saying it’s 87.1. Looking at the Cornell sap chart and it says that 73.9 gallons of 1.2% sap makes a gallon of syrup. Something is not adding up with these numbers. If you use Jones then 1.2 sap would figure to 71.66 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup. If you use new Jones 87.1 then 72.5 gallons of 1.2% sap to make a gallon of syrup. What is the real ratio if producing syrup in Vermont? Thanks

Spud

[DrTimPerkins]

https://mapleresearch.org/pub/m1013jonesruleof86/

[spud]

Thanks for the info Dr. Tim. So in Vermont is legal syrup 66.0 or 66.9 brix?

Spud

[DrTimPerkins]

In Vermont, the minimum is 66.9 Brix. Maximum is 68.9 Brix. In reality though, most people shoot for 66.9 Brix and typically there is a +/- 0.5 Brix allowed due to readability of hydrometers.

https://agriculture.vermont.gov/sites/agriculture/files/documents/CP/Maple%20Products%20Regulations.pdf

USDA is minimum is 66 Brix, maximum of 68.9 Brix.

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/MapleSyrupStandards.pdf

[WestfordSugarworks]

Spud, I know you sell sap and we also do from one of our properties. Curious how you are paid. not percentage of bulk rate, but rather how does your buyer calculate how much syrup they made from your sap. I know that some of the largest buyers in Franklin County use the Jones Rule. I also believe that often people are not temperature-compensating when reading density of sap and thus sap producers get underpaid. At the end of season especially, sap is above 46 degrees F and thus if sap buyers don't compensate for temp then we get short changed as sellers.

[spud]

Spud, I know you sell sap and we also do from one of our properties. Curious how you are paid. not percentage of bulk rate, but rather how does your buyer calculate how much syrup they made from your sap. I know that some of the largest buyers in Franklin County use the Jones Rule. I also believe that often people are not temperature-compensating when reading density of sap and thus sap producers get underpaid. At the end of season especially, sap is above 46 degrees F and thus if sap buyers don't compensate for temp then we get short changed as sellers.


Hey Westford, We will be using the Jones Rule of 88.2 this season. This year I am selling my sap to a different person. My previous buyer was caught using a sap tester that was reading .4 off. I was shipping 2% sap and he was giving me 1.6%. I brought my tester to his sugar house and confronted him. We put both our testers in the same sap and sure enough his was off .4 like i told him. We calibrated my tester in cold water and it read 0. We were going to calibrate his tester but he broke it in front of me. I lost $5000 last year as he still denies any wrong doing. He was concerned that if others found out then he would have to pay $75,000 to his other sellers. Several others lost more money then me from the same buyer but they don't even know it. This year I test all my sap at my sugar house. I will be chilling late season sap for an accurate reading. I have found in the past that late season (warmer sap) can test .02 less. That is 4 cents a gallon loss for the seller. There has to be 100% honesty between both buyer and seller for this to work. We all work hard at what we do. It's only right to be paid fair.

Spud

[WestfordSugarworks]

Spud, sorry to hear of what happened last year and glad you have moved on. I agree 100% with you. .4 is a pretty extreme discrepancy. Best of luck with the new buyer. Do you know if this buyer uses the rule of 88.2 with other sap sellers?

[spud]

I do not know for sure but I assume he would. I will try to find out for you. How are you being paid? Who test your sap?

Spud

[WestfordSugarworks]

I think we are paid on rule of 86 and they test with a refractometer

[hogisland42]

Wow, that is Crazy spud. I would be p*ssed if that happened to me. I would make sure I let everyone know who it was, so it didn't happen to anyone else. Hope things go better for you this year!