2021 Can I improve?

[TheNamelessPoet]

http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?35121-2020-Looking-forward-to-looking-back
So that was last year. I am going to see if I can avoid the same mistakes I made last year.

I put in some taps 2/15 (8) and then 5 more 2/16. I have I think 5 more taps I can put in. I have one tree I didn't tap last year, 2 young ones that I haven't tapped yet, and 1 more red maple that I can get 2 taps into pretty easily. This year I made sure I was tapping deep enough (2-2.25") and also I didn't mash the tap in as deep as it could go. I also (and you will probably have a stroke with you see them) have 2 taps each in 3 trees that are about 4" in diameter! I have to cut them down this year anyway, which I should have done last year, as they have no room to grow and they are bent over at a 45 degree angle trying to get sun, so they will never get a crown. Not to mention, they are in the way on the edge of the yard.

Ok anyway back to the trees.

I am going to talk to my neighbor and see if I can tap the 2-3 maple trees in his yard also. I might be able to get up to over 20 taps this year!

I am going to have to boil in a different spot this year though, probably down by the driveway because of the snow. I had hoped to get an actual boiling pan this year for the grill I bought, but with funds being a bit tight, there will probably be no additions this year, aside from hopefully a few new taps! Looking forward to hopefully this weekend or early next week to get some fresh goodness!

[Sugarmaker]

Your doing good! Keep boiling!
Regards,
Chris

[wmick]

We'll never run out of opportunity for improvement and things to try... Part of the addiction I think :) Good luck this year.

[Sugarmaker]

All my trees are rented from neighbors. It can be done. Just have to work at it. Keep your systems balanced as you grow.
Regards,
Chris

[TheNamelessPoet]

I got the OK from my neighbor to tap his 2 large maple trees! They are DEF big enough to put 2 taps in. I promised him some syrup. I am going to have him and his family (wife and 2 year old daughter) over while I am doing it too if he wants. Let him see it from his bucket to his table :-)

[TheNamelessPoet]

22053
YEA!!! Its almost time for my 1st boil! Only have about 9 gallons but I am hoping with calm winds today, and 45+ Temps to get another 3-5 gallons of sap today. As of right now my % is about 1-1.25%.

Last year I just kept boiling the fresh with the what I had but THIS year... I am going to keep the concentrate in the fridge, or if I can find a container that I can freeze that is wider at the top then the bottom, I will put it in my chest freezer. I am then going to boil through out the week and next weekend and keep adding to it. I am hopeful to get it down to about 10% before I stop, and then add in about the same concentrate next weekend. I know the concentrate means more bacteria, faster spoil time, but if I can get it into the freezer I am hoping it will be fine.

I don't sell it, it is just for me and maybe a little for my neighbor since he let me tap 2 of his trees ;)

My Grandfather is going to stop by today while I am boiling also, which is awesome! We were talking about it a couple nights ago. I was about 4-5 when we did it the 1st time (which is the age of my daughter now. She does a GREAT job helping me collect it... and she did a good job starting a couple tap's in their holes.

I started at 11:30 today.

[maple flats]

All sounds good, except 2 taps in a 4" tree that is being cut down this year. If you want, I guess 1 tap would be OK, but you really are fooling yourself. At 4" the crown willo be so small, that tree won't make much sugar, putting 2 taps in may give you slightly more sap than one, but being very low in sugar you are just extending the time you need to boil with no real gain.

[TheNamelessPoet]

All sounds good, except 2 taps in a 4" tree that is being cut down this year. If you want, I guess 1 tap would be OK, but you really are fooling yourself. At 4" the crown will be so small, that tree won't make much sugar, putting 2 taps in may give you slightly more sap than one, but being very low in sugar you are just extending the time you need to boil with no real gain.

EXCELENT point! I tested it and it is between .75 and .9ish. my overall sap content is between 1-1.25 so I am not too concerned but that is a very good point that I had not considered. I have all silver and red maples.

The good news, in about 5 hours, I boiled down the 10 gallons I had into 1 gallon (12%). I put it in the fridge for now. I was thinking about trying to freeze it in an ice tray just to see if it would freeze in my chest freezer, I may try that today just for fun. I am hoping with the weather this week, to get another 10 or so gallons boil that down and fill the other 1 gallon glass jar I have and if I am lucky by next weekend be able to do it a 3rd time. Then ill combine all 3 and boil it down to syrup. It for sure is not going to be the lightest syrup but I don't care :p

[TheNamelessPoet]

22068
Has served my quite well so far :-)

[TheNamelessPoet]

2216022161

yea! 1st bottling of the season. IN retrospect... we already have about eh same as last year, and this was a rough year in terms of how much sap has run so I would say... I am doing better this year thank last year :)

[TheNamelessPoet]

All my trees are rented from neighbors. It can be done. Just have to work at it. Keep your systems balanced as you grow.
Regards,
Chris

I was thinking about this a lot this week Chris. I think that is the only way to not get yourself in a bind.

I was talking to a guy at work about it, and he does it himself on a small scale, just a few trees and he just stops when it tastes about right him so it may not even be true syrup but he has fun doing it with his gf kids, and in reality that's what matters right?
Back to my point. He has about 7 acres and he buys up to town land that is over 100 acres that he knows (his and the town's lot) has lots of SUGAR maples. He said as long as I come get it, I can tap there next year if I want. I may take him up on it and getting too big too fast was my concern. But if you keep it balanced as you go, you should be safe. So I am thinking of maybe 2 times the trees next year, and get an RO and I can still keep my current setup. Then the next year get a "Real" pan and then I can add more trees. I don't want to go from 20 "OK" taps to 100+ really good taps and drown in sap lol.

[TheNamelessPoet]

Well, I have been slacking on the record's side of things, ESPECIALLY for my own records daily and I am sure next year I am going to be mad at myself but...

As slow as it was in February, is how fast it is now all of a sudden. We got that perfect 25-30 at night with 45-50 (60 a couple days :/ ) during the day and all of a sudden I can't keep up! My wife is loving it, but starting to get a little irritated with that being ALL I did this past weekend and a few other nights. Might be the nudge I needed to get that RO I dropped a hint about last year. My trees are a consistent 1-1.25% sugar (mostly Silver and Reds) so when a new buddy if mine said he was doing it with his daughter and he had extra trees I perked up. He gave me a couple buckets of some nice 2%+ and now I am going to grab whatever I can tonight and maybe tomorrow since he is done.

Anyway, I have about 80-90 OZ so far I think. I still have to bottle most of it, atm it is in a 1 gallon glass Jar. I got some cheep crappy filters last year, I should have a new better one by the end of the week.

[TheNamelessPoet]

ICRS Post. I'm starting at 10am ish today. I've got 20 gallons plus. let's see how far I can get today just boiling straight through.