Wayne County, New York

[gator330]

Sap is running at a real good clip here, Not that I know what a good clip is!! Going to have a tank full to start with this weekend. Cool down comeing but this will be a good test for me. Hope to keep ahead of it. My system as far as tubeing go's is working good. I'm going to have a hard time sleeping tonight knowing that I get to fire things up in the morning. Best wishs to all the guys in the area that are getting started this week!!!

[davey]

Put in about 400 or so today, 3 of them even dripped a little sap. Brrrrr it was cold out.

[backyardsugarer]

Good runs Wed. Thur. and Friday. Made about 8o gallons of medium. Last 10 was coming off light. Boiled out of sap. Next weekend looks good again. Good luck Western/Central New Yorkers.

Chris

[gator330]

We collected about 150 or so gallons of 2.2 % sap boiled it up over the last two days. It took a little getting started, first time evaporator user. Really have to push that little evaporator. I was getting about 7-8 gallons an hour evaporation. Going to be some real long days if I get a lot of sap!!! All came real nice Medium. Lots to ponder over next weekend looks good. Realy going to have to think things over!! I think a pre heater and blower are on the to do list ASAP!!!!

[gator330]

Hope your ready! Big plans to start boiling first light. I was ordered in this morning just getting home now. Off for the next two days. When I left the sap hadn't started to run just checked the tank it's 1/3 full and running still. I'll behind from here on out. Get to try out the new vertical wall and blower I put on the evaporator. Hopeing for 10+ gph!!!! Big Operations!!!! Might skip the 2X6 step and go for a 3X8. Happy sappy!!!! Be checking in after the flood leaves Wayne County.

[gator330]

Finished off all the sweet and cleaned every thing today. Waiting on sap, it's starting to run some but not a lot yet. Going out to hang some pals just to up the tap count some. Maybe getting some freash holes in will help some. Just hasn't been great weather for sap here in Wayne county, New York. Six gallons of medium dark syrup so far. A long ways from average!!!!!

[gator330]

Sap is running the best I'v seen yet this year. Was out with the kids and set a few buckets instant sap at every hole. Is it just me or is there something about buckets that makes it more like maple time?? Any way those buckets are running great. I always felt they out did tubbing. Maybe it just seems that way when you have to pick them up rather then swing by the tank with the tractor. The tube is doing OK I guess??? Walked the line some was moving and others were not? Is this normal? I thought It would run better. I'v seen 3 gallon per tap on buckets in a day. I am yet to pick up a gallon per tap in one day yet this year. Allthough today may be that day just at the 50 gallon mark now. Lots of day light to go. Be up early with a tank full and a match ready to fire things up again!!!!!

[3rdgen.maple]

Gator I cannot get a decent run so far. We still have so much snow pack here. Started running late in the day hard but shut down fast. Hoping for a better day tomorrow. If not the week coming up sure looks good. Just does not seem the trees get thawed out soon enough in the day. Kinda missing the old flat pan 2x6 100 gallons of sap kept me boiling now 100 gallons is not worth boiling for 2.5 hours so gotta hold onto it till I get more, discouraging. But better days to come I hope.

[danno]

Took awhile for the sap to start today - but then it ran a bit better than a gallon/tap from mid afternoon until it shut down around 9:30 pm. I'll be boiling tomorrow.

[sapman]

Danno, sounds like your run mirrored mine today. Ran the vacuum from 1:30-10:00. I now need to figure how to add another 3-400 taps to the system, and get more buckets hung in time for this great looking week! Time to take more days off from work, I guess.

Tim

[gator330]

I shure would love a 2X6 right now. We ran almost 2.5 gallons per tap yesterday. Some of the bucket had 3+ in them. Boiled all day and night. Only got ride of about 75 gallons of sap. If the flow today is any thing like yesterday I'll still have 300 gallons of sap. Running around 1.9% sugar,not great but the medium dark is tasting real good. This little evaporator won't be cooled of for a long time!!!!!

[danno]

Got the better of me last night - taking my first day off today from work for sugaring. Shut the evap down at 4:00 am - kinda bushed today. Gonna clean the pans today.

Roadside business really picked up yesterday - had a steady stream of customers. All out of quarts and halfs, should do some bottling today.

[gator330]

4:00 am Thats what time I fired mine back up. Wait it never went out that must be what time I started watching it again???? Went to work just to get some rest. I'll have to wait till morning to see how far I'm behind. Just can't get this little evaporator to move much water. Only make's Syrup when You run it a 3/4 inch. The last few days it's turned into a big batch's. Day and night fill, fire, fill, fire pull of and finsh on a burner. Not going as planed.

[gator330]

Looks like it could be some time before we see a run now. Still not cought up from the last one about 125 gallons of sap to go. Shure has been slow boilling here. All dark now clear but dark lots of flavor in it right about 2% sap all season. Buckets are running 3 plus gallons a day, tubbing not doing a thing??? Hate to think it could be a early end to season but I may welcome it. Lots of other stuff not getting done right now. It Took 3 times the money, three times the wood and three times the time I had thought it would. So far only one third the syrup. Isn't that how every thing happens!!!!!!

[gator330]

Down to 50 gallons of sap getting cloudy will finish that today. Was going to break down clean up but kinda was forced to do that yesterday. Miss judged the last fire and went to bed, Yeah, need not say any more. Lost a good batch over that one. Went below frezing last night, looks good for a few days of sap weather. Hopeing for a good run for Maple weekend. It's been a good season so far, a few ups and downs but learned a lot. Lots to do for next year. Might better start with fewer taps and not get to crazy!!! But isn't that the name of this game.

[gator330]

I Was thinking about skipping a day here and go to a Day brothers for maple weekend. Just to see there big rig boil the amount of sap I have in a half hour. Guess i better go fire my own rig. We got about 60 gallons yesterday and if we warm up today there should be more. Going to empty the buckets get the tank up and go again. Making some real nice dark the last few boils. I cleaned every thing last night but I don't think it will lighten it up any. Have to also head to the woods for a down log or two that I hope is seasoned enough to get good fire. I guess I better get to it.

[gator330]

The past few runs have been cloudy and testing 1.6% sugar. All syrup has been dark. Great flavor yet, Yesterday was the best tasting I'v ever made ever!!! Cristal clear but man was it dark. I'm thinking it's just about done for me not a great year as far as things go but a good one just the same. I think we will be at 15-16 gallons of syrup after todays boil. Time to start thinking about pulling washing and getting ready for next year. Green house need work time to start working on the next season.

[gator330]

Just when I thought I was going to call it a year. Sap is running faster and clearer then it has all season. Just pulled up a tank 75 gallons of 1.8 sence last night a 5:00 pm when we switched the tanks. Have 125 to boil. All Dark still, nice flavor and very nice looking in the bottle. Waiting for labels and grade stickers to come in. One more order of bottles yet to show up. Then we'll be ready to hit the market with our 15 gallons or so of Schleede's Pure Maple syrup.

[danno]

Yea - I noticed my suger level jumped a little. I was down close to 1% and checked it out of the releaser last night before the freeze and it was back to close to 1.5% - which is what I've had most of the season. Not good - but good enough to boil.

I will check it again once it makes it to the head tank - I'm wondering if that's where I'm losing the sugar.

[gator330]

Finishing up in the morning. One more fire and finish and it's all over, well not really over. Lots to clean up more to bottle and then I need to sell it some place? Hole new part of this game to figure out? More to bottle and the lables haven't come in yet. Have to see what happens. Be nice to see some return.

[Fred Henderson]

My sugar is down to 2.5 % and holding. We brought in over 500 gallons yesterday and probably will not see anymore for a week or better.

[gator330]

The tubing has not run in a few days now. I skipped the pals yesterday, went out to pick them up this morning and pull the taps. Every pal was running over!! Go figure, they just want you to leave them one more day. Pulled them any ways! Have to get the energy to walk the line and pull the rest this afternoon. Finshed with canning all but the 50 or so gallons of sap left to boil. Didn't get in that last fire today. I'll start with that in the morning, that way I can work on a big project right next to the sugar house. Rebuilding the Coon hound kennal. Now there is a hobbie that will cost you money!!!!