Whats your grade been?

[mapleman3]

Just curious, hows your grade been? I seem to be mostly medium to dark this season! it could be me getting used to the evap? running too deep? but I didn't get much light at all last year either and I'm boiling it the same day, sap looks good, sugar content 2.5% + ok what gives.. gimme some tips for this guy back on wood with a bigger evap!

[ejmaple]

iam experincing the same thing. med - dark amber, 2.3-2.5 % sap.

[Jim Brown]

mapleman3; We made 10 gallons of med amber and all the rest has been dark amber and 'B'. The 'B' sap was testing 2.2 % but was cloudy.Got a good freeze last night(21') and supposed tonight(18') hope it will re-set the trees.

Jim

[Whitcombs Sugar House]

sugar content 1.9 boiled first time last night made 3.5 gallons fancy

[partsrus1974]

I've made 10.5 gal of medium so far..Sugar content has been 2%-2.75%

[softmaple]

the first 2 weeks i got 8 gallons of light amber and this past weekend i got 11 gallons of medium amber

[timbers]

We are seeing the same thing here, about 20 gallons made to date, all syrup has been medium. The sap we have collected has been very clear so whats up? Ian

[SV Sugarer]

Same here. 10 gallons to date and all medium. Sap has been right around 2.5% and clear.

[mapleman3]

it makes you wonder if those big warm ups early in Feb makes a difference? I may have made light at the first few boils if I didn't "overcook" the first few drawoffs. I'm thinking since I don't boil on friday nights-holding for sat morning boils, that I will scrub the pan. I'm sure the scorch marks are not helping.

but would have been nice to get light for better candy.I have to make that tomorrow night as well.... late night either way.. boil or make candy ;)

[Father & Son]

Jim,
Last year out of 56 gallons made 50 gallons was light amber. This year with the sugar content running 2.4 to 2.8 all I have made is medium. Yesterday's sap was slightly cloudy. Back in the 20's last night and today. We'll see what the next run does.

Jim

[gleasondaddy]

I've been wondering, are the higher grade syrups less thick and more watery then the darker longer evaporated grades. I keep getting dark to light amber when i finish my syrup but when its lighter in color its to watery for my taste. How do you tell when its syrup ive been going by temp.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

The best way to tell when it is syrup is with a hydrometer as it tests density and is correct every time. A thermometer is too fickle as boiling point of water changes consistenly.

As far as grade, it varies every year. It may be a year of the dark syrup and there isn't very little you can do with it. My average crop is 90+ gallons and it don't appear we are going to make it there this year but the first 69.5 gallons have all been light syrup which is all I have canned and I run the evaporator about 2 inches deep which according to the experts wouldn't make light syrup. I normally come nowhere close to making that much light syrup, but usually some light and a lot of Medium and Dark. It is just one of those years. I have only boiled 6 times on 3620 gallon of sap and at least a couple of times some of the sap was close to a week old.

[Fred Henderson]

I just finished making 9 gals of Med from 3%. I just don't seem to be able to make light syrup. I run my evap at 1 1/2" and I can not get it to come out light.

[casecrete]

we have made 18 gallons of syrup about 8gals of dak and 10 gal of med amber so i,d say we are in the same boat.

[wdchuck]

RO'd 2000 gals last night and boiled it today after we got the sugarhouse assembled. Sweetened up the pans and got 16 gals into a drum. Close to fancy.........Go figure...............

[ennismaple]

The syrup we made yesterday was close to extra light (Vt Fancy). It made great candy!

[mapleman3]

Well I took advantage of a no sap day to clean tanks and front pan, and filtered the near syrup in the pan... we'll see if I can go up a grade.

[Sugar Sue]

We have made about 12 gallons and most have been dark. When we got the hang of running the evaporator and was comfortable running it deeper it seemed to lighten up a little. Made about 2 gals of medium. I thought it was the old pans and we didn't know what we were doing. I am glad to here that a few of you are running the same as we are. We are expecting some lower temps again. Right now actually! Hoping to get to boil again next week.
Susan

[tapper]

The 1st 10 gallons made this season was dark a then went to medium for 10 gallons and the 28 gallons I took off the last 2 days was dark a. The sap averages 2%.

All my tubing was new this season and buckets were freshly washed to start with. The evaporater and tanks have been cleaned twice this season with minimal warm weather.

I have had seasons where I made light syrup for most of the season and reading reports of dark syrup for this season it must be due to mother nature.

[mapleman3]

well it looks like it's that way across the board... those who have light will be in demand this season.

I'll make candy with the medium I have, they will just be a bit darker in color, people don't seem to mind especially when they taste it!!

[Tweegs]

Working with 100 taps. The first 160 gal sweetened the pan, ran 100 gal yesterday and drew off 3 gallons of this:

604

[gator330]

All med. dark or dark grade. The last two gallons Finished today was awsome dark color, rich maple taste, cristal clear dark amber. Make you run for the ice cream and walnuts!!!!! Sap has been 2 to 2.2 % all season. Slow to no run still, the pan is extra sweet and in need of SAP!!!!

[Amber Gold]

I've been running 1.8% sap and first batch was just a shade darker than medium, second batch was about midway between medium and dark, last nights batch was Grade B becuase of problems with my evaporator.

[backyardsugarer]

Started medium and made about 180 gallons of that. No freezing nights, the sap got cloudy and they syrup got real dark. I don't see us making any light this year. 250 gallons total so far.

Chris

[Sugarmaker]

All grades made so far this year. But cant find the quart of light we made:) Most has been medium, dark and good B grade. All good tasteing stuff. Doubt if we will get above medium this year.

Chris

[Turtlecreek]

I have only made 3 gallons so far in the backyard rig. All have been medium to dark. Now I use a flat pan not a continuious flow so you woulod think that all i would make was medium, but last year I made 3 gallons on light (or Vt fancy for all of you Vermonters).

[Toblerone]

All dark amber so far for us. I'll probably bottle the rest tomorrow and it will probably be grade B. Sap has been around 2.5% sugar this year. I've been getting used to our continuous flow 2x6 flat pan evaporator so I probably over-cooked most of it with all the uneven firing.

We probably need a new grading kit too... we have a three year old temporary kit. How long do those last? Do they get darker or lighter with age?

[michelle32]

6 gallons of medium so far. Cleaned tanks and buckets today hoping to keep it at least a medium.

[tyrod2]

Most of my syrup is medium .At the last it was really dark but it tasted good. 2615 gal. sap= 45 gal. syrup.58 gal. sap for 1 gal. syrup.Last year I got 2200 gal. sap= 50 gal. syrup .44gal. sap to 1 gal syrup. A lot moor cooking this year for less syrup then last year.

[maple flats]

I've made 32 gal so far, 10 med and 22 dark. The dark came when the runs were smaller and i had short boils, today I got my first medium.

[Dan W]

I have made 15 gallons and it has all been grade A dark or B. I just did the calculations and I averaged 60 gallons of sap to a gallon of syrup. I am boiling on a Half Pint so it is more like batching than drawing off.

[tapper]

Took off 5 gal dark a and 10 gal medium yesterday and 20 gal medium today

[VA maple guy]

I made two gallons of medium about five gallons of dark and the rest B.
My sap ran sweeter this year but i never got any big runs, only medium
and a few small ones.
Gerry

[mapleman3]

I just kegged up a 15gal keg of medium, up from the dark I have been making. My sap has been 2% from the woods and maybe a bit more from the roadsides.

[3rdgen.maple]

Took off 36 quarts of all grade a light today. I'll take it when I can get it.

[partsrus1974]

30 gallons made so far all grade A medium

[dano2840]

once i got my pans nice and level it went from D.A to M.A to fancey and back to M.A. in one night and YES I WAS FIRING CONSISTENTLY AND EVENLY. but last night i made MA then it was a darker fancey and it kept getting lighter and lighter and was still making real light fancey when i shut down, i left 400 in the tank the 3rd 12:30 night in a row, with what looks like atleast 3 more to come

[PFHII]

we have made around 60 gallons of Fancy so far .. last year we ended up 90% Fancy we were hoping for some dark stuff we will keep holding on

[tuckermtn]

we have been all medium so far...last year we were 75% light...none so far this year...

[drake1271]

made 70 gallons .40 light. now on med

[johnallin]

Dan O'Shaughnessy......
With a name like that, what'er ya doin' hangin' round the sugar house on Patty's Day boy?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Made 69.5 gallons of light which is about 75% of normal crop and about 15 to 16 gallon or Dark or B as I haven't finished it and canned yet. Hope to make a few more gallon of dark or b this weekend and Monday before it ends.

[DS Maple]

to date we've made 10 gallons of medium, 10 of B and 80 of dark. Would like to see some more lighter stuff, but at 55:1 with the sugar so far, I don't see it happening.

[PerryW]

30 gallons total so far (about 30% full crop).

5 gallons Grade A dark, 10 Gal. Medium and 15 Gal Fancy.

[MapLewis]

30 gallons total:

15 Fancy
15 A med.

Hoping for some dark soon before it ends.

[sapman]

Most of my 150 gal. so far has been hi medium, to borderline light. Usually I get lots of light already, but looks like maybe none this year. Sugar has been 2.8-3 on roadsides, and the vacuum bush 1.6-2. That low sugar kills me after being used to almost all roadsides for 18 years!

Tim

[halladaymaple]

Hi all:

I have a 450 tap operation in ontario just over the US border and have made about 30 gallons of nothing but light (fancy) syrup. The weather conditions have been ideal for production and I see no change inthe near future. I'm beat as the sap slows are heavy.

Darrell

[michiganfarmer]

almost 40 gallons so far. Its all dark amber

[Smith's Maple]

.We made 20 gals of dark, 40 gals of light, and we have been making medium ever since 160 gals so far.

[ennismaple]

Nothing but light for us so far. First day's run could have been labelled extra-light.

[RUSTYBUCKET]

WIth 15 gallons bottled up; 4 gallons light, 3 medium and 8 dark.

[3rdgen.maple]

Well maplegents I went from light to medium. Last night to dark.. Isn't that how it is suppose to be? Well the dark was expected sap sat in storage for a few days pans needed cleaning. Sap got all boiled down last night and dad did a cleanup today so expect to get back atleast to medium which is what everybody here seems to want.

[KenWP]

Made my first gallon of syrup. Its a pretty nice looking semi dark sweet tasteing stuff. I am pretty proud of my self as this is my first time and everything worked out pretty good. The filtering sucks but what can you do.

[sapman]

I went from a hi-medium prior nights, to lower med. last night. Sap had sat since Tues. afternoon.

Tim

[wally]

medium to dark amber thus far. 2.1 sap.

last year was primarily light amber, maybe 70% of our batch, but the sap started at 2.6, too (which was our highest in 30 years).

[mapleman3]

last 23 gals went back to medium... I'm sure the sap im holding will be dark or b IT'S BEEN WARM

[Jerome]

Could someone post a photo of their test bottles, I really can't afford the $500.00 for a permanent set and a two year set is still $25.00 up here. I only want it see approximately where my syrup is as I am not a commercial producer.

[maple flats]

I made another 15 gal of Medium Amber today. This was after i had to mark and pack 25 gal as Commercial because of a tank problem giving an off taste. That 25 was from previous production that was found to be off flavored today.

[Homestead Maple]

Are these any help?

[PerryW]

Just hit 35 gallons. The last 5 gallons were right on the border of Light & Medium. The 15 gallons before that was light.

[sapman]

My sugar content has fallen from about 1.9 down to 1.4 as of tonight.  That is on the woods trees.  Sure hope it doesn't stay down there!  Roadsides are holding at last check about 2.7.  Tim

[lew]

We've made nothing lighter than a high end dark to B. Hauled a lot of sap, over 35,000 gallons from 2300 holes, 1,400 on vacuum. But the sugar is very low. We started out with 1.7 sap and went down hill from there. I quit looking at the hydrometer because it was too depressing. Made 570 gallons syrup of which 6 barrels are B and the rest are a high end dark to mid-dark. sap was very nasty looking the last couple of days with all the warm weather. Shut down vacuum pump last night at midnight and low and behold the sap that was in the tank (about 300 gallons) was as clear as first run! Got my hopes up that I can make some lighter syrup out of it, but I'm being realistic that it will probably just make a nice dark because that is what our sap has looked like until this last warm spell.

[cncaboose]

We've made 41 gallons so far from 230 taps. The first 2 boils were medium, followed by 2 of light, back to 2 of medium, and now 2 of dark. Sap tests range from 2.6% early on to one day of 4%. Most have been right around 3% from a mix of roadside/ yard trees and woods trees.

[Dill]

I have been running Dark Amber with an occasional batch of medium. Well the last batch just dropped to B, so I'm going to clean the pan today.

In fact talking to local sugarers, most everyone is running at least 1 grade darker than usual. There is only one guy in town who is making mostly light A, but he's always making incredibly light syrup. He's running an old tin 2x6 and has been using the same rig for 25 years. He makes some great syrup and will stop for the season when his grade drops to a dark amber.

[MaplePancakeMan]

i can't make dark or b... i dont clean my pans in between, i don't pay attention to levels and run it 1.5-2" above the flues, i even drained my flue pan into my syrup pan ran fresh sap in the back pan and batched my syrup in the front pan and its still light syrup. Very discouraging because it lacks the maple flavor i so dearly love. what gives?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Boil late enough in the season and you will make some dark. I can't see much difference in syrup color based on how deep you run your evaporator as I run mine about the same depth, closer to 2".

[MaplePancakeMan]

i'm hoping the atrocious sap that i boiled yesterday gives me some dark syrup. if not i have no idea what to do.

[maple sapper]

I wish I had your guyes problems. I cant seem to get any light. I am running at 1". I just sealed my dividers in my syrup pan so hope this helps with gradiant. If anyone wants to trade some gal for gal Im willing. I have an idea for you suffering from lack of b. draw it off just before syrup. take it and put in right back in the flue pan or preheater. It will go through all over again and will be darkened right up. Or boil it up way beyond syrup draw off, then cut it with fresh sap to get it back to syrup. You have to add the sap soon cause it will crystalize if you go to high.

[mapleman3]

I put 15.5 grade B in a keg today, very good tasting B. most of mine has been about half medium A and half dark A

I chased with some water today, to get another draw off... after collecting 275 from the woods, I'll go out tomorrow for buckets. it's only going to be 18 tonight and mid 30s tomorrow.

[maple flats]

I made more dark A today but darker than the rest, almost B. My total now is only 51 gal on 600 taps, last year was 186 on 500 taps. I think I will get at least 2 more good flow days this week. After that might get 5 nights no freeze. That could end it all. Yesterday I pulled my Reds, buds ready to pop.

[danno]

1.25% sugar in the woods and falling fast. Darn sugarmaple next to the sugarshack spiked up to 3.25 yesterday. That one is rising while the woods trees are falling.

Started boiling yesterday by fillling the syrup pan from the flue pan and boiling 450 gallons of sap and pushed through another 50 gallons of water - and did not draw off any syrup. Think it's time to quit?

Not yet - took 5 hours to finally concentrate the syrup pan - that pan will give me syrup before I quit or there will be heck to pay!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

One thing I have noticed on the few reds that I tap is that they don't seem to bud nearly as fast as untapped trees over the years. I guess the sap that is drained from them holds them back some.

[mapleman3]

Sat/Sunday I made 15 gals of B I just tried a sample now that it cooled and slight off flavor. Good for bulk to bascoms

[maple flats]

Today I got dark but towards the end it went to med. Changed drawoff pots when it changed. It had been going darker but the lightened in the course of one draw of about 30 minutes. It was very noticable and I liked what I saw. Thought I was going to make B real soon.