Last boil procedure

[DaveB]

Hello,

I think this weekend is going to be it for me and so I'm wondering what you guys do when that fateful moment arrives and *gasp* there is no more sap for the season. I've always batched boiled on a open air cement block arch and this is my first season using a continuous flow evaporator. When the sap runs out, can I 'chase' the sap through the pan with plain water? Or, do I need to stop and drain everything for that last little bit? Is it worth it? How much syrup could I get out of a 2x6 after the last draw off and I won't have enough sap till the next draw off?

Thanks of the input....

Dave

[Sugarmaker]

Dave B,
I chase it with water. It uses a little more wood but you can get almost all the syrup made and then be ready to allow the evaporator to cool down and prepare to clean the evaporator. The last syrup may not taset great as it may have been diluted with water a lot. I flood the pans after the last draw and on a 2x 66 dump in several gallons of white vinegar and let set for several days to loosen the scale.
P.M. me if you have questions.
Regards,
Chris

[michiganfarmer]

Hello,

I think this weekend is going to be it for me and so I'm wondering what you guys do when that fateful moment arrives and *gasp* there is no more sap for the season.

depends on how tired I am. Right now, my plan is to dump what is in the evaporator, clean up, and get some sleep

[mapleack]

I also chase through with water. We actually did last night. In our 3x10 it takes between 250 and 300 gallons of water until you're not going to get any more syrup out, up to 2 gal or so more that would've been wasted.

[PerryW]

By the time I'm ready to quit, there is usually some low-quality sap that I pick up from the tanks, and I use that to push the last syrup out.

Sometimes after it cools down, I will drain the front pan and finish the last 2-3 gallons on the kitchen stove and make some Commercial.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I chased mine out this year with condensate off of the hood and preheater that I save from the prior day's boil so I didn't have to worry about any off flavors from the well water.