Bad - or the Worst?

[wildacres]

Here in south central NH - and the same might hold true for the snow
starved parts of Mass and Connecticut - the start of the season has been
an unmitigated disaster. Since Feb 20, we've only had 5 significant frosts,
and there is nothing remotely close for the next ten days. I feel like a
kid who's been forced to go to his room for the entire Christmas Season!
I'm at 2 gallons per tap thus far for the whole season (sap, that is), dating to Feb 20.

I know this business is susceptible to the variations of microclimates, but
I'm wondering what other New England producers are seeing. The
North Country is a whole 'nuther matter, for sure, but in central New England, what are my fellow devotees seeing out there?

Twiddling my thumbs and feeling might sorry for myself in Bedford, NH

[oakstreetsugarhouse]

Yeah, me too. Its only my 3rd year but only 2 runs so far and the 10 day looks so bad. It awful that my first year was 2008, one of the best years on ever from what I hear, so each year after now seems so disappointing. I am doing tubing this year and I keep wondering if I did anything wrong... :o

[Revi]

There are still about three weeks left of the season, so don't lose heart yet.

All that sap has to get to the trees some time.

[JeffH]

I'll second the poor season so far here in Northern CT, I have only had two small runs. This is my 5th hobby season and it is by far the worst. Fortunately I have enough from last season to get me through but nobody will get any as gifts.

[PerryW]

Here in northern NH, march 10 is usually the day I try to have my taps ready for the first run, so I am doing pretty good sitting at 41 gallons or about 30% of a full crop.

We often get a week or more of warm weather and the season still turns out alright. Just be ready just before the next freeze and wash out your equipment, dump any smelly sap and get ready to work on bring the grade back up.

[wildacres]

Perry -

Since the calendar looks as if it'l be at least 13 days between boils
(hoping for sap march 21) - I'm wondering if everything in the evaporator
will spoil, and whether I ought to consider emptying it out, tryng to salvage what's in there now, and start over when and if we get more
sap? Or, would this stuff somehow survive such a lengthy respite
give the consistent 40-50 degree temps?

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Paul

[wildacres]

Thanks guys for letting me vent! You know what they sawy about misery
loving company. I put so much work into preparing for this season, and
was just dying to take advantage f all the little efficiency improvments
I made...

Illigitimi no carbondum - I had a prof in grad school who had that on
his coffee cup. Good motto! Chin up, wildacres... :cool:

Paul

[Dill]

I have to say its the worst of my 4 years so far.
I like having a "day off" from boiling once or twice during the season but not 3 or 4 in a row.

[PerryW]

Paul,

Not sure about what's currently in your pan. I have left partially concentrated sap for two weeks in my pans and still made tasty syrup, but if there is no good weather in sight, and it is feasible...

you might want to try to salvage what's in the pans.

[wildacres]

partially concentrated would describe my pan - it's a 2 x 6, so the usual
densities are probably in there. I think I'll pull it out and see what I
can salvage.

Dill - and you with the new sugarhouse! I feel your pain....

Cheers all -

Paul

[trackerguy]

If it's in the 40's or 50's fire up every couple of days just enough to get everything up to 160 degree and it won't darken or go bad. If you dump in any raw sap in you'll want to raise the temp up also.

[Amber Gold]

I'm about 6-7 gpt, but I'm on vacuum so the warm weather doesn't effect me as much. I still get a little sap even when the weather doesn't get cold. Season's better so far because the sugar is staying higher than last, but I'm not to confident the season will last much longer. I've collected about 1/2 the sap I did all of last year. We'll see how it pans out. Hopefully the trees take their time turning.

[Russell Lampron]

Wildacres did you get a frost last night? It was 18 at my house in Loudon this morning. It should be a good sap day at my place today. I hope that it is running at your place too.

If I was relying on buckets and gravity tubing I would be screwed this year. I have collected 5150 gallons of sap so far and only 250 was from my buckets. I didn't tap the buckets until 2/28, a week later than the tubing that is on vacuum but don't feel that I would have gotten much more sap if I had tapped them at the same time as the tubing.

[Clan Delaney]

I tapped on Feb. 20th for the most part, but have been adding taps since, including 14 more just yesterday.

I've only had 7-8 "good" runs since I started, defined as at least a 1/3 gal per tap day. These last 3 days have been good, .4-.5 gpt per day, but that's all about to end judging by the 7 day forecast. For the season so far: 4.96 gal. per tap total, and .28 gal. per tap per day.

[red maples]

I have to say I didn't really know what to expect. this year is my learning curve. Sap is running great today.

but my sugar is low and also found the culprit of my cloudy sap!!! a few little spots of bactieria build up on tank my releaser is dumpimg into. anyway can't do much about it now!!! just boil it as soon as it comes I guess the warm night spell coming up will be a blessing for me so I can get everything cleaned again...tanks, head tank what ever. just as long as the buds on trees don't break and hope for somemore cold nights.

I have collected 2400 gallons sap this year and have about 33-34 gallons syrup all medium and dark...I am very thankful I scrambled and spent the extra money on the little vacuum. because without it I would not even be as close to where I am so far. I haven't had as much sap on the bucket or gravity tubing!!! I was hoping for a nit more syrup by now but I'll take what ever!!!

[sapman]

Today,(yesterday now, the 11th) I finally got a gallon per tap on the vacuum. I had visions of collecting twice a day with the added taps, but sure hasn't happened yet! I'm trying to be optimistic, and hoping we get through this spell to colder weather.

Tim

[Bucket Head]

I'd classify this season, so far, as a disaster. I'm hoping it gets better, and soon! Its been very disappointing.

I'm sure it will get cold again, but every day that theres little or no sap, is a day lost that you don't get back. The window of opportunity for maple is small enough. This year its smaller yet.

Steve

[wildacres]

What a difference a few hundred feet of elevation makes! This link
http://www.weather.com/weather/monthly/03110 shows that we've had only 3 lows below 30 all month - while 15 miles up the road, and 300 feet or so higher, my friend in Bow has had 15.

Hopes high for a final run or two this weekend - providing the sap hasn't already turned buddy!

Paul L.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Yea 6500 ft and its still snowing in Parker Colo. about a foot by morning YIPPY SKIPPY

[PerryW]

Just woke up to an inch of snow on the ground here in northern NH. Seems like the first snow in months. Now we just need some hard freezes.

[Hop Kiln Road]

Wildacres - 15 is about right for March. Usually drink 1/2 a bottle a night, more if M doesn't drink the other half but that is rare. What a minute!!! How did you get this info? You got the Waste Mgt guys counting my recycles or what?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Haynes,

Did you skip syrup season this year or just haven't started yet????????? Just wondering when you were making the trip to Wiconsin??

[Haynes Forest Products]

WVM Had to skip it this year due to work and the fact that the season started early. Turns out it was a good year not to go. I lent out some of my equipment and will hit it hard next year.

[mapleman3]

I wish I would have skipped this year... I almost did with all the stuff I had going on. For me in my 11 year maple career it was by far my worst. Had I had Vacuum I may have made some more. but still the weather pretty much blew it for us here in Ma.

But hey... I do have a ton of wood ready for next year!

[sapmaple]

Hey Guys lamenting the bad year, I feel for you been there done that :cry:
But ever since I put in a vacuum system I've taken what would be a bad year and its been a good year good years have be come great years In a 1000 tap or bigger operation you can pay for it in one year or less, for me looking back now, its a no brainer
so if your hurting my advice would be put in vacuum you will love it:)
Kevin

[twobears1224]

MAPLEMAN:could you bring that wood up here?? it just keeps running up here and we,re running out of wood..on 1400 taps we have just short of 400 gallons and counting.our best run gallons of sap wise was yesterday..but it was only 1.6%.

delbert

[michiganfarmer]

IM just 10 gallons short of last year.

[maple flats]

My worst in 8 years of making syrup. I haven't finished yet but it looks like I'll end up with about 27 gal on 575 taps, all sugars. I made more (31 gal) when I had just 129 taps and about 25 were on reds that were pulled early because of buds. This is terrible. I had my best day all seaqson yesterday, 253 gal sap, but it made B. I still have a little from 09, but only what I hid to save a real bad season, this looks like it. Got nothing today and nothing in sight. Soon it will be too late.

[PerryW]

I made another 7 gallons today for a total of 106, which is 90% of a full crop. The Grade rise from B to Dark Amber but a slight metabolic taste will keep the grade at B. Should pick up another 100+ gallons of sap tomorrow and then pull taps later in the week.

[maple sapper]

I feel your pain Maple Flats. I have expended my tap count two years in a row. I have also had a decrease in finished product two years in a row. :mad: Not next year. This last weekend I installed a vac pump to satisfy my ambitions and have gotten more sap in any one single day yesterday, then any other day this year. So thats my cure.