How much sap to sugar the pans?

[backyardsugarer]

Just curious how many gallons of sap that most of you have to boil down before you draw off on a 2 X 6? This is my second year pn this rig and I can't remember from last year. I have boiled about 150 gallons and we are only 5 degrees over boiling in the syrup pan.

Chris

[mapleman3]

thats about right.. I think my first boil was 200 gallons with a small drawoff on my 2x6

[sweetwoodmaple]

Just boiled 200 gallons last night, and was at about 5-6 degrees before shutting down. Very typical in the 3 years I've been using my D&G.

My sap sugar content was 2%.

Always a little frustrating to wait, I know. But, on the bright side, with both pans full of low density sugar, the boiling rate is a little better.

Brian

[mapleman3]

also at days end, try not to flood the front pan with sap, the quicker you can cool down the evap...no wood, doors open, stir ashes etc. that way the pan is mostly all sugar and the next boil will go quick, if you let too much sap in worrying about the pan scorching, that is that much more sap you have to boil to get a drawoff. You still need to be carefull not to let the pan evaporate and burn.... if you have 2 pans close the valves in between them when you know it's not going to evaporate much more.

Good Luck :wink:

[Maple Flats]

I just finished boiling 160 gal sap that tested 2.5% sugar today, didn't test yesterdays. I drew off about gal that showed +7 degrees. I will finish it in the canner when I have about 15 gal of this concentration. Last year my sap ran 2.8% avg for the year with testing every 2-3 days. This year only tested once so far as I have only run 2 days. My season just started and I do not test day one because I rinse the pipeline the day before tapping and feel there may be a slight amt of water in the tubing to throw the sugar % off.