Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

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Originally Posted by madmapler

I was with another sugarmaker in the area and we were overlooking one of his bushes. I noticed the red halo over all the trees. That, to me, looks like buds swelling and I don't look forward to seeing it in my bushes. I didn't look at one up close(bud) but they were maple trees.

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Sean, you and I have similar weather. Our weekly and monthly averages, highs and lows are very close. I scan the state, and despite living very south, we have colder weather by 5-10 degrees over much of the state. Halifax is near 2000' elevation, as am I. Some of my bush is over 2000'. In the 3 previous years I have watched this site, I get good syrup near to the end as many, all over the state. I found a couple reds swelling so far, but that is it, and my last boil was my first dark, But... we will see.
I made the mistake one year of paying to much attention to buds and quit to early. Now I keep those thoughts at bay, and follow the General's way.
I've thought this out some, and being on the west facing side of a 2600' steep mountainside, my trees get a limited number of hours of direct sunlight, maybe fooling them into thinking it is still winter. It seems like 10:00 or so until I get real sunlight.

Sap is crashing in at 1200 GPH. It started about 3:00 and has not let up yet. Supposed to drop to 29 by 8:00pm. May get a tank full before it freezes. Got to love it.

Spud

In hopes of a big day tomorrow, I was collecting some test buckets high up in our woodlot. Then it dawned on me that this was the first time this year that I collected sap with snow on the ground! Kind of fun collecting back in the woods by headlamp and being serenaded by coyotes on every hill.

Woke up sometime last night to a terrifying wind.. I wasn't expecting wind and got worried about our tubing. Walked lines all day and didn't find a single limb down on a 5/16 in the 3 bushes I was in! Let me tell you, that wind was LOUD last night.

Was in our Jericho bush when the sun came out and the sap started flowing real well. It's cool to hear the slush hammering down the lines as they thaw out. Pulling 28.4 at our Jericho bush. But.. sap only at 1% today. What the heck?

think taps all done, 60 gallons last two days on 985 taps hi vac running 27". we are right at 198 gallons for the year.

sap came rushing in last night around 3-330 and ran really hard till about 8-830 and shut right off. still tested 2.25%. got 22 on the thermometer today... sun is out. should be another great day today and tomorrow!

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Originally Posted by DoubleBrookMaple

Sean, you and I have similar weather. Our weekly and monthly averages, highs and lows are very close. I scan the state, and despite living very south, we have colder weather by 5-10 degrees over much of the state. Halifax is near 2000' elevation, as am I. Some of my bush is over 2000'. In the 3 previous years I have watched this site, I get good syrup near to the end as many, all over the state. I found a couple reds swelling so far, but that is it, and my last boil was my first dark, But... we will see.
I made the mistake one year of paying to much attention to buds and quit to early. Now I keep those thoughts at bay, and follow the General's way.
I've thought this out some, and being on the west facing side of a 2600' steep mountainside, my trees get a limited number of hours of direct sunlight, maybe fooling them into thinking it is still winter. It seems like 10:00 or so until I get real sunlight.

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I'm sure you're right. I only observe bud activity as a sign of the seasons progression. I don't stop making syrup until my filter press says so.:)

Well I will boil one last time today and I am sure I will still have sap left over. And I am pretty sure based on the look of the trees I could survive this warm up and boil next week, But I am nearly out of wood and I am pretty worn out from boiling to many hours I need to figure out if there is a good hybred pan for this 2x4 that will help me increase gallons per hour. If I was younger I buy a much bigger rig but its not in the cards at this point.

Still chugging along....sap ran pretty well yesterday once it thawed back out from the morning freeze up and was still trickling in despite 29F at the sugarhouse at 11 pm. We hit a low of 27 here last night which should have really recharged the trees. Hoping for at least one more good run before the flavor drops off. No freeze forecasted here until sat. night so I hope to ride it out. I will be very impressed if the flavor doesn't go buddy before the weekend.

I processed a bunch of sap last night and made about 18 gal. of AR. Right on the edge of GD. Still good flavor though not as stellar as what was made earlier this season. Still filtering ok and boiling is pretty easy. Have to be pretty attentive with the foam in flue pan, as it did try to jump out a couple times. Just about 260 for the season.

Get ready for a gusher today, especially you guys up north!

Sap is running 1000 GPH as of noon. Sugar is 1.6% today. Some great sugaring weather to come this week and next.

Spud